Teen Programs
"Reverend LeHavre Buck was 17 when his girlfriend, now wife
of 21 years, told him she was pregnant. He quit school and joined the Marines
and married his girlfriend. His story turned out happily. Now he gives workshops
as part of the National Urban League Campaign on male responsibility. He uses
role models to inspire the kids. He tries to build self-esteem and offer new
alternatives to teens to get out of the poverty cycle."
Dawn Eddy, Iowa-Grant High School, Livingston, Wisconsin
"2pac, a rap group, has released a song entitled, 'Keep
Your Head Up.' This song encourages young men to stay with the children they
father and to respect women. All of these attempts to make morals 'cool' are
effective, and more are appearing every day."
Blythe Sullivan, Demopolis High, Demopolis, Alabama
"Boy Talk is a group of male students at Texas Tech
University who meet with early teenage boys and discuss their questions about
growing up to be responsible adults."
Colby Black, Hereford High School, Hereford, Texas
"In Southern Oregon, a great deal of good is being done for local teens by SODA, or Southern Oregon Drug Awareness. They recently received a citation for reducing teenage drinking by 60 percent. High school students from all districts are involved with the club and pledge not to use alcohol. A spokesman for SODA stated if they can get teens to be alcohol-free, all their work is worth it."
Kevin Gilman, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon
"Chicago's Midnight Basketball Association [keeps] young men between the ages of 17-26 [busy between] 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. when most violence occurs."
Jackie Thompson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"A New York activist group called SCARED (Students Concerned About Rape Education) was formed by people who want to make a difference and take responsibility."
Jenna Freeman, Freeman High School, Rockford, Washington
"Say What Ya Want, is a record put out by Mercury records to support the Rock the Vote voter registration drive. This is to encourage the younger generation to vote. A portion of record sales is donated to this group."
Marc Eggers, Valhalla High School, Valhalla, New York
"Rainier Beach Community Center , every Saturday has functions set up for teens. They try to keep them away from gang related activities."
Ramona Lazanis, Freeman High School, Rockford, Washington
"Teenagers of Detroit's Westside Cultural and Athletic Center, (WCAC) have turned a field that was once overrun with gangs and violence into a baseball field and playground. These teens also make themselves available for helping with homework."
Jennifer Waddell, Rock Hill Senior High School, Ironton, Ohio
"United For Peace [is] a program that involves gang members from all around [the country] trying to work together and do something good for the community. The gangs work together to try to stop the violence and create jobs for black men."
Scott Arthur Grabe, Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Minnesota
"A few years ago, an organization called Prevention Drama, was founded in surrounding counties. We had already started T.A.S.A (Teens Against Substance Abuse) but we felt we needed more. Now we go from town to town to perform skits for other high school students, and provide facts about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, teen pregnancy, date rape, depression, eating disorders and other problems that affect our peers. I realize that our organization is not the most publicized, but maybe it should be. These are important issues that can affect someone's life forever."
Tawnya Marley, Ramsey High School, Ramsey, Illinois
"Teen members of the New York Sullivan Street Players write plays and enact them. These teens talk about such issues as racism, homelessness, abortion, drugs, and even date rape. This little theater group also gives the members of the group a chance to be creative in their dancing, singing, and acting."
Jason Norris, Seaman High School, Topeka, Kansas
"Home Ties, in Cleveland, Tennessee, is a program in which counselors make house calls to troubled teenagers. They also visit the parents of troubled teens and dysfunctional families."
Shane Nichols, Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas
"Alcohol Education Program (AEP) is an organization which uses high school students as teacher assistants. Student receive training during the summer to become peer leaders. These trained students then [conduct] after-school discussion groups with other students [in which they] discuss fears and questions they have about alcohol and drinking."
Sherri Koltes, DeForest High School, DeForest, Wisconsin
"Students of Mt. Hebron High School in Ellicott City, Maryland, are also giving their time...students are assigned to a National Honor Society student for tutoring. Instead of being punished the students who misbehave have a chance to learn."
Sarah Erickson, Luck High School, Luck, Wisconsin
"The Zero-Tolerance program, in Santa Clara County, went into effect a year ago, which shows high school students the consequences of bringing firearms to school. The students then go to elementary schools and help kids understand that violence and guns are not cool. Their goal is to rid schools of all firearms, brass knuckles, clubs, fighting sticks, and pocket knives."
Sarah McDonnell, Pioneer High School, San Jose, California
"In Los Angeles, a group of lawyers have agreed to spend time with kids just being released from California Youth Authority."
Sarah Mandler, Marion High School, Marion, South Dakota
"In Miami, FL, there's a Peer Conflict Management Program which introduces troubled teenagers to critical thinking, self evaluation, diagnosing the conflict, and to find a solution without using violence."
Sarah McDonnell, Pioneer High School, San Jose, California
"After being mugged by a gang of teenagers for the whole ten dollars in his wallet, Steve Mariotti quit his job to teach entrepreneurial skills to teenagers. His curriculum is taught at four high schools in New York City and eleven schools in the Midwest. He estimates the students' businesses make about $250,000 a year. The students run hot dog stands, cleaning and copy services, and T-shirt businesses. He says his fantasy is for every inner-city kid to start a company."
Kelly Herb, Conrad Weiser High School, Robesonia, Pennsylvania
"In the small town of Hereford, Texas an organization known as the Keywanette's, serve the town in several different ways. ...high school girls help the Red Cross and visit the Senior Citizens home. The girls show responsibility and encourage each other to be good role models for their school and community."
Shelia Teel, Hereford High School, Hereford, Texas
"[The] Hugh O'Brian Youth Foundation Seminar...brings together...high school sophomores with demonstrated leadership qualities, tomorrow's leaders; and today's leaders, a group of men and women who have been successful in business, education, government, the sciences, the arts, and the professions. Through intense discussions, the 10th-graders, known as HOBY Ambassadors learn that as individuals they are important and that their thoughts and responsible actions can make a difference in their communities. HOBY motivates students by showing them that how to think can be as important as what to think."
Patrick F. Welch, South Kent High School, South Kent, Connecticut
"There are indications that there are grass root movements in the inner cities to break the hold or appeal of gangs over the youths. The Gautreaux program in Chicago has helped (with excellent results) over 1500 families from the ghetto to move to the suburbs in order to break the welfare cycle, and the hold of gangs over their children."
Bryan Williams, Ramsey High School, Ramsey, Illinois
"Perhaps the example of responsible behavior that I find the most admirable is the story of a newly formed group called Third Millennium. The intention of this group is to represent the concerns of people born between 1961 and 1981, hopefully through a document called the Third Millennium Declaration. Issues raised include combat waste, fraud, abuse, social security scams, and the national debt."
Michelle R. Gannon, Rock Hill Senior High School, Ironton, Ohio
According to Parade Magazine, Freedom Summer '94 added representatives from twenty new youth organizations to the half million young people already gathered together to exchange ideas. The organizers intended to give the nation a positive view of American teens. The idea was to demonstrate the many ways young people can become involved with their communities. A toll free phone number was available so youngsters all over the country could get a list of organizations welcoming teen volunteers in their own areas. From the Hip, a group of young writers and photographers, interviewed participants. It was an ambitious undertaking and an idea that the Harry Singer Foundation heartily applauds.