Oakridge Neighborhood Services Youth Program
Students: Brianna Hart, Margo Kelly, Brian Powell, and Shatevia Currie
Age Group: Middle School
Affiliation: Oakridge Neighborhood Services Youth Program
Location: Des Moines
The Oakridge Neighborhood Services Youth program provides a variety of activities and programming. It is designed as an after-school enrichment program for school aged youth ages 5-17 that incorporates such components as personal growth, character building, violence and drug prevention, creative arts, computer literacy, team building, and social development. An education component provides academic assistance, school visits, and tutoring sessions. In addition, the Oakridge Neighborhood Services Youth Program provides day camps during spring, summer, and winter breaks from school. A unique teen component provides local pre-teens and teens an opportunity for growth in areas such as character development and life skills. Youth program components are implemented with appropriate developmental activities to advance and promote positive social behaviors and life-style choices, as well as broadening youths’ perspectives through positive educational experiences. The purpose is to develop positive values and encourage youth to become productive citizens.
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Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS)
Students: Keith King, Marcus Glenn, Charlwit Kulchaiyawat, Liza Sharp, Devin Dutilly and Amanda Chung
Age Group: College
Affiliation: Iowa State University
Location: Ames
Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) is a national student and professional organization that promotes the study of agriculture and related areas, provides leadership opportunities for student members, and fosters a friendly learning environment on campus. At Iowa State University we have about 25 MANRRS members, both undergraduate and graduate students.
Members of MANNRS involved with the interview with the Sharps were: Keith King, Marcus Glenn, Charlwit Kulchaiyawat and Liza Sharp. It is Liza’s granddad that has the barbershop in Des Moines.
Members of MANNRS involved with the interview with Dr. Hill were: Devin Dutilly, Charlwit Kulchaiyawat, and Amanda Chung.
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PBC Project HOPE
Students: Gabrielle George, Sandra Viers, Abreah Ash, Ahmya Ash
Age Group: Elementary School
Affiliation: Progressive Baptist Church
Location: Davenport
PBC Incorporated is a 501(c)(3) organization that actively partners with Progressive Baptist Church, Our House Preschool, and others groups involved in enhancing the lives of people in our community. PBC Inc. was organized in 2006 to help address the gaps in services that are available to improve family life in the Quad Cities. Our mission is to serve the children and families of the Quad Cites by helping to identify services that encourage self improvement while promoting the importance of community service.
PBC’s Project HOPE (Helping Other People Excel) includes an after school tutoring program. The after school program provides a natural extension of the school day in a safe, secure, and structured environment that focuses on reading, mathematics, and the sciences.
One major focal point has been to build self-esteem and promote ethnic diversity to the youth of the Quad Cities by presenting African American culture and history. Participating youth take a deep and thoughtful look at our country’s history to understand the troubles while embracing the triumphs that have occurred due to the character and determination of everyday people.
To bring awareness and encouragement to the children of the Quad Cities through music, we held an concert on February 25, 2007 at the Davenport Capitol Theater that explained how the infusion of African and European sounds help establish spirituals, jazz, blues, and gospel music that evolved in America. Our program consisted of musical talents such as the New Direction Gospel Choir of Tennessee State University, international jazz saxophonist Ray Blue, Boris Arratia and Tony Sconyers, Praise Dancers, and the Quad City Y.E.S. choir.
To encourage self-growth among the youth, over 200 gift bags were given to concert goers and 5th grade students at Washington Elementary School in Davenport Iowa. Each bag was stuffed full with information on the 40 Developmental Assets, Educational material from Department of Education, books from C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia” to African-American history, and information on local organizations, such as United Way, YMCA, and Davenport Public Library programs.
In other years we exposed the youth:
Studied Slavery to compare the modern times to antebellum slavery.
- Visited the Lewellen House in Salem, Iowa to learn about the Underground Railroad.
- Promoted the concept of self-less service by showing the impact of Good Samaritans within the Civil Rights movements between 1600 and 1964.
- Provided essential care packages to nursing home residents.
- Encouraged the inter-winner in all by studying the journey of African American athletics and sponsored a trip to Harlem Globetrotter game at I-Wireless in 2009.
As you can tell by our previous activities, we are vigorously trying to provide our youth ample knowledge of our country’s history so that they are self-assured that there are no limits on what they can achieve.
Currently, PBC is in the process of developing a Comprehensive One-on-One mentoring program that will help provide the essential developmental assets that each mentee will need to grow into a productive civilian with numerous opportunities.
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Clinton Youth Program Drug Prevention Group Dance Team
Students: Danielle Johnson, Donielle Parham, Monique Harris, Kenya Lewis, and Jaanee Lewis
Age Group: High School
Affiliation: Clinton Youth Program
Location: Clinton
The Clinton Youth Program Drug Prevention Group has created a dance team which competes throughout the state. The group is dedicated to the business of finding and developing the hidden talents in youth that will encourage self expression, dedication, and discipline so that the students are too goal orientated to get involved with drug abuse. The dance team is just one of many groups supported by the Clinton Youth Program.
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Living Waters History Makers
Students: Shavar Diaz, Shawndell Young
Age Group: Mixed Ages
Affiliation: Living Waters Community Church
Location: Cedar Rapids
Living Waters History Makers are from Living Waters Community Church in Cedar Rapids. They are learning to devote their lives to God, family and community.
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Dare To Be King-Group Mentoring Program
Students: Trevon Phillips, Kwejuan Kline, Darien James, Josh Person, Frederick Woods. Joining them on the interview with Cammie Dean were two students from the Dare To Be Queen Group, including Shanique Ivory
Age Group: Middle School
Affiliation: Dare To Be King
Location: Dubuque
Dare to Be King (DTBK) is a violence prevention program designed for adolescent African American males. This comprehensive instructional curriculum strives to:
(1) enhance social and survival skills among
African-American males and
(2) provide strategies to encourage African
American males to understand and cope with anger.
The curriculum seeks to decrease violence by teaching, coaching, and modeling alternatives to violence.
The DTBK program features interactive sessions focused on:
Anger, Impulse control Responsibility, Confidence, Independence, Individuality, Decision-making skills, Racism, Poverty, Drugs, Alcoholism, Community violence, Peer pressure, Societal pressure, Police brutality, Physical/emotional abuse.
Apathy/remorse DTBK can help youth develop skills to recognize that there are realistic alternatives to violence. The 16 week curriculum is based on social learning and attributional theories. The social learning theory states that social behavior is learned by observing other people’s actions and the consequences of those actions. Youth are likely to model the behavior that receives the outcomes they desire. Attitudes, behavior, and environment can impact and be impacted by each other. The attributional theory suggests that individuals try to understand what happens to them and others by identifying or assigning causes to events. It emphasizes coaching and reinforcing pro-social behaviors. The curriculum integrates these theories with proven practices for improving the likelihood that youth will make sound decisions when confronted with potentially violent situations.
DTBK is facilitated by two volunteers that are well known in their community. Robert Kimble is
the Youth Program Director for the Dubuque YMCA and Victor Anderson is a Juvenile Court Officer in Dubuque.
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Mt. Zion Refuge Church Youth Group
Students: Jewel Sanford, Shaun Hampton, Joe Sanford, Jordan Sanford, Erica Hampton, Bernie Bryant
Age Group: Mixed Ages
Affiliation: Mt. Zion Refuge Church
Location: Council Bluffs
Mt. Zion Youth Group was formed to develop our children into Christian leaders. Mt. Zion Refuge Church works toward glorifying God through the work of His people.
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Pentecostal Church of God Youth Group
Students: Stacia Clark, Janacia Clark, Chauncia Clark, Dennicia Hickman, Deborah Phillips, Adrienne Allen, Arika Allen, Jeffrey Jackson, and Jonathan Pulliam
Age Group: Middle School
Affiliation: Pentecostal Church of God
Location: Davenport
The youth of Pentecostal Church of God are seen as gifts in the present and the joy of the future. They are brought up in the love and nurturing of the church family guided in their individual paths to a Holy Spirit filled Christian life. They are active in their church community and the larger community as they grow to become active church members and active, productive citizens. They are among the early participating groups in the African American Museum Adult Voices, Children’s Eyes project researching and recording the history of their church which was founded in Davenport, Iowa in 1930.
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712 House and Youth Recovery House
Students: Ryan Franklin and others
Age Group: Mixed Ages
Affiliation: Youth and Shelter Services
Location: Ames
712 House and Youth Recovery House are the homes to a substance abuse treatment program for youth ages 13 to 17 across the state of Iowa. Based in Ames, it is a part of Youth and Shelter Services. Students participated in the Oral History Project as part of a summer school program.
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Visions
Students: Ebony Cavil, China Cavil, Franseska Bennett, LaTisha Johnson, Q'Nique Johnson
Age Group: Middle School
Affiliation: Young Women's Resource Center and Girl Scouts of America
Location: Des Moines
The Young Women’s Resource Center of Des Moines and the Girl Scouts of America worked together to create “Visions” a program for young at-risk women seeking help in negotiating the rough waters of adolescence. The programs nurture young girls into women who are able to succeed in the real world. Both seek to encourage education, acceptance, and leadership skills for success among young women.
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Museum Teens
Students: Candra Barnes
Darious Pledge
James Hall II
Age Group: High School
Affiliation: Kirkwood Future Jobs Program
Location: Cedar Rapids
The Future Jobs Program from Kirkwood Community College gives young people from fifteen to twenty-four the opportunity to experience real life work experiences. The African American Museum was gifted with three teenagers who spent the summer doing a variety of work with various departments. One day working in the gift shop, another arranging the banquet hall, or getting items ready for a children’s program. They also had the opportunity to be highly involved in the Children’s Oral History Project. They made phone calls to set up appointments, interviewed History Makers, and did some of the transcribing.
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United We Stand
Students: Elexis Teague, Adreanna Acosta, Matthew Acosta, Zakiya Euring, Ra'id Euring, Destiny Teague, Jazmin Fountain
Age Group: Middle School
Affiliation: Gospel Mission Temple
Location: Davenport
These students are all from the Davenport area and range from 5th grade to 8th grade. Their leader, Jazmin Fountain is a college student. The students are from Gospel Mission Temple church. This project allowed them to get to know one another even better because they had to work together to pull off successful interviews. A few members were a bit shy about interviewing people, but since none of them are really shy, it only took a short time before they were comfortable doing an interview. They are really excited about holding interviews and being able to listen to these stories.
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Sioux City NAACP Youth Group
Students: Trenton Lee, Issa Ford, D'Metrick Rainey, K-Anthony Fletcher, Laura Triplett, Lakeshia Rainey
Age Group: Mixed Ages
Affiliation: Sioux City NAACP
Location: Sioux City
The Sioux City NAACP is a contributor to the Sioux City Museum. As a part of their educational and historical goals, their Youth Group joined with the Sioux City Museum to collect the stories of Sioux City area History Makers.
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