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Julie Trammell Sheppard, Ed.D.
UAMS Receives $3.18 Million Federal Grant to Create Program to Improve Communications Skills in Little Rock Students
| LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) Institute for Digital Health & Innovation has received a five-year, $3,183,174 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to create a program in Little Rock schools to help students learn better communication skills, including conflict resolution, relationship building and critical decision-making.
The REAL (Respect, Empowerment, Awareness, Life) Deal program will help students learn and practice communication skills to help navigate friendships, dating, family dynamics and their future careers. It will be offered through the Little Rock School District’s Accelerated Learning Center and Hamilton Learning Academy through a series of 16 curriculum-based workshops throughout the school year, as well as summer youth programs with the City of Little Rock. The Little Rock School District includes 36 school campuses serving nearly 20,000 students.
“The idea behind the REAL Deal is about giving students the kind of practical, real-life relationship skills that make everything else in their world easier — how they communicate, handle conflict, make decisions and recognize what’s healthy versus harmful,” said Julie Trammell Sheppard, Ed.D., project director and grant manager with the institute. “The whole idea is to give students a safe, supportive place to learn how to build healthy relationships, manage emotions, communicate clearly and avoid situations that can escalate into conflict or harm.”
Sheppard said additional partners for the REAL Deal program are the Arkansas Relationship Counseling Center, Arkansas Commission of Child Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence, The Center Against Family Violence, and the Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Two full-time social workers will also be hired to help implement the program and provide support.
Sheppard, a career public school educator and administrator who joined UAMS after retiring from decades of service to Arkansas public schools, also serves as project director for LR VISION, a $1.9 million U.S. Department of Justice-funded emergency response program being implemented in the Little Rock School District.
“The REAL Deal is about meeting students where they are and giving them practical skills they can use every day — how to communicate, manage emotions, resolve conflict and build healthy relationships,” said Little Rock School District Superintendent Jermall Wright, Ed.D. “Placing this program in our Hamilton Learning Academy and Accelerated Learning Center was intentional and will help us create the space students need to slow down, reflect and practice life skills that will follow them far beyond high school. We’re grateful to our partners at UAMS for their continued collaboration and commitment to supporting the whole child, because when we invest in relationships and social-emotional learning, we truly change students’ trajectories.”
Crystal Green-Braswell, Ed.S., director of culture, climate and well-being in the Little Rock School District’s Division of Teaching, Learning and Leading, will lead the program on the school district side.
“We are committed to utilizing this support to create a more inclusive and empowering environment for all students,” Green-Braswell said. “This funding will provide essential resources and opportunities to enhance the educational experience for these students, fostering academic success and personal development. We are excited to partner with UAMS and the City of Little Rock to make a difference in our community.”
The program will also be implemented at two Little Rock community centers via a partnership with the City of Little Rock’s Parks & Recreation Department. Workshops will be embedded into existing after-school and summer enrichment programming.
“The REAL Deal program empowers Little Rock’s young people and creates real opportunities for healthy decision-making and long-term success,” said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. “The City of Little Rock is excited to be a partner in this program with UAMS and the Little Rock School District to reach a wide range of young Little Rock residents through the city’s numerous youth outreach initiatives.”
Sheppard said that in addition to strengthening skills that students will carry with them throughout their lives, there’s a more immediate benefit for school safety as well.
“When students know how to handle conflict, things deescalate much faster,” Sheppard said. “When they understand what abuse looks like, they’re more likely to speak up, and when they feel supported and connected, they stay engaged in school instead of pulling away. We’re really hoping the REAL Deal makes a meaningful impact on Little Rock youth because it strengthens the kinds of skills that shape every part of their lives.”
The program’s first year will involve finalizing curriculum and hiring and training staff before beginning implementation with students. The next two years will include reaching more students, expanding the curriculum and adding options like peer leaders, career-readiness activities, weekly check-ins and opportunities for students to get involved outside of the classroom. The final two years will focus on long-term stability to ensure that school district staff can sustain the program into the future.
“REAL Deal gives us an opportunity to invest in the core skills that make schools safer and communities stronger,” Sheppard said. “By teaching students how to navigate conflict, set boundaries and recognize unhealthy behavior, we’re giving them tools that will influence every relationship and every decision they make moving forward.”
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,553 students and 902 medical residents and fellows. It is the state’s largest public employer with about 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###