Program gives high-risk teens a chance

The program stresses the importance of education and work to young people.
By SARAH POULTON
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- At-risk youths received a shot at "Makin' It" on Friday during a Youth Engagement Institute presentation by Edward DeJesus at the Holiday Inn in Boardman.
"Makin' It" exposes youths to positive information about the importance of staying alive, staying free, the value of education, work-force participation and future economic opportunity, according to the organization's Web site.
DeJesus, 42, born and raised in the Bronx, N. Y., has been an active in the field of youth advocacy since 1999 when he founded the Youth Development and Research Fund in Gaithersburg, Md.
"I founded my company ... as a result of seeing the lack of people of color making policy decisions," DeJesus said. "I'm a very competitive person, and when I saw the young people I worked with believing they had a better chance at becoming a basketball player or a rapper over a teacher, scientist or postal worker, I got upset. I wanted to develop the capacity to promote true pathways for success equivalent to how they we're promoting basketball and rap."
Pop culture is used as a medium of conveying the message through music, art and movies, DeJesus said.
Anthonie L. Jackson, 37, of Youngstown, local program manager, said that DeJesus' "Makin' It" curriculum used things like movie clips, song lyrics or words from a hip-hop celebrity, to get messages across to today's youths.
"We use popular culture because the youth already like it," Jackson said. "We focus on youth through the age of 26 as far as making sure they are work-force ready and developed."
Another front
David J. Griffin, 19, of Youngstown, is a peer support worker with Youth Development and Research Fund. His job is to promote positive reinforcement among youths in the Valley. There are five peer support workers in Youngstown.
The program focuses on the importance of education and work experience for young adults, DeJesus said.
There were 50 adults and youths who attended the conference.
Laura Pace, youth career coach at Employment Connections, traveled here from Madison, Fla., for DeJesus' presentation. Madison has about 7,000 residents, and she was interested in bringing back ideas, Pace said.
"We needed to develop this program yesterday," Pace said. "It's crucial we get something going."
Other agencies in attendance were the East Akron Community House, the Education Development and Guidance for Employment program and the Community Action Council of Portage County.
EDGE is a program that helps high school students succeed in life and keep out of trouble, program coordinator Shelia Smith said.
Quanterra Gaines, 17, from Akron got involved with the EDGE program through friends.
"I hope to share DeJesus' message with my friends," Gaines said.
spoulton@vindy.com