Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • If We Can Soar: What Birmingham Roller Pigeons Offer the Men of South Central

    The Black Country Roller Club and its founder, Cornell Norwood, fostered a subculture in Los Angeles' South Central neighborhoods among Black men who broke the color barrier in competitive pigeon husbandry. Besides the success they found in their hobby of breeding and raising roller pigeons, known for their distinctive aerial acrobatic talents, the young men and boys drawn to this world found mutual support "in times of flux and instability," and a meritocracy that provided meditative benefits: "a more organic form of the Big Brother program, and a culturally sensitive outlet for mental health."

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  • People Fixing The World, Smashing the glass ceiling for young Africans

    A network of mentors is helping young Zimbabweans navigate school and work life in an effort to help students succeed. A student came up with the idea when he realized mentors are most effective when they themselves come from similar backgrounds and are familiar with the obstacles and unique challenges faced by those they are trying to help.

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  • Safe Spaces: Youth friendly centre provides judgement-free forum for sexual and reproductive health convos in Yola

    Today for Tomorrow Foundation is a youth-led and youth-serving non-profit that provides safe spaces for talking about sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence, and other socially taboo topics. Over 40 people have participated in the discussions and other programming. Discussions range from dispelling common myths - like the myth that using contraceptives before marriage prevents a woman from getting pregnant in the future - to teaching safe sex practices and developing a sense of empowerment so that the youth can advocate for their own wellbeing and not be constrained by the judgment of others.

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  • How peer tutoring can transform high school academics

    A peer tutoring program at a New Jersey high school has helped students improve academic success while feeling connected and supported by their peers. The program started by providing time during study hall periods for small groups of peers to meet. Then, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the program went virtual with pairs of students meeting twice a week in zoom breakout rooms. About 54% of students who were tutored passed a class they had previously failed. The program also fosters social connections and a supportive school culture.

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  • Wichita couple overcomes drug addiction, creates organization for teens

    Rise Up for Youth is a program built into some Wichita schools that works to keep teenagers out of gangs and helps them focus on positive changes in their community. There are two programs — one for males called the Brotherhood and one for females called Sisterhood – which encourage teens to keep busy and find activities that give them a natural high. Participants visit prisons, talk with police and people coming out of incarceration, and make college visits. Since the program started, 100% of student participants have graduated from high school and many have gone on to college and have successful careers.

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  • Inside One Baltimore Group's Effort to Stop Youth Violence Before It Starts

    Baltimore's Roca program uses cognitive behavioral therapy, and patience and persistence, to work at changing the thinking of young people at high risk of committing or suffering gun violence. Counselors help their clients examine the trauma in their lives, learn to change their reactions to stress and conflict, and to choose legitimate jobs over the street economy. Unlike violence interruption programs that seek to mediate crises just as they threaten to turn deadly, Roca does its work further upstream, seeking to shape interactions before they turn critical.

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  • This Nonprofit Eliminated a Simple Barrier Keeping New Orleans Teens From Their Summer Internships

    Onerous paperwork and required legal documents keep many youth - especially those not living with legal guardians - from taking part in city internships, so YouthForce NOLA worked with the city to pilot an internship program with fewer barriers. The streamlined application included workarounds for common issues, like allowing public school records to certify residency, accepting approval from non-legal guardians, and providing a checklist with exactly what records they need and how they can get them. The added support reduced anxiety among the youth and significantly increased retention in the internships.

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  • 'Gang Contracts' in Cicero and Berwyn Schools Raise Concerns About Criminalization of Youth

    "Gang contracts" are used by many schools as a way to tell students they are suspected of gang activity and must avoid such activity or face discipline or expulsion. Gang contracts have been put to extensive use in the high schools and middle schools of two towns, Cicero and Berwyn, that underwent large demographic shifts toward more Latinx residents since the 1990s. Meant to make schools safer and put students on a better path, they have been based often on vague, unsubstantiated suspicions in Cicero and Berwyn. Critics cite evidence that young people are wrongly criminalized and denied educations.

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  • Community-led alternative to criminal justice resolves conflict, fosters community and protects youth

    Restorative justice healing circles run by Cookman Beloved Community Baptist Church in West Philadelphia have helped resolve hundreds of disputes among youth over the past 15 years using dialogue instead of courts. Bringing together people who were harmed, those who harmed them, and members of the community leads to negotiated agreements that provide justice and reconciliation without leaving young people with a criminal record. Restorative-justice approaches to school discipline in Philadelphia have dropped the numbers of arrests from 1,600 to 384 per year.

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  • The other SNL: New York City's athletic approach to curbing rising gun violence

    Saturday Night Lights is run by the DA’s office and aims to reduce gun violence by providing organized sports for school-aged kids on weekend nights, when crime often goes up. Active in 20 locations across the city, SNL has served over 20,000 kids in 10 years. Partners must open on Saturday nights, for at least 46 weeks per year, and provide high quality coaching. There is no formal sign-up process or eligibility requirements apart from age and participants can join on any given night. As a response to surging crime rates in 2020, the mayor’s office has committed $5 million a year to expand to 100 locations.

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