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| Partner of The Month |
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Nancy Eull
For those of you who don't know her, I am proud to introduce our partner of the month Ms. Nancy Eull.
Ms. Eull was lead to us by her son Joshua, who came home from school day after day excited about his after school program. Out of curiosity, one afternoon she decided to join him. She was so impressed by what she saw that she decided to become a volunteer. That was just the beginning of what would become a great and lasting relationship. Since that time, Nancy has found herself completely immersed in the work of our community school. She is an active coordinating council member, a group leader within the ETU Afterschool program and a Street Soldiers facilitator.
While those commitments are great, they just whisper her level of motivation to serve our young people. But, what screams the intensity of her dedication and passion to keep our youth alive and free is the personal interest she takes in the children she serves. For example, she once took a student who was homeless into her own home. Further, she enrolled two young men from her community into our GED Program. One of those young men was the very same person who tried to shoot and kill her own beloved son during an earlier altercation in their neighborhood. Her capacity to love is inspirational and hopefully contagious. The love and forgiveness germ is one that we all need to catch.
The world needs more people like Ms. Eull.
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| Street Soldiers are you ready? |
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The Alive And Free Baltimore Movement
Coming to your community this October!
Check back for more information as the event date approaches.
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| A SPECIAL VISIT FROM OUR SOUTH AFRICAN FAMILY |
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Pictured above: Guests from South Africa with Nzinga Oneferua-El and Community School Site Coordinator Noreen smith.
On Wednesday, May 14th, Baltimore played host to a team of seven professionals from South Africa who are developing a community schools initiative in the high-poverty areas surrounding Cape Town, South Africa. While here, they maintained an extremely busy schedule full of meetings, workshops and forums. They went to Portland Oregon, continued on to Philadelphia and made the last stop here in Baltimore at the ETU Community School, where they were warmly greeted by students who spent the previous day preparing for their arrival.
Our guests spent time answering questions about their homeland as well as, asking our students questions about their experiences in school. We also shared dinner and conversation on how community schools address difficult challenges. Principals and school officials, teachers, youth and parents were invited to join our South African visitors to discuss how community schools address issues of school climate, student engagement, enriched curriculum, attendance, parent involvement and readiness to learn.
My hope is that we are able to visit our friends in South Africa and share with them in the great success of their new initiative.
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The ETU Community School Goes International
On April 30 - May 2nd we participated in the Coalition for Community Schools 10th Anniversary National Forum: Community Schools for All. We were excited to be a presenter at this national conference in Portland Oregon. The Disease of Violence was our topic. We shared how we have successfully infused the Street Soldier Violence Prevention Model into our community school. We had a standing room only crowd with people lined up in the hallway, posted on the walls and sitting on the floor.
At this conference of over 1000 people there were almost 200 people from other countries. Japan, Western Europe, United Kingdom, South Africa, and over 100 people from Canada all collaborating to share community school stories and networking. We were invited by a Canadian police officer to provide training in the Street Soldier Model to Canadian police. A wonderful principal from Kansas City wants to have us work in her school along with many persons from Chicago, LA., Portland, and a host of other cities. As our young people would say, "We represented" Baltimore well. Special thanks to the Family League of Baltimore City that paid for all of our conference and hotel fees.
We are working hard to reduce violence in Baltimore City and are entrenched in the preparation of the Alive and Free Baltimore, national conference Oct 17 & 18th. Our organization will host this power packed two days that promises to be exhilarating and effective in giving us a proven method to make change in our city. Our vision is to be able to offer the Alive and Free prescription across Baltimore City by establishing Alive and Free Schools. Some say it can't be done, we say as the drug dealers and community opportunists have executed plans that have ravaged our city with the disease of violence, we must push the opposition back. Like a general fighting a mighty war, one cannot sit idly by watching mass destruction. We must act and change the negative opportunity being offered to our youth with tools that can help them rid themselves of this horrendous disease. JOIN THE ALIVE AND FREE MOVEMENT!
For more information contact Danielle Johnson, Event Producer at Special Gathering (410) 685-7664 or email aliveandfree@aspecialgathering.com. You may also visit our website at www.street-soldiers.org. Click on Alive & Free Baltimore.
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Hi-Lites from Heritage High |
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Students from Heritage High enjoyed their Junior and Senior Prom over the past two months. The Junior prom took place at the Harbor East Hotel and the Senior prom was in full affect at Hotel. At both proms, students came decked out in their finest gowns and tuxedo's ready for the night of their lives. Young ladies were adorned in brilliantly colored satin dresses as they entered the beautifully decorated room. Together the young ladies looked like a field of freshly bloomed tulips. The young men were all dressed in the finest suits and tuxedos. The proms received rave reviews by all who attended. Now the junior class eagerly awaits the culminating events that will take them into the summer with great expectation of their senior year. The senior class waits in great anticipation of their graduation day as they move forward into the next chapter of their lives.
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Hi-Lites from Doris M. Johnson |
We are proud to announce that Street Soldiers has now been intergrated into the weekly schedule for all ninth grade Doris M. Johnson students. One hundred eleven students and their teachers participate in Street Soldiers every Wednesday under the capable leadership of Mama Nzinga, Pictured above with guest facilitator Jan Martin.
Students learned that they are introduced to new ways to self distruct daily. Everyday they are dying by the nine risk factors. If you don't know what those are, you are invited to join the class and get your Street Soldiers membership.
Students also learned that there are Rules For Living. These are the principles by which our youth can stay alive and free.
It was amazing to see how many students are already showing themselves as the up and coming Youth Street Soldier facilitators of tomorrow.
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Hi-Lites from The ETU |
ETU Students at the How Green
Are Your Dollars Luncheon
ETU Students completed the How Green Are Your Dollars financial literacy program . The program was provided by The Links Inc., and spear headed by Community School Coordinating Council member Janice Wilcox.
The program was implemented for three hours, every Saturday morning over a two year period. Amazingly, these young people showed up without fail and often early, every Saturday morning. That speaks volumes as to the level of excitement that students had about their participation.
Students learned about the importance of a good credit score, as well as how to save and invest money. Upon completion of the program, they attended a culminating luncheon at The Cross keys Radisson Hotel. Each of them received a certificate of completion and a stipend of $250.00 provided by The Associated Black Charities. The Students were encouraged to save their money as they had learned during the financial literacy workshop.
Many of them followed up with me, sharing the fact that they actually did deposit their money in the bank. "I deposited all but, the $25.00 that I have to put in church for my tithes.", said Tierra Brownlee. That says it all.
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It's been a pleasure sharing all of the great and exciting things that have happened this past month. We look forward to sharing more information with you in our next news letter.
Peace and prosperity,
Noreen J. Smith
Community School Site Coordinator
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