This summer Harper Students were given the opportunity to participate in summer activities while earning money for it. Yes, that's right!. Students earned money while learning new skills and having fun.

 

Last school year, as a strategy to help curb some of the gun violence in the Englewood Community around Harper High School Commander Keith Calloway of the 7th District Chicago Police Department went to Harper High School's Principal Ms. Kenyatta Stansberry to meet about how they could work together on such a huge task.  He requested to meet regularly with 20 male students who tend to be the most at risk or vulnerable to either becoming victims or perpetrators of gun violence.  He brought in one of his own - Officer Rafael Yanez for programming and requested the assistance of Glen McCarthy from the Office of School Turnaround and Chris Mallette from the Mayor's Office.  They formed a partnership and agreed to meet with the students every Thursday afternoon at Harper High School over pizza and soft drinks to talk, listen, and mentor the group. 

 

As a result of relationship building that formed a bond and the desire of the adults to keep the group together over the summer Glen McCarthy took the lead on developing an Urban Leadership Development Summer Program. The purpose of this initiative was to keep the group together to continue the mentorship, to refine and develop the leadership potential that the kids already possess, and leverage their influence in the school building for creating, promoting, and sustaining peace as part of a peace council. How did they do it? 

 

CREATIVITY AND COLLABORATION!

Mr. McCarthy crafted a program that utilized paid participation, media arts, and weekly field trips to get the student's "buy in" while all along planning to leverage those program components to teach discipline and both social and marketable skills.  First, the parents where brought in for a program orientation to go over goals, objectives, rules and expectations by mandating it as a prerequisite for student participation. Then he brought in a music sampler/ beat machine and studio recording equipment.

The students spent a week watching documentaries about everything from Hip-hop and Chicago street gangs to policies, myths, stereotypes, and misrepresentations that negatively affect minority communities.

 

Chicago Public Schools committed to paying each student $500 to participate over the summer.  The Chicago Police Department came through BIG TIME! Commander Callowayhelped out with resources such as securing transportation for weekly field trips (free of charge to the program), booking their field trip to the Police Academy, and deploying Officer Rafael Yanez who participated 2-3 times a week as a mentor and weekly chaperone/ driver for field trips scheduled for every Thursday.  Officer Yanez did a great job connecting with and earning the respect of the students.

 

Detective Clifton Underwood is the Coordinator for CPD's We Care Role Model and Peer Jury programs.  He came in as a motivational speaker and gave a great talk about making good decisions and the value of education, and presented a powerful and moving personal story.  In addition, Detective Underwood took responsibility for securing weekly field trips for the group.  The students visited Malcolm X College, the Chicago Fire Academy, and Chicago-Kent School of Law.  There were many more educational field trips that he secured for the group but unfortunately there was not enough time during the program to do them all.

 

Chris Mallette was very instrumental in coming by periodically to hang out, motivate, and encourage the students.  He also brought in Hip-hop Producer Mark Hines of Marksmen Productions in New York to talk to the students about the music industry and teach them the basic fundamentals of Hip-hop music production through presentation and hands on training.  He helped the students see how Hip-hop music production is a marketable skill that is now in high demand in the video game and film industry.  Of course Mr. Hines encouraged them to stay in school and explained the importance of education.  He himself is a Princeton graduate and has worked with Hip-hop mogul Russell Simons, has produced music for Hip-hop superstar 50 Cent and Neo Soul Artist Jill Scott.  In addition to arranging that meeting Mr. Mallette secured and participated in a night of bowling, arcade games and Laser tag for the students at the Brunswick Zone sponsored by New Life Covenant Church Oakwood.  

 

Be looking out for the Men of Honor summer program documentary that will feature "The Streets Ain't Me" rap song by Harper students: Jarvis Smith, Devonte Hall, and James Allen.  The students' debut performance will be at Harper's back to school bar-b-que on August 28th.  For more info about the program contact Glen McCarthy -Office of School Turnaround/ Chicago Public Schools