Men in Schools

Youth throughout America are turning to violence against their teachers, peers, communities and their environments and, so far, we have no effective solutions. These are the words that Phillip Jackson, executive director, of Chicago based Black Star Project wants to ensure parents and communities nationwide hear and respond to with action.
The “Men In Schools Volunteer Week” initiative is an effort to have men of all ethnic backgrounds, participate in the largest, organized volunteer effort involving men in the country during the week of May 26 -30.
Steve Bagby Sr., of Motivated Men, a male support group at Dorsey High School, says it has selected May 29 as its day to support the effort and have a visible presence beginning with a morning “Meet and Greet” to welcome students to school. Research by The Black Star Project shows that volunteers add substantial value to the educational process, and that students and children can not be successfully, comprehensively and practically educated without them knowing and seeing strong, positive men.
Jackson says, “There is no substitute for having strong positive men involved in the social and educational lives of children. Without these models, boys can’t become good men and fathers, and girls can’t tell a good man from a bad one.”
In the “Men In Schools Volunteer Week” program, volunteer organizers will help schools find, screen, train and schedule men to come into schools on one day, during the week of May 26 – 30, to read to, tutor, mentor, coach or instruct students with a special emphasis on “Stopping the Violence” among our youth. 4Positive Knowledge and StreetPositive.com founder and Million Father March Organizer, Terry Boykins, says that he will be working to assist educators and schools in recruiting men, throughout the west coast.
For more information, visit http://www.streetpositive.com or call (909) 370-2805.