THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 14, 1996 TAG: 9607120205
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY IDA KAY JORDAN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 76 lines
One group of young people is setting up a real business and will spend a total of two years learning how to make it prosper.
Another group is writing a play and producing a video about violence. The video will be shown in school assemblies.
Yet another class is learning everything it can about computers, including hardware and the potential for jobs in the field.
They're all students between the ages of 12 and 18 enrolled in ``a new source of pride.''
The new program is taking an entirely different path than the original Pride that started several years ago as a substance-abuse prevention project in housing parks. The program is open to all youngsters in the community between 12 and 18.
The revamped Pride, sponsored by the Portsmouth Community Services Board, will run two years, with students going through a series of ``core classes'' interspersed with extracurricular activities and trips. The board has a $111,000 grant over two years from the State Department of Mental Health.
To date, 72 youths have signed contracts to participate for the entire two years.
``We could take about 30 more,'' Pride coordinator Thomas Blake said.
To that end, Blake has announced ``open enrollment'' for the remainder of this month at Cradock and Churchland middle schools, and Wilson and Norcom high schools.
``We are encouraging citywide participation by youths of all backgrounds,'' Blake said.
``We want to make it a diverse program,'' said Elaine Stallings, an administrator at the Community Services Board. ``If we're realistic, we know it's not only a black problem. We want to teach conflict resolution in the real world, and we need diversity in this program to do that.''
The program includes a Native American series taught by Black Hawk Walters.
``The children really have enjoyed that,'' Stallings said.
A teen pregnancy section of the program will include males in the discussions of values and choices, she said, because ``it's not just girls involved in this program.''
Everybody who enrolls will go through the series of core classes, each one lasting eight to 10 weeks. The class topics are ``Life Skills,'' ``Cultural Appreciation,'' ``Conflict Resolution,'' ``Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Education,'' ``Values and Choices in Relationships'' and ``Careers and Higher Education.'' Sessions are held year-round in various locations throughout the city. In addition, specialized workshops for parents will be scheduled.
``We're serious about this program,'' Stallings said. ``The whole thing is about keeping students in school and bettering themselves.''
Blake said the tutorial component of the program will involve checking the students' report cards and getting them help.
``You know you can't work with children without working with their parents,'' he said. ``We are trying to tell parents about what is going on, and we will add some classes for them on parenting, budgeting, computer training, things like that.''
Blake said someone from the Pride office calls each participant's parents weekly and calls immediately if a participant doesn't show up for a scheduled event.
``I have found parents really want to know what their children are doing,'' Stallings said.
Pride is not all classes and work. Special trips, recreational activities and community service are part of the program.
This weekend, one group went on a bus trip to Washington and Baltimore, and about half the participants will go on a two-day retreat at the Virginia Beach Resort & Conference Center.
``But you must participate in the entire program to get to take any of the trips,'' Blake said.
Stallings said the entrepreneurship class is aimed at convincing young people that they don't have to flip hamburgers for minimum wage all their lives.
``We're saying you can own the businesses,'' she said.
KEYWORDS: PRIDE PROGRAM PORTSMOUTH COMMUNITY SERVICE BOARD by CNB