Project Rebound, Inc. is a community based intervention program aimed at addressing the needs of the children who have been suspended from schools in the Columbus, GA area. DR. J.A. Hud, founder and Director, started the program in 1994.  It was set up to work with children from middle to high schools who had been suspended for ten days. Dr. Hud discovered that the needs of the high school students were more crisis interventive in nature. His interest was in prevention so the change of the program became serving elementary and middle school students.

 

As a society, we are too quick to give up on these kids, but they are worth our best efforts. They are not disposable. The school system may think of them as the worst of the worst, but see how well they do here. There are some stipulations for involvement in the program. A parent or other committed person needs to attend intake and exit meetings with the student and staff. Attendance and completion of homework are mandatory. To discourage absenteeism, the children are transported to and from the site.

 

The program also offers a Family Skills Institute to assist parents and family members with information and referral, including assistance with discipline, substance abuse and parenting. Dr. Hud believes in partnerships and in community involvement. He has led a process that has created a collaborative effort between the school system, the local Housing authority, and the Parks and Recreation department.

 

Dr. J. A. Hud is a native of Columbus, GA. He received a full academic scholarship, which resulted in a B.S. degree with concentration in Political Behavioral Master of Social Work degree (M.S.W.) in Family Development and Planning from Wayne State University-Detroit, Michigan and a Doctorate (Ed.D) in Developmental Psychology from the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor, Michigan.