Leadership Program Narrative

Academic Assistance: is required of each member every day. At 3:15 every day, after all the program participants have received a nutritious snack, staff members are available for an hour to assist young people with homework assignments or school projects.

Arts & Crafts: is a class that gives young people the opportunity to express themselves through the arts. These activities are led by trained specialists who understand the need for self-expression. Our young people draw, build, paste, and paint their thoughts and feelings into tangible creations. These creations are displayed in the youth center, given to family and friends, and are offered as gifts to residents at community service sites.

Boys 2 Men/Sister 2 Sister group: is a gender specific program designed to provide the youth with an opportunity to talk about important issues in their lives. Each group will base their program on each gender's role in society and how they perceive the world that they live in by looking at: empowerment, self-esteem, the role of the media, healthy lifestyles, family and leadership. Each group will end the session by celebrating the importance of themselves and each other.

Bussey Style Self-Defense: is a class that focuses on teaching young people how to be safe on the streets and to be aware of their surroundings. The class does not teach the youth to be aggressive, but rather how to defend themselves if a person on the street who may or may not have a weapon confronts them.

Community Meeting: is a time, at the end of each week, when staff and participants can reflect upon the activities and events of the past week, as well as discuss any issues or concerns that may have arisen during the week. It is also a time to talk about upcoming events and make any announcements that impact the program.

Cooking with Culture: members will be involved in a creative cooking class that will not only teach the basics of cooking but will also engage participants in how to use and cook foods from around the world and also their own kitchens. These recipes will not only be connected to the different cultures but also to art itself, by having the members create dishes that are visually stimulating (creating edible art). The cooking class will try to instill the idea that cooking is not only fun and tastes good but can also be a feast for the eyes.

Hip Hop & Dance: is designed to explore creative expression, leadership, and community service for young people. The goal for the program is to provide professional mentorship, create group and individual projects, and foster peer guidance and support. Our young people are encouraged to express themselves creatively through the mind and body while developing technical proficiency in various dance techniques. Also, we seek to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of our young people through scheduled performances.

Literacy Program: is a structured program, which will place two days per week at the center. The purpose of the program is to focus on those children who need additional support with their reading and comprehension. Our staff will lead the reading groups, which will focus on encouraging the young people to support each other.

Media Literacy/Video Production: is an opportunity for the young people to learn the basics of how to operate a video camera, how to write and edit a script, and how to produce professional quality videos of their own lives and stories. Our young people learn the technical skills of how to use equipment as well as how to express themselves and tell their story.

Painting 1,2,3 and Bo's Book Brigade: Bo Lembo will be offering two classes. Painting 1,2,3 will focus on the basics of painting and Bo's Book Brigade will have participants involved in creating poetry, drawing, and compiling all of their work into a book.

Peer Mentors Program: this program is designed to allow the older program members to lead the center and mentor our younger members in community service-learning programs. The Peer Mentors will plan, organize, and implement each service-learning project with the guidance of staff. Staff will assist the Peer Mentors in deciding on each project, designating tasks, creating a timeline of priorities, working with the members as a resource and also organizing reflective pieces throughout the program. Along with designing the projects, the Peer Mentors and staff will work together to motivate and inspire the younger members to participate in each service project as well.

Photography: members will be introduced to photography and will learn about this art through looking at nature, fashion, culture, world issues, and life experiences. Members will learn how to incorporate emotions, points of view and perspective into the pictures they are taking.

Science Corner: members will learn about a variety of different sciences through experiments, hands-on activities, and discussions. Members could participate in a variety of experiments, including edible science projects, raising butterflies, looking at the changes in the seasons, etc. The hope is that this program will foster a love of science inside as well as outside the classroom.

Snack: is provided daily. We strive to provide a nutritious and delicious pick-me-up for the program participants. Our goal is to provide a healthy snack that helps to re-energize them so that they successfully get through the daily activities.

Teen Program Narrative