It could be the hot chocolate, the granola bars or the casual atmosphere, but Holly LaPointe says there’s something about the Alternative Suspension program that sets teenagers on the right path.

LaPointe is the primary youth worker with the program, which started as a pilot project in 2010 and got its official launch on Wednesday by the YMCA and Halifax Regional School Board at the Kinsmen Club of Dartmouth.

It gives junior high students who are suspended from school the option of taking part in personal and academic development during their time away from the classroom.

Whether the kids have acted out in class or experimented with drugs, LaPointe said the program helps change negative preteen behaviour by giving them one-on-one attention.

“I work really hard at connecting with them and having fun with them, because otherwise they won’t listen to what I have to say,” LaPointe said with a laugh. “Every day that I have kids here is invigorating, draining, exhausting and satisfying.”

If a student is suspended, school officials can recommend the teen for the program. It’s then up to the student and parents to decide if they’d like to take part.

Activities include individual assessments, recreational pursuits, intervention sessions and academic achievement.

Health and Wellness Minister Maureen MacDonald and Carole Olsen, superintendent of the HRSB, also participated in Wednesday’s launch. Olsen said many of the 28 students who been through the program have developed an awareness of their problem behaviour.

“It only takes one caring adult to make a difference in a child’s life,” she said at the Kinsmen Club, where Alternative Suspension is based. “This program provides that one caring adult.”