Weekly Media Roundup - May 8, 2014

Preventing Violence Will Take Action, Not Just an Action Plan (Star News, North Carolina)

A recent editorial in Wilmington’s Star News urges residents to go beyond community meetings and take action to address recent gang violence.  The editorial says: “It is clear that Wilmington residents and community leaders desperately want to put a stop to the violence that is destroying the lives of many of our young people. And for the most part, they agree on what needs to be done – better resources, more attention to early childhood education and programs to divert kids from gangs and crime, mental health and parenting counseling, second chances for young offenders, higher graduation rates, better opportunities overall…  It will take commitment and cooperation, but also resources. Is this community ready to step up, or will we instead determine that the price is too high? We already are paying too high a price; we can’t afford to lose more of our children to violence.”

South Carolina After-School Program Trains Olympic Hopefuls, In the Ring and the Classroom (KHON 2, South Carolina)

Thanks to the Greenville Boxing Club, two teens are now poised to compete for an Olympic medal.  Shakir Robinson, personal fitness trainer and the afterschool program’s founder, opened the gym’s doors to the students to give them something to do after school to keep them off the streets.  Khalid Johnson, one of the two teens trying out for the Olympic team, told KHNO 2 that  not only does he believe the club is the driving force behind his chances at the Olympics, but that it has also helped him perform better in school, saying “I didn’t like science, but I like it now, more than I used to.  The program has helped me focus in the classroom.”

Our Town: Atlanta Volunteer Helps Kids With Patience, Concentration – One Stitch at a Time (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia)

Initially a way to pass the time in between helping students with homework, knitting has become a popular activity with students thanks to the tutelage of one volunteer.  Susan Frierson became the knitting teacher at the Brookhaven Boys and Girls Club after many students, fascinated by her handiwork, asked her to teach them.  She told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “I’ve talked up what a skill this is and how it’s been around for so long.  I’ve explained how it’s a nice quiet activity; how it teaches concentration and patience; how you’re supposed to think about the person you’re knitting for and to make them something that will make them feel warm and loved.” 

Prairie River Middle School Teacher Donates Time to Help Kids Build Their Own Canoes (Daily Herald, Washington)

In a society of instant gratification, Prairie River Middle School is offering students the opportunity to reap the rewards of detail-oriented, hard work through an informal afterschool canoe building club.  Mark Pugh, the program’s founder, told the Daily Herald that he is there every step of the way to guide students through the processes.  Since the program’s inception, five students have worked with Pugh, four making canoes, and one making a canoe shaped shelf.  The club has taught the kids patience and determination, and to pay strict attention to detail. The students can’t wait to get their boats on the water.