Illinois man initiating program to reduce crime, increase education in Youngstown

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Jon Howell first thought of an event for Youngstown children while sitting on his couch late one October night all the way from his home in Bloomington, Ill.

Howell drove nine hours to his former hometown to talk about his event, Advancing Education Reducing Crime Day, at a news conference in Taft Elementary today. He joined local government, school and faith leaders, all of whom played some role in creating the program.

The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 22 at Taft, Martin Luther King, Harding and William Holmes McGuffey elementary schools.

Howell has no current connection to the Youngstown education system. His kids have all graduated and he’s a manager at State Farm Insurance in Illinois. Still, nearly all of the speakers Friday – including Mayor John McNally and city school district CEO Krish Mohip – said Howell called and emailed them tirelessly about organizing the event.

Howell grew up on Youngstown’s South Side and graduated from South High School. In front of his parents and his wife, Adrienne, Howell talked about his roots in Youngstown. He’s purchased a house locally and plans to move back to the area in two or three years.

“We believe that the potential the kids have in Youngstown is more potential than any kids in the United States of America,” Howell said. “These kids just need a nurturing environment to be successful. They just need someone to believe in them and support them.”

The program connects a call to reduce crime and increase educational awareness, featuring indoor reading sessions and a bicycle raffle.

Read more about the event in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.