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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FasTrac
Students: Arianna Aron,Tajeria Beacham,Mahogany White
Age Group: High School
Affiliation: City High Iowa City
Location: Iowa City
FasTrac is a self-supporting youth group located at City High in Iowa City. The program began in December 2007. This program is designed to provide support and guidance to young adults who may otherwise be at risk. The program goes beyond teaching the importance of academic performance. FasTrac teaches personal responsibility, making good decisions and preparing for the future. Initially created for black students FasTrac has since expanded to other City High students, has created an environment that preaches accountability and hard work to achieve in school while aiming for college. The following quotes are from a few of coordinator Henri Harper's students about what Fas Trac means to them.
• "Fas Trac is helping kids become a better person at the right time" -- Keshiana Denton.
• "Fas Trac and Mr. Harper is the support that a lot of kids don't have at home" -- Tajeria Beacham.
• "Fas Trac has given me the tools and values that will lead me down the right path in life." -- James Taylor.
• "Fas Trac gives me a sense of belonging" -- Deidra Williams.
• "Fas Trac taught me how to respect myself, not doubt myself, and to always give it 150 percent" -- Arianna Aron.
• "Fas Trac is a family, Fas Trac is my family" -- Anteirio Nimmers.
• "Because of Fas Trac, I am an asset to the community and not a liability" --Shabree Marshall.
• "Fas Trac has motivated me to do the right thing and stay on track -- and not to be the person the community and others perceive me to be" -- Lashelle Beard.
From the April 26th and 29th, 2010 edition of the Iowa City Press-Citizen articles written by Rob Daniel and Cindy Roberts.
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Ottumwa High School International Club
Students: Nalley Solis, Guadelupe Dorado, David Neave
Age Group: High School
Affiliation: Ottumwa Community School District
Location: Ottumwa
The International Club at Ottumwa High School promotes the positive interaction of people of different cultures. Our group is comprised of about seventy to seventy-five students who come from ten different countries and speak ten to twelve different languages. The students range in age from 14-18 years of age. As a result of their involvement in this project, the students are attempting to create their own collection of oral history interviews under the tentative title Voices of Ottumwa.
Group leader: Mrs. Sharon Padget
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TRIO Upward Bound
Students: Chelsea Baker, Torrie Cartmill, Jazzmen Dameron, Denija Danzy, Brionna Davis, Jeff Farris, Megan O'Day, Kyra Seay
Age Group: High School
Affiliation: Southeastern Community College Upward Bound
Location: Keokuk
Upward Bound (UB) is a federally funded program providing services to fifty potential first generation and/or low income students attending Keokuk, fort Madison, and Burlington High Schools. The TRIO Upward Bound program offers academic advising and personal support, tutoring, technology resources and much more to their students. The goal is to help the student to graduate from a four year college.
Group leader: Jody Whitmore
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Curiosity Club
Students: Anton Benjegerdes, Dante Benjegerdes, Katie Cheaney, Ben Toyne
Age Group: Mixed Ages
Location: LaPorte City, Ames, and Victor
Students formed the Curiosity Club for the express purpose of being able to meet some of Iowa's History Makers and ask them questions about their life experiences. Brothers Dante and Anton are homeschoolers who joined with their friend Katie, also a homeschooled student, and their Uncle Ben a student at HLV in Victor Iowa to form the club.
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Expanding Horizons
Students: Emily Ames, Zack Conover, Yaleng Meng, Grant Kataska, Elizabeth Wagner, Kyle Johnson, Landon Frenell, Michael Lindle
Age Group: High School
Affiliation: Quad City Christian School
Location: Moline
Students from the Quad City area who attend Quad City Christian School donated their time to the Adult Voices Children's Eyes Oral History Project. The results were an increased interest in local and more recent history. Like many students who have participated in the project, they didn't know very much about Iowa's history, Iowa's place in the Civil Rights Movement, or the importance of the movement. Like others, their interest along with their knowledge has been piqued. Most of the students are from Illinois and Iowa, but there are also many foreign exchange students including Nalani from China who has become a valued member.
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Athletics for Education and Success
Students: Middle School students from Fort Dodge
Age Group: Middle School
Affiliation: Athletics for Education and Success
Location: Fort Dodge
Athletics for Education and Success (AFES) was organized to provide underprivileged youth an opportunity to participate in athletic programming they may otherwise be unable to afford. AFES' athletic programming is coupled with education concerning social issues relevant to the young participants. They offer the youth after-school programs, sports teams, mentoring groups, drum line groups, educational & cultural opportunities, and much more. In addition to providing exceptional programming, youth are provided with a sense of belonging and the determination to succeed. Young people are taught to be leaders on and off the field, while stressing the importance of education and living a positive lifestyle.
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Creative Writing Club
Students: Jonathan Yates, Selina Soto, Joe Losee, Wesley Adams, Ronald Arenas, Angelica Soto, Schyler Bell
Age Group: Elementary School
Affiliation: Four Oaks Bridge
Location: Cedar Rapids
Students in the Creative Writing Club at Four Oaks Bridge have been reading and writing about the Civil Rights Movement. The Adult Voices, Children's Eyes Children's Oral History Project was a natural extension of their studies.
Our goal at Four Oaks Bridge is to assure children become successful adults. The four basics troubled children need to have a successful future are a home, a sense of family, treatment, and an education. Children come to us with psychiatric and emotional problems and stay until they feel secure. Some children have been in trouble with the law, get into drugs or run away from home. That’s when we work with them and try to lead them down a better path. Others can’t get along in school so we educate in a way that works. We find foster care and adoptive families for children all throughout the state, we have educational after-school programs and we counsel parents who need a helping hand. We can build a future for troubled children of Iowa. Expect Success.
Group Leader: MaryBeth Minges
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Elizabeth Tate High School
Students: Shelby Scales
Kayla Wright
Age Group: High School
Affiliation: Elizabeth Tate High School
Location: Iowa City
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