| Look Ma, I'm on Camera: Video Highlights Safe Haven Programs
Kids learn to play tennis at a Safe Haven program. |
The kids in the Safe Havens in South Bend, IN, might have
felt as if they were being watched last fall—and they were.
They not only were watched, they also were filmed, interviewed,
and inundated with questions by other kids, all with the ultimate
goal of drawing even more of their peers to the Weed and Seed
centers in the evenings.
The project began with a simple question, “Why do you like
coming here?” and resulted in a 13-minute video titled “The
Choice Is Yours.” The project was a Weed and Seed effort to
determine what was working at the site's Safe Havens and how
they could encourage more youth to take advantage of afterschool
programs such as homework assistance, tutoring, computer literacy
training, recreational programs, mentoring, the Reading Corps
program, and conflict resolution training.
Mark Dollinger, the site coordinator, said he wants to replicate
the programs that work and tailor them to reach as many youth
as possible.
“It keeps them from hearing gunshots in their neighborhood,” Dollinger
said, matter-of-factly.
The South Bend Weed and Seed Alliance recently set out to
refocus its goals, starting with helping out youth (especially
from 3 to 7 p.m.). Because the site serves very distinct neighborhoods,
part of the video explains which services are offered at which
sites (although there has since been an attempt to integrate
more programs).
In the video, youth talk about why they like going to Safe
Havens. One child said she liked going to La Casa de Amistad
because she can do her homework there, and that her sisters
won't let her do her homework at home. A young boy said he
liked coming because it is a safe place where he can get away
from gangs that are fighting on the street. Another said he
likes going because his grades have improved, and he now makes
As and Bs, not Cs and Ds.
All local schools have copies of the videotape and nonprofit
groups and churches have shown interest as well. The site's
newsletter published an article about the video project while
it was in progress, and a premiere of the completed video was
attended by South Bend Mayor Stephen Luecke, the local U.S.
attorney, members of the South Bend Police Department, board
members from the local Weed and Seed site, and children featured
in the video.
The video has made the public aware of the youth programming
available but also has served other functions. It has become
a stepping stone to a second project in which youth are filming
a documentary about Weed and Seed neighborhoods. The same production
company that assisted with the first video will again donate
its time and charge a low rate, Dollinger said. The documentary
project will teach youth how to properly videotape, edit, and
produce a film. Because this second film will document the
progress of the site, said Dollinger, it will serve as
an educational and evaluation tool in one. The Safe Havens
video cost $6,500; the upcoming video is estimated to cost
$6,000 and will be completed later this year, depending on
the site's funding cycle.
Another payoff has been more children signing up for programs,
resulting in the need for more staff to be hired at the six
Safe Havens that cross three South Bend neighborhoods. Student
volunteers from the University of Notre Dame and St. Mary's
College also continue to help out.
For further information, contact:
Mark Dollinger
Weed and Seed Coordinator
574-235-7619
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