Pre-Teens Become Successful Leaders
By Pamela Winters-Colbert, Site Coordinator
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, they say, so if a nearby site wants to copy what you're doing, you must be doing something right.
Last year the Westside Weed and Seed site in Chattanooga, TN, implemented its new Youth Leadership Cadet program, which was so successful that we placed it in the 2006 Weed and Seed grant for funding. The other Chattanooga site (MLK-Area) is going to try it with older teens, though the mission of the program will stay the same.
Our program serves children from ages 9 to13 who live in a low-income, high crime area. Last year we had 10 participants, but we plan to serve more than 20 youth this year.
Officers Vernon Kimbrough and Vincent Holoman facilitated the program; they also created its plans and mission, incorporating input from the community. Both officers have served more than 25 years with the Chattanooga Police Department, have worked with Weed and Seed and DEFY, and are well respected in the Westside community. The total cost of the program was $8,500; a lot of the supplies were donated. The money went to compensation for the two officers and transportation for field trips.
The 10-week program addresses leadership skills, life skills, drug and gang prevention, and community development. Participants met 2 days each week for 2.5 hours and wore uniforms. Each session began with physical training and ended with open dialogue on important issues facing youth in the community. Lawyers and judges were invited to speak to the youth about their roles and daily responsibilities. We took field trips to a baseball game, the Hamilton County Courthouse, and a local judge's courtroom. Participants also engaged in community cleanup activities and visited some senior residents.
The participants were all youth who had serious discipline issues at home and school, and in the community. Both the parents and youth completed an evaluation indicating a positive change in their behavior during the program's implementation. Participants enjoyed themselves and learned; Shateria Parker, age 9, said, “I wished we had this program everyday.”
The response was overwhelming. I was very surprised to see how much interest our program generated among Chattanooga police officers, youth, judges, and parents. We increased the budget for this year's program to serve more youth, and made sure to begin the program before the summer to increase the interest in DEFY camp.
For more information, contact:
Pamela Winters-Colbert
Westside Site Coordinator
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