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Children's uplift gets leader

Sun, 1 Aug 2010 23:31:28 -0700

Last month, The Center for Child & Family Health announced that a national hiring search led to naming David Reese, 41 of Durham, as the first director of a project to create a pipeline of services for families and children in East Durham from cradle to college or a career.
Modeled on the acclaimed Harlem Children's Zone, the East Durham Children's Initiative is to serve residents of a 120-block area bounded on the west by Alston Avenue, on the north by Holloway Street, Miami Boulevard on the east and the Durham Freeway and Hoover Road on the south and southeast.
Reese, who has worked with low-income families and communities for more than 20 years, holds a bachelor's degree from City College of New York and a master's in business administration from Capella University. Reese served as the chief operating officer of the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle for six years. On Monday The Durham News sat down with Reese to discuss the EDCI. Following are edited excerpts from the conversation.

Q: Who is the EDCI focusing on in the 120 block area?
Those families in what is East Durham. We have three primary schools. We are looking at creating exceptional levels of academic achievement, moving children along a pipeline from cradle all the way to career or college. The primary elementary school is Y.E. Smith. Then we move on to Neal Middle School, as well as then Southern High School.
We want to make sure that we design EDCI and create and provide services that meet the needs of residents here. As we look at that cradle to career, we actually want it to go before cradle. We want the process to start as soon as families realize that they are having a child. Soon as they get to the doctor and realize, "Hey, we are having a baby." We want to engage them at that point.

Q: Where is EDCI now? Is it still in the planning stage?
I think we are still planning, beginning the transition. We have applied for a Promise Neighborhoods planning grant. We should hear something at the beginning of September. The federal grant, offered by the U.S. Department of Education, is going to be awarded to 20 cities across the country. I believe it is $500,000, to begin planning what your neighborhood's program will look like. Then that will be followed by another application process for implementation.
So we have submitted the planning grant. We constructed that with the help of the Center for Child and Family Health.
I want to go ahead and mention the East Durham Children's Initiative is not its own entity. As we looked at creating this initiative, we looked at where was the best place to put it. The best place to put it, I think whoever came up was just so smart, was at the Center for Child & Family Health, which focuses on childhood trauma.

Q: What are some other steps that have been taken?
So I think the first step, as we look at the planning component to it, was extending the school day. As of last year, Y.E. Smith has an extended school day. It starts at 7:30 a.m., and then finishes at 4:30 p.m., which allows for additional instruction. We also made Y.E. Smith a museum school. So they benefit from a lot of cultural components that are offered throughout city of Durham.
As we think about academic achievement, I think the easy focus can be to focus solely on what happens in the classroom. You open the book. You read the book, and all of a sudden you have academic success. Well, you and I both know that is just not the case. I mean we are talking about shaping everything that happens around the child.

Q: In the Harlem Children's Zone model, costs are estimated to be about $5,000 per child. Where is EDCI getting its funding from, and does it have enough to make the program successful?
I think we are in the beginning stages of funding. Funding services I think will be something that is continuous, sort of like creating the pipeline. We currently have funding for the next several years. The first step was putting some services together, making the thought concrete. The next step was getting a director, getting someone to actually come on in and begin to do some of the assessments, look at implementation, and create some of the strategies.
I think, in addition, to continue to do some of the fundraising, and continue to fund some of those programs.
We're talking about the success of Durham right now. If you think about it, we are talking about the success of Durham in terms of the children who are coming out of East Durham. We have no choice but to make sure that we are successful. If Durham is going to be successful, there is no choice but to make sure we are able to continue to provide the services to create the pipeline.

Q: Why did you apply for this job?
Nonprofit work, working with indigent people, and low-income communities is what I believe is my calling in life - to be able to facilitate the change. To be able to help people achieve goals that they think is unachievable. That's just what I believe to be one of my strengths. There is this community component, which I am just extremely committed to.
There is also this educational component. For years I worked in the food banking industry, and one of the things that I was able to see was that lives cannot be changed solely by food alone. That was a component, but education was the key to changing lives. Education was that gateway.
It takes you back to what your parents would tell you. You need to go to school. You need to go to college. You need to get an education because knowledge is power. The reason why I am committed to this is we can change the lives of so many folks in Durham, so many children in Durham through the avenue called education. Without education, cycles will continue to flow, and just be cyclical, and continue to go on and on and on.

Q: There have been various programs that have attempted to help the East Durham area. Some have been successful and some haven't. Why should people put their faith in EDCI?
I think the short answer is, a lot of efforts have been done in isolation. A lot of efforts have been done individually, by themselves. The beauty of EDCI is that this isn't just EDCI on its own one little track. I mean, we are talking about engaging an entire community.
We are talking to and engaging service providers from throughout the plethora of services in Durham County. We are talking about engaging folks from outside of Durham County, outside of North Carolina. And so that becomes the beauty of it, because it actually embodies what community action truly is. This is more than one agency saying we are going to do this, we are going to end hunger, we are going to teach kids to read, we are going to change the face of poverty. This is a community saying we are going to go ahead and make sure that our children get to college or a career.

Q: How will the community be able to measure this program's success?
The key to this program, and I think one of the reasons why Geoffrey Canada was so successful [with the Harlem Children's Zone], was that there was levels of accountability. And so from EDCI's perspective, from my perspective, I think there are levels of accountability from the programs that provide the services, from Durham Public Schools, from East Durham Children's Initiative, and I think from the community as a whole. We all have to be accountable.
How we go ahead and measure that, I think those metrics will be developed. We have to be accountable in this process. We can't just go ahead and just do, that doesn't work. I think that is the old way of doing business.

Q: What is something you would like the community to know about you and your goals?
This is a joint effort. This is not a David Reese effort. This is not a four founders' effort. This is and has to be a community based effort. It's hands down. We have to go ahead and do this as a community.
You know when Paul Tough, author of "Whatever It Takes" -- which focused on Canada's quest to change Harlem - [came to Durham] I was just amazed. I expected 30, 40 folks. I mean the place was packed, standing room only. We had folks from all over the city, who were saying "Yes, we want this change. We want to be a part of this change." So if there was something that people would take away, I would want them to take away that this is together we stand. Together, there is no "I" in team.

Project RED has day of service

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 21:11:54 -0700

DURHAM -- About 40 volunteers banded together Saturday morning to reduce blight in North-East Central Durham.

The group gathered to aid Project RED, which stands for Revitalize East Durham. The project, a joint venture between Preservation North Carolina and Preservation Durham, aims to renovate three condemned houses on Driver Street. The ultimate goal is to sell them to individuals or families who plan to live there.

John Compton, the executive director of Preservation Durham, said that doing so will improve a neighborhood that has a high rate of rental properties and empty residences.

"We're dealing with the vacancy issue, we're dealing with the home ownership and we're not displacing anybody in the process," Compton said.

Compton said in that neighborhood, around 20 percent of homes are owner-occupied. That compares unfavorably with Durham's average of 48.9 percent and the state rate of 69.4 percent, according to the 2000 Census.

"There's no way that you could consider an area that's under 20 percent home ownership to be a stable neighborhood," Compton said.

Myrick Howard, a Durham native and Raleigh resident who is president of Preservation North Carolina, was pulling shoddily attached aluminum siding off the back of a duplex at 212 S. Driver St. While he took a break, he discussed Project RED.

"There's a whole lot more social capital in a neighborhood where there's a high rate of ownership," Howard said.

In other words, residents in such neighborhoods are more likely to be politically involved, to turn to local authorities for help with big problems and to cooperate when issues such as drug use and prostitution threaten.

Added Howard of high owner-occupancy rates: "It changes the tax base for the city in a very positive way."

Saturday's work -- the prelude to open houses at 212 and 213 S. Driver St. and 309 N. Driver St. today from 2 to 4 p.m. -- involved clearing away debris to set the stage for future renovations. Compton estimated that the volunteers might save the preservation organizations about $3,000 a house.

Volunteer Peter Henderson, 49, is a paralegal who has lived in Durham for about two years. He was moving leaves and other organic debris onto a plastic sheet, hauling them into the back yard of 213 S. Driver St., and dumping the items onto a compost pile.

"I was the only one who brought a yard rake, so I got nominated for this," he said.

Like the rest of 213 S. Driver St., the back area had been neglected for quite a while. "The grass in spots is probably 20 inches tall, so the yard needs some TLC as well," Henderson said.

He's optimistic that renovations can improve Driver Street. "Absolutely," Henderson said. "I was actually impressed to see the homes up and down the street."

Henderson has seen such projects work in Rochester, N.Y. "Get that kind of core of upgraded homes and people follow suit," the volunteer said. "It's a good plan."

EDCI offers cradle-to-career services to kids and families

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 13:52:54 -0700

DURHAM -- The East Durham Children's Initiative offers, as its mission statement says, "a pipeline of services from cradle to career" for the children and families of East Durham.

On Saturday morning, local residents had a chance to see just how extensive that pipeline is.

From Welcome Baby to Durham Tech, service providers came to the Holton Career and Resource Center to show off their programs as part of a "community pride" day.

"If you don't know what programs are part of the East Durham Children's Initiative," said initiative co-chairwoman Wanda Boone, "this is an opportunity for the community to experience them directly. Here's a chance to see them for yourself. Children and families are going to see so many services, we think they're really going to be impressed."

The initiative, modeled on the widely acclaimed Harlem Children's Zone in New York, is designed to help East Durham residents from birth through post-adolescence obtain an excellent education and prepare for college or work.

The providers lined the hall of the Holton Center, past the pastries and sweet tea, offering a dizzying amount of information.

Kathie Morrison was talking to anyone who showed interest about KidZNotes, an after-school program for pre-school kids that uses classical, orchestral music training to "combat poverty, strengthen education and foster positive decision-making."

The program, which will start in September at three local schools, exists now only in a handful of communities across the U.S. but is popular in a number of other countries. It helps build "surrogate families," said Morrison, who is chair of the program's board of directors. "The orchestra serves as a paradigm of what you can accomplish working together," she said. "It builds social skills. And, of course, the music helds the young brain develop."

Michael Scott, cradling his young son, was at Holton with the Diabetes Improvement Project, which is trying to enroll local residents who either have the disease or are at risk of it.

"What we're trying to do is help them with better self-management, let them know how to take care of themselves and of their disease," Scott said.

Diabetes is a major concern in African-American communities, particularly among the elderly. "So far, we've got 100 people enrolled, and that's excellent," Scott said.

In addition to the information tables and the food, there was music and an array of local performers.

Shevon Lyons didn't know about any of the services. She didn't know about the East Durham Children's Initiative. She had come for the performances.

With her 9-year-old Jawaun by her side and her 1-year-old Jakari in her arms, she had come to Holton Saturday to watch her godson dance.

"My godson asked me to come, and that's why we're here,' Lyons said. "But I'm going to check out the other stuff. That sounds interesting."

Rotary Club initiative offers free books, readings to help students

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 20:25:34 -0800

DURHAM -- Staffers at Neal Middle School will begin handing out 1,000 free copies of a young adult novel this morning.

The giveaway is part of an event called One Book, One School, One Community. The goal: encouraging students at this high-poverty school to become enthusiastic about reading.

About 30 members of the Durham Rotary Club have become involved at Neal Middle School this year. "No Way Out" by Peggy Kern was chosen by a vote of students, faculty and staff after Rotarians read several entries in Townsend Press' Bluford series and campaigned for their books.

The Rotary Club decided to help Neal last fall because club members were promoting a partnership with the East Durham Children's Initiative. Many Neal students are drawn from the 120-block area where the initiative is working.

Almost 75 percent of the school's pupils qualify for free and reduced-price meals, a commonly accepted poverty measure. Nearly two-thirds of the student body flunked state reading tests last year.

Rotarians and other community members will be on hand today to help pass out books, to participate in readings of it and to present a grant check for the program.

Sam Miglarese is president of the club and was one of the book campaigners. "All the Rotarians were surprised," Miglarese said of himself and others who read the Bluford series "candidates." "The books were engaging. They really did delve into real urban social situations that really focused on making good choices and all the temptations to the contrary."

"No Way Out" focuses on a high school freshman whose family is desperate for money and who becomes ensnared in drugs.

One Book, One School will run through March 5. The school will hold Friday afternoon DEAR events. (That means "drop everything and read," and it applies to everyone in the building.) On Mondays, visitors to Neal will read to students from "No Way Out."

The readings, school librarian Valencia Butler Church said, "help students with literacy because it helps them with their fluency. Hearing good reading is good for students."

Neal has ordered more than enough copies of "No Way Out" for every student, staffer and teacher. The school is trying to give them to parents, fire fighters and police officers in the Neal community.

"Everybody's getting copies," Church said. "We're inviting people in the neighborhood. You can have a copy!"

The One Book, One School project -- a cousin of the Durham Reads Together public library program held last year -- is not the Rotarians' only involvement in Neal. Club members are donating supplies, tutoring and giving talks about their careers and hobbies.

Club member Carver Weaver, a Chamber of Commerce employee, is coordinating the Rotarians' work at the school.

"How many times do these kids get to talk one-on-one with career professionals?" she asked. "I'm an industrial recruiter -- they don't know what I do or how I got there. But you know what, I went to Durham Public Schools too."

Weaver said she hopes that the Rotarians' work will pay off next spring in higher test scores. She also hopes her club inspires other community groups to get involved in schools.

"Some of the tutoring opportunities only take an hour a week," she said. "And just an hour a week can make a huge difference in the life of a child."

East Durham Children's Initiative taking shape

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 20:25:33 -0800

Go & Do:
The East Durham Children’s Initiative will hold a community celebration Saturday morning. There will be refreshments, performances by local schoolchildren, storytelling and information on community services.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Holton Career and Resource Center, 401 N. Driver St.

DURHAM -- The East Durham Children's Initiative has founders, funding and programming in place. In a matter of months, it could also have its first paid employee.

After receiving a $150,000 challenge grant from the A.J. Fletcher Foundation, the initiative's organizers persuaded other benefactors to match that amount, EDCI co-chairwoman Ellen Reckhow said. The group -- dedicated to helping East Durham residents from birth through post-adolescence obtain an excellent education and prepare for college or work -- plans to begin advertising for a director shortly.

The group is also waiting for the U.S. Department of Education to release specifications for a $500,000 planning grant through the new Promise Neighborhood program. Dozens of communities sent representatives to a program conference last fall, so competition for that grant is expected to be stiff.

In a recent presentation to the Durham school board, initiative co-chairwoman Wanda Boone said that the project has adopted many things from the Harlem Children's Zone in New York City. That includes the determination to do whatever it takes to help neighborhood youngsters.

"The way to do that is create a pipeline of success through which the child travels," Boone said. "The focus is on the child. So whatever the child needs to be successful, then that's what we want to do. Whatever it takes -- engaged adults, engaged community, sound health care, commitment to sharing knowledge and improving services."

In conjunction with many partners, EDCI has arranged for several efforts that further its goals. There are classes for parents of newborns, of children 3-to-5, and of teenagers. There are family literacy programs. There are tutoring initiatives for students at Y.E. Smith Elementary School. There is college counseling and application assistance for seniors at Southern High School. There is a food aid program for needy Smith students. And plans are in the works to launch a youth orchestra that will offer free classical music training at Smith Elementary.

EDCI, which had its first community event last October, is holding a community celebration Saturday morning.

Initiative organizers are focusing on one of the city's poorest neighborhoods -- a 120-block or 1.2-square-mile area roughly consistent with the Smith attendance zone. The population of about 7,900 had a per-capita income of $11,200 in 2000, half that of the city overall.

Reckhow noted that it could take a long time before some of the improvements that EDCI is hoping to produce, including higher high school graduation rates, manifest themselves. But her hope is that EDCI's early-childhood programs could result in a higher percentage of kindergarten-ready youngsters within a few short years.

EDCI supporters, she emphasized, are prepared for a long haul.

"We have a commitment to move forward whether we get the Promise Neighborhood grant or not," said Reckhow, who also serves on the Durham Board of County Commissioners. "We feel that this initiative is important enough that we will continue the work. Obviously the Promise Neighborhood grant would be terrific, and we are going to work very hard to get it, but there is a level of commitment whether the grant is obtained or not."

Incredible Years Baby classes start Soon

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 20:25:31 -0800

Durham Connects

With your child's first look or cry, she is communicating with you and the world around her. For new and experienced parents, identifying these signals and trying to understand the seemingly "senseless" babble can be frustrating. However, understanding your baby's development and her cues can help ease your frustration and promote your child's long-term development at the same time.

What better way to begin understanding your babies' communication than with the support of fellow parents, the expertise of a trained parent educator, and breakfast at the Incredible Years BABY class, where free child care is provided?

Offered through Welcome Baby, The Incredible Years BABY (a.k.a. Baby College) is a part of the East Durham Children's Initiative (EDCI.) The EDCI aims to provide support for parents and children in Durham from birth through adulthood.

The East Durham Children's Initiative is modeled after the Harlem Children's Zone, a highly successful model from New York. In President Obama's 2007 speech on urban poverty in Washington, D.C., he stated: "The first part of my plan to combat urban poverty will be to replicate the Harlem Children's Zone in 20 cities across the country." In fact, President Obama's budget for 2010 includes funding for these community initiatives. With the support of many professionals in the area, the city of Durham is adapting the Harlem Children's Zone model for the Durham community, starting with the Incredible Years BABY classes.

Though your child may be a newborn or a preschooler now, school readiness begins at birth. Learning how properly to stimulate your child's five senses to increase your babies' brain development is one of the many goals of the Incredible Years BABY classes. Each week, parents watch educational videos and practice with their infants techniques that increase visual and tactile stimulation.

For example, many parents may not know that massages are not only relaxing for adults, but for infants as well. Giving your infant a massage is not only a great way to lull them to sleep, but it also stimulates their senses at the same time. Infant massage is just one of the many bonding activities that you can learn throughout the Incredible Years BABY sessions.

But as with any parent-child relationship, parents' health is just as important as the infant's. Therefore, Incredible Years BABY also focuses on the value of parents taking care of themselves to avoid frustration with the babies' needs. To foster support systems, "phone buddies" are established within the first couple of meetings. Once a week, each "buddy" will check-in with one another regarding parenting issues, their homework assignments from BABY class, and anything else that is on their mind. By bonding with other parents in the class and sharing valuable experiences, support systems are formed to help alleviate parental stressors and strengthen the sense of community among parents.

Patience, of Welcome Baby, helps facilitate the classes. "Parents can learn from their kids through simple observation," she said.

Learning how to observe and understand your newborn is what Incredible Years BABY is all about. During the sessions, parents are encouraged to keep a baby journal to help with the process of observation and setting goals for the week. The comments written in the baby journal help to foster discussions at each class. Parents and infants do many wonderful things each day. The baby journal is one of the many tools taught in the Incredible Years BABY class that give parents confirmation about what they are doing right and skills to continue working on.

The class is for parents of all ages, genders, and experience levels.

Courtney Jenkins highly recommends this class to all parents. As a mother of five, she says: "I am still able to get more tips. As I get older, things change and the class has gotten me up-to-date with my parenting skills. The instructors are well informed, very detail oriented and hands-on. Even the homework assignments help to keep you in-tune with your child. I hope that it can keep going for future mothers."

Adding to the sense of community is a grandmother of seven who attends. She brings her daughter and grandchild to the class because of the valuable information provided. She helps care for the other mothers' babies during the class.

So how do you enroll in the classes? Agency referrals are welcome, but not necessary. Any interested parent may call Kimberly Ingram at (919) 560-7319 to register. The program is for any parent that is a resident of Durham with a newborn to 12-month-old. The classes start March 3 and continue each Wednesday through June. The sessions begin at 10 a.m. and last until noon. The classes are free and funded through Glaxo Smith-Kline. Class size is limited and gift card incentives are given during each class on a first-come, first-served basis. If transportation is a problem, let Kimberly know when you register and bus passes will be provided.

With all of these incentives, what parent wouldn't want to attend? If you want a moment of respite, adult conversations, and knowledge about your child's development that can help her grow into her full potential, attend the Incredible Years BABY classes starting March 3 at Antioch Baptist Church on Holloway Street. It is just what every parent of a newborn wants and needs.

Durham Connects is a free newborn visiting program for Durham County residents that have given birth in Durham County. Currently, babies born on even dates are eligible for a visit. The program is expected to cover all births in 2011. To find out more, visit www.durhamconnects.org. or call (919) 668-3279.

Something incredible for Durham parents and infants

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 23:09:21 -0800

As parents we remember the firsts; first cry, first smile, first laugh, first word - Dada? (We Moms know that they meant to say Mama first.)

We remember caring for the first cold and we remember the first fall. My husband and I remember getting stuck in the doorway of our child's bedroom as we both rushed in at the same time to respond to a cry that did not sound quite right.

Having facilitated parent groups for many years in low-wealth and wealthy communities, I am convinced that most parents love their children and want the best for them. Their personal challenges may leave them frustrated and confused without the energy to parent as effectively as they would like to.

Who can prepare a young parent or any parent for parenting? Forget what you have been told, the real definition of parenting is to put your life on hold for the next 25 years (when adolescence ends) as you form this unshaped life into a financially stable, law-abiding successful citizen, husband/wife, father/mother, etc.

In my December column, I shared that when children are abused or exposed to trauma early in life, their development and learning are compromised.

Scientists teach us that exposure to toxic experiences of abuse, neglect, and violence adversely affects brain development and, in turn, can limit the potential of our most vulnerable children to succeed. As part of its strategy to support children from birth to college and career, the East Durham Children's Initiative (EDCI) is committed to helping parents provide stable, safe, and nurturing environments for their children.

We know that effective parenting during the early years can prevent trauma and enhance brain development. We also know that parenting is a learned skill. One of the most promising parent education programs for parents of young children is The Incredible Years, widely considered an exemplary "best practice" program.

The Healthy Families Durham program at the Center for Child & Family Health and Durham Cooperative Extension's Welcome Baby program have been funded by Durham's Partnership for Children to offer Incredible Years groups for parents of preschool children. In a soon to be published report, early results show a remarkable decrease in children's problem behavior. Parents in the Incredible Years increased their use of positive discipline, such as offering verbal praise and setting clear limits for their children while they decreased their reliance on criticism and harsh discipline.

This same partnership received a three-year grant from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation to add Incredible Years Baby groups for parents and their infants in the EDCI zone. With a commitment to making this service accessible to local residents, groups are offered in English and Spanish at Antioch Baptist Church. Welcome Baby will assist interested parents in joining the Incredible Years and can be reached at 560-7319.
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Wanda Boone is co-chairwoman of the East Durham Children's Initiative, an effort to support children from birth to college or career in a 120-block area east of downtown bounded by Alston Avenue on the west, Holloway Street on the north, Miami on the East, and Hoover and 147 on the South.

East Durham Children’s Initiative launches

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:22:50 -0800

DURHAM – A pipeline of services to support East Durham youth is forming.

The new East Durham Children's Initiative is modeled after the highly successful Harlem Children's Zone, where a continuum of support services is provided for children and families from birth to high school to ensure that they graduate for college. In Durham, the focus will be on from high school graduation to college or to a career.

EDCI co-chairs organized a community conversation to discuss plans for the new initiative at the Holton Career and Resource Center Oct. 15.

"It was more than I could have ever hoped for. There were over 100 people there, community – local government and agency people sitting at the table together – but, most importantly, community people," said Wanda Boone, a co-chair, resident,and community outreach coordinator.

"The initiative couldn't begin or be formed without community input, so the community tells us what the needs are and we have to determine what to do with those needs to make sure they're included in the East Durham Children's Initiative."

Minnie Forte-Brown, another co-chair of the initiative and chair of the Durham Public Schools board, agreed. "It will take the community buy-in for this to work," she said.

The community conversation was the first in a series of conversations centered around the topic "How can we assure children in East Durham graduate from high school ready for college or career?," with the next meeting sometime in November.

"Many of the comments at the last meeting were things that are already on our radar screen, things like starting early with early intervention, focusing on parental involvement, the need for mentors for children and the need for transportation," Ellen Reckhow, an EDCI co-chair and county commissioner, said.

According to the 2009 DPS State of the System Report, only 64 percent of students complete high school in four years. That percentage is even lower in East Durham. EDCI will focus on a 120-block area east of downtown Durham bounded by Alston Avenue on the west, Holloway Street on the north, Miami Boulevard on the east, and Hoover and Highway 147 on the south.

Five programs have been identified to provide support services to children in the area. The first is a Baby College with Incredible Years for parents of newborns to 12 months, and classes for parents of children ages 3 to 5 to build infant care and communication skills. A series begins this month and baby classes are scheduled to start Nov. 4. Interested families should contact Kimberly Ingram at (919) 560-7319 to register.

Second, the Durham At-Risk Youth Collaborative is funding a Y.E. Smith Museum Club tutoring program for 50 kids in grades K-5 at Y.E. Smith Elementary. It will run 12 weeks in the fall and 12 weeks in the spring.
Third, another Incredible Years class at Y.E. Smith is designed to help parents develop skills to prevent long-term problems like drug abuse, crime and gang involvement.

Fourth, the Downtown Durham Rotary in conjunction with Neal Middle is sponsoring the Neal Reads Project - "One Book, One School, One Community." The goal is to promote literacy, discussion and youth-adult partnerships by bringing students, school staff and community members together to read the same book.

Fifth, Southern High will host Living in Future Tense peer-to-peer group sessions during school hours. The gender specific sessions will cover topics such as media literacy, self-esteem enhancement, decision-making, personal control and interpersonal communication. Incentives in the form of summer internships are offered for students that remain in the program and remain in school.

"A child's first teacher is his or her parent so the earlier you begin the process the better it is," Forte-Brown said. "It's ‘whatever it takes.' There are no cant's or wants, it is ‘whatever it takes.' It's hard work. It's mission driven, and it's doable."

In the book, "Whatever it Takes," about the Harlem Children's Zone, President Obama is quoted during a speech on urban poverty in July, 2007: "The first part of my plan to combat urban poverty will be to replicate the Harlem Children's Zone in 20 cities across the country." In fact, the president's proposed budget FY 2010 includes funding to pilot the initiative in communities across the country.

"There's an urgency because President Obama was very impressed by the Harlem Children's Zone and committed on the campaign trail that he wanted to create 20 pilots around the country that would model this approach," Reckhow said. "We knew after he submitted his proposed budget to Congress there was an urgency to gear up and be ready for the federal grant."

Coalition seeks to help East Durham's children

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:24:12 -0800

DURHAM -- The East Durham Children's Initiative will do whatever it takes to make sure children are supported from cradle to college, Wanda Boone told the Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham at its monthly community luncheon roundtable, held at Shepherd's House United Methodist Church on Driver Street.

The initiative is modeled after the Harlem Children's Zone. Boone co-chairs the East Durham Children's Initiative along with Durham School Board Chairwoman Minnie Forte-Brown, Barker French and Durham County Commissioner Ellen Reckhow. The initiative joins community forces to create a pipeline of support for East Durham children from birth throughout school and on to college or career. The goal is to partner with residents to help them succeed.

Affiliated schools include Y.E. Smith Museum School, Neal Middle School and Southern High School. There are several other community partners, including city departments, law enforcement, N.C. Central University, Duke University and political action committees. Holton Career and Resource Center is also hub for the initiative, Boone said.

Boone said that the initiative will continue regardless of funding, though they are applying for a federal Promise Neighborhoods grant.

"If we don't get help from somebody else, what are we as a community going to do about it?" Boone asked. "That's 'Whatever It Takes,'" she said, the slogan of the initiative.

Reckhow said that over her 20 years as a commissioner, "the thing that has struck me over time is we keep thinking we're doing something ... but we're dabbling." She said what they learned by visiting New York's program is that just one thing isn't enough for children or families. Rather, they need to be wrapped in support their entire childhoods.

The initiative brings together new and existing opportunities. Antioch Baptist Church offers parenting classes. Other churches offer after-school programs. A high priority is summer camps, which Reckhow pointed out contributes to the achievement gap between lower income families and middle and upper class.

"Creating opportunities where young people can excel and reach their God given potential -- that's what it's all about," Reckhow said.

Boone said that the initiative isn't going to just do something to or for the community -- instead the community will be just as much a part of it.

"Empowerment is returning a sense of hope and can-do to the community," she said.

For information about the initiative, visit www.eastdurhamchildrensinitiative.org.

Laying a pipeline for city's children

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:24:11 -0800

Some Durham residents may have felt like they were back at school at a recent community meeting.

Despite the socializing, food and beverages, attendees got down to business when organizers of the East Durham Children's Initiative [EDCI} asked them to put their vision to paper.

Police officers, teachers, and UNC, Duke, and NCCU students were among the attendees.
The organizers will meet again Tuesday at the Holton Career and Resource Center to ask residents what help families need for every child to finish high school and be college or career ready.

The EDCI will be modeled on the Harlem Children's Zone (see related story page A2). It serves more than 7,000 children in a 97-block area of New York City, focusing on making sure children go to college.

"Research tells us that children in the [East Durham] community have been in a pipeline to prison, but now we want it to be a pipeline to education," said EDCI co-chairwoman Minnie Forte-Brown, who is also the chairwoman of the Durham Public Schools Board of Education.
Support for families will include job training, housing assistance, health and wellness programs, after-school and summer school services and financial literacy programs. Public safety will be another focus.

"In order to have safe and successful children you have to have a safe and healthy environment," said Wanda Boone, a co-chairwoman and executive director of Durham Together for Resilient Youth, a program that provides mentoring and other services to at-risk youth.

To get started, EDCI organizers are holding community conversations. Residents can share what they like about their community, the challenges they see and possible solutions.
"It is a great coming together in the community," said City Council member Cora Cole-McFadden. "EDCI will have a better understanding of the needs of our children, and we will be more involved in the success of our children."

Some community members, however, have doubts.

"Until I see that it is totally community driven I will be a skeptic," said Vivian McKoy, "because they did not go to the community and ask the community if they wanted this program."

But Boone said the community will be a partner in the plan.

"The long-term goal for EDCI is to have children graduating from college and coming back to live, work and thrive in the community," she told the group. "You will have more skills and potential to change the community."