ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Auburn High School has introduced a new program called 'Knight Time' to help freshmen transition into high school by focusing on mental health and peer collaboration.

The program, spearheaded by Auburn alum Gerry Ford, a para-liaison at the school, allows freshmen to spend part of their lunch period discussing mental health and other concerns in a supportive environment.

"For an incoming freshman, they have the person to go to," said Ford. "They come to us for situations, any problems, from the biggest thing like not passing a class to the smallest thing like finding a classroom."

While Auburn High had programs to aid freshmen in the past, Ford noticed a lack of focus on mental health and collaboration.

School behavioral specialist JC Coleman emphasized the impo

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