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Learning life skills
Summer camp aims to develop character, leadership in young people
By Denise Dick
Youngstown
The start of school is more than a week away, but P. Ross Berry Eighth and Ninth Grade Academy buzzed with activity.
Charles Dorsett, Darnell Howell, Asia Jones-Williams, Tionna Pruitt and Erin Davis gathered in a circle inside a classroom working on team-building and leadership skills.
Ninth-graders Charles, 15, Asia, 14, and Tionna, 13, and eighth-graders Darnell and Erin, both 13, participated Tuesday in CAMP — Creating Atmosphere Making Peace — a summer camp that aims to develop character and leadership in young people.
“The students involved are student leaders or have the potential to be student leaders,” said Pamela Logan, guidance supervisor for the school district.
About 30 students participated Tuesday with about 30 more expected today.
The students were identified by principals, guidance counselors and teachers.
Logan said the program, by YES! Youth Empowerment Solutions of Youngstown, teaches students life skills including team building, conflict resolutions and anger management.
Students in the program then can be leaders for their peers to follow and model during the school year.
“Young people listen to their peers,” she said.
Karla Randall, director of YES, talked to the kids about the importance of a good attitude.
“My attitude is always positive,” Randall told the students.
“It doesn’t matter what the situation is.”
Her program Got GAME, or Goals, Attitude, Motivation, Expectations, teaches youths that they can be successful and significant, she said.
In setting goals, each participant talks about his or her career expectations. One wants to be a nurse, another a doctor and a third, a basketball star.
“I talk about people from Youngstown who have done that and are successful,” she said.
“If no one has done that, you can be the first,” Randall said.
Down the hall, Tracey Dawson, who is also a YES facilitator, focused her group on motivation.
She read a story about a family’s vacation that was interwoven with the words, “Left” and “Right.”
Charles, Darnell, Asia, Tionna and Erin were given paperclips and whenever Dawson, said right or left, they passed the paper clip accordingly.
They followed the cues each time.
“It teaches team building and following instructions,” Dawson said.