Communities In Schools of North Carolina addresses gang issue in the state

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WRAL.com

Gangs move, change to stay ahead of police
Gang grafitti

Posted: Jul. 30 5:33 p.m.
Updated: Jul. 30 11:45 p.m.

Raleigh, N.C. — Identifying gang members has become more difficult as they change their signs and clothing to remain a step ahead of law enforcement and as they become more mobile, experts said Wednesday.

Two incidents in recent days, a melee at the Triangle Town Center mall and a shooting on the North Carolina State University campus, have turned a spotlight on gangs in Raleigh. Police Chief Harry Dolan said Monday that the city has a “significant” gang problem that requires a community-wide response.

According to a recent study, there are 13 recognized gangs in Wake County, with the Bloods being the most prominent. There are about 2,400 known gang members or associates in the county. Associates are members who might not live in the area but who have spent considerable time or have been arrested locally.

Shenekia Weeks, a member of the Wake County Gang Task Force, said local gangs are changing the way the look and where they live a contrast to the stereotype of gangs carving out territories that they defend.

“Gang members do not want be detected. They want to continue their criminal enterprise, so they’re going to move and try to be as fluid as they can be without being detected,” Weeks said.

Most gangs are relatively new to the area, and their members are young, according to Weeks and Danya Perry, a gang expert with North Carolina Communities in Schools.

“We are starting to see the manifestation of the first generation of gangs rooted here in North Carolina,” Perry said.

Shootings and fights like the two recent incidents are taking place in high-profile places because Wake County gangs don’t have roots in specific neighborhoods, he said.

“The incident at the mall, that certainly was a warning flag for everybody that we need to be looking at this issue because it’s spilling over,” he said.

Communities need to offer more after-school activities and jobs for teens to begin fixing the problem, gang experts said.

“I think most gang experts will tell you that we’re probably five years behind what’s really going on,” Perry said.

* Reporter: Stacey Cameron

CIS of Lexington/Davidson – Three groups working to get students what they need for school

July 30. 2008 9:00AM

BY JILL DOSS-RAINES
The Dispatch

Two county nonprofits and one bank are working to help students have all the school supplies they need to begin the new school year in August.

To read the rest of this Story from the Lexington Dispatch – click here

CIS of Wayne County – County’s Teen Court is continuing mission of peer-directed justice

Goldsboro News-Argus

By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on July 30, 2008 1:36 PM

Teen Court — introduced in Wayne County nearly nine years ago as an alternative to youths having a criminal record — has had another successful year, in student numbers as well as funding.

“We have seen marked increases in the number of volunteers working with the program and the volunteer hours,” said Sudie Davis, director of Communities in Schools, which oversees the program. Over the past year, 109 teens have served as jury members, attorneys, clerks or bailiffs in the year-round program. The only adults included are local attorneys who serve as judges.

Photo submitted

Youths volunteering in the Teen Court program gather around Wayne County District Attorney Branny Vickory, right, during a recent training at the courthouse.

The number of defendants served by Teen Court is also on the rise, Mrs. Davis said, but whether that is because there are more infractions or increased awareness of the program is uncertain.

“The purpose of Teen Court is to allow the child to complete it so that the charges against them are dismissed,” she said. “We do work collaboratively with district courts, the DA’s office, Clerk of Court’s office, Sheriff’s Office, police department and possibly 20 to 25 different places where kids do their community service.”

During the 2007-08 fiscal year, Mrs. Davis noted, youth defendants completed 1,463 hours of community service.

Teen Court has been fortunate to receive adequate funding, she added, something many agencies and programs have struggled with in recent years.

In addition to grants and Juvenile Crime Prevention Council support, United Way came through this year,

allowing the program to hire two people at its helm.

“We’re very pleased,” Mrs. Davis said. “This is a program where the grant was written to serve 78 kids and this year we served 135. … Some nights we have two Teen Courts running.”

Tracy Andrews was hired as Teen Court coordinator and Sierra Beaton as volunteer coordinator. Both said they would have liked to have had a similar program when they were younger.

“I wish I could have been involved as a teen volunteer,” Mrs. Beaton said. “(They) really take it to heart and feel like they make a difference, for themselves, for their peers and for the community.”

Ms. Andrews worked briefly as a corrections officer in Raleigh before joining Teen Court at the end of March.

“It’s a wonderful program,” she said. “I think it really makes a difference in these kids’ lives who come in here.”

Parents, too, have appreciated the fact that it’s not simply a punitive program, Mrs. Davis said, but rather one that steers youth in a better direction.

“North Carolina is one of just two or three states where kids 16, 17 go to adult court, and I think Teen Court has been such an asset for those young people,” she said. “It used to be that they would have gone right into district court and it would have been decided, but this way they have a chance to give back to the community.”

“And what better way than peers on peers?” Ms. Andrews said.

As the program grows, so are some of the opportunities for volunteers to gain “on-the-job training,” Mrs. Beaton said. One example of that came in the form of the latest attorney training, held recently at the county courthouse.

The evening session provided students with ways to refine their skills and learn about such aspects of courtroom behavior as making opening and closing statements and being able to think quickly on their feet, she said.

“We’re also trying to develop a program where we have those attorneys and judges come back and mentor teens,” Mrs. Davis said.

The experience proves advantageous to some of the teens, who might be considering a career in criminal justice.

But even if that’s not the ultimate goal, Mrs. Davis said, the greatest success is found in efforts to provide better direction for the next generation. Some now working to help others had formerly been represented at the defense table, she noted.

“About half a dozen volunteers at any given time were once defendants,” Mrs. Beaton said, pointing out they later returned to serve as volunteers.

CIS of Cape Fear -Stuff-the-bus campaign brings in supplies for local schools

By: Emily Rea – July 29th, 2008

Encore Online

Heading back to school at summer’s end is often a bittersweet reality for students. Gone are the carefree days of playing in the sun—without homework or policies or testing—and a whole year’s worth of the pressures that school can create is suddenly standing in front of them. Luckily for both students and staff, the annual Stuff-the-bus campaign will soon be underway to help alleviate at least one of those pressures.

Over the upcoming tax-free weekend, August 1st-3rd, the seventh annual Communities in Schools of Cape Fear (CISCF) program Stuff the Bus will enlist the help of a minimum of 200 volunteers from around the Wilmington area community to help fulfill its mission: collect donated school supplies for local schools. Volunteers will work two-hour shifts, handing out school-supply wish lists to shoppers outside specific retail locations about town. On their way out, folks will simply place their donations into barrels provided by the campaign. “Stuff the Bus will help students focus on learning, not on what they may or may not have,” Tracy Tisdale, program coordinator for Communities in Schools of Cape Fear, explains.

Donated supplies will be offered to every public school in New Hanover and Pender counties. The supplies will then be given to the school guidance counselors who will discreetly disburse them to students in need. “No child should ever have to go to school without the tools to learn,” Tisdale iterates. “We collect everything that an elementary-, middle- or high-school student may need, from backpacks to pencils. Everything is recorded on the wish lists shoppers receive before going into the store. We are also collecting school uniforms this year to try and help those students who are unable to purchase them for themselves.”

Stuff the Bus was originally the brainchild of Jeff Dunlea, who was a member of the Education Council of the Greater Wilmington Chamber Foundation at the time. “[Jeff] has also been one of CISCF’s greatest volunteers and board members,” Tisdale notes. “[He] has always been a strong advocate for students and teachers!”

Yet, perhaps even Dunlea could not have anticipated the great success of Stuff the Bus in 2007. It was the year of the Stuff the Bus Corporate Challenge, wherein companies across town kept a barrel in their offices and challenged employees to donate. The challenge along with the Stuff-the-Bus tax-free weekend event collected a total of over $45,000 worth of school supplies.

“The schools love it!” Tisdale says. “They are so grateful for the free resource. They have said this service is greatly needed and greatly appreciated.”

However, the need this year in particular has risen dramatically. “Unfortunately, the school system had to take a hit this year when the county had the short-fall, so the classroom supplies we collect will really help out the schools this time around,” Tisdale says. “Sadly, with the increases in gas prices and food prices, many more families may not be able to afford all the school supplies their children need.”

The economic low the country and our community is faced with has affected many more areas than we can comfortably imagine. Still, Tisdale remains hopeful for this year’s event.

“I feel this year will be another great success. With our Corporate Challenge partners and all our wonderful locations, we will have a lot of opportunities for donations,” she asserts. “We would love to pass the $45,000 mark from last year. Another backpack, notebook or pencil is another way to help a student get ahead, one who might not have had the tools needed to start off a good school year.”
Communities in Schools of Cape Fear are hopeful that concerned community members will step up this year to meet that goal. “I love to see what a wonderful, generous and caring community we have!” Tisdale remarks. Anyone interested in volunteering for Stuff the Bus should contact Tracy Tisdale at 910-343-1901 or e-mail tracy@ciscapefear.org. CISCF is also accepting monetary donations and gift cards.

Those who would like to purchase and donate school supplies for Stuff the Bus should visit one of the following participating locations where the buses will be parked:

Harris Teeter at Mayfaire (6805 Parker Farm Drive; 910-256-1071)
Staples (322 S. College Rd; 910-313-0636)
Office Depot (3727 Oleander Drive; 910-392-9013)
Walmart Monkey Junction (5135 Carolina Beach Road; 910-793-1157)
Walmart off Market Street (5226 Sigmon Road; 910-392-0434)
More information on CISCF and Stuff the Bus can be found online at www.ciscapefear.org

CIS of Moore County – Fore Kids Sake golf tourney

Communities in Schools is hosting its second annual golf tournament, Fore Kids Sake on Aug. 26 at Pinehurst No. 8. Tournament is a best ball format with a 1 p.m. shotgun start. Registration is $200 per player and includes lunch, course beverage, prizes, awards and goody bag. Contact Andi Korte at 528-2173 or by e-mail at andikorte@yahoo.com.

CIS of Durham -Insider Sports Marketing teams with S.J.G. partners to promote The Greater NC Pro-Am Summer Basketball League

Triangle – dBusinessNews
July 24, 2008

Community Has a Special Venue for the Summer – Playing with a Purpose

Research Triangle Park – Thanks to Jerry Stackhouse and his S.J.G. partners, a great and entertaining environment for basketball fans has come to Durham! The Greater NC Pro-Am Basketball Summer League (ncproam.com) tipped off on July 3rd and will run until the Tournament Championship game on August 11th. This “Rucker basketball league of the south”, currently being played on the campus of North Carolina Central University, is providing unbelievable excitement for NBA, Duke, UNC, NC State, CIAA and MEAC fans from all over the triangle. Rarely do you have an environment where you can see NBA players, current Duke, UNC, and NC State players playing on the same team twice a week and admission is Free!

Although this event features national and local sports celebrities, the primary focus is the children. The league strives to expose children to unique experiences and create the opportunity for them to interact with national and local athletes. “We have four hours each Tuesday and Thursday where kids not only have the chance to reach for the stars, but to touch them,” said Donyell Bryant the leagues commissioner. Several local organizations are taking advantage of this purpose driven project. We think that this environment is perfect for what we are trying to stress with our “Green Team, a community program for kids interested in the Green Economy” said Nate Udofia, co-Founder of Green Durham. League organizers have been actively reaching out to local community groups like John Avery Boys and Girls club and Communities In Schools of Durham which focuses on dropout prevention. “This summer league is amazing! It includes quite a few professional basketball players who are coming back to our community to inspire kids. It’s another example of how each of us can do one thing to make a difference by using our unique gifts” said Bud Reiter-Lavery, Executive Director Communities in Schools of Durham.

Greater NC Pro-AM is committed to enriching and strengthening the communities in which it serves. As you will soon discover, Greater NC Pro-AM isn’t your ordinary summer league, it takes the game of basketball to a whole new level! Professional athletes, collegiate players and local high school all-stars make up Greater NC Pro-AM teams. And, in addition to bringing current celebrities and next year’s possible draft picks under one roof for the community’s enjoyment, we also provide what we call Grassroots MentoringD professional athletes who have a connection to our community come back to mentor local college players who in turn mentor and motivate area high school athletes.

Contact: Donyell Bryant at (919) 427-6335 (with S.J.G. Greater NC Pro-Am) or Chip Hutchinson (919) 323-3763 with Insider Sports Marketing for more information or questions.

CIS of Wilkes County -More Lunch Buddies needed

By Wilkes Journal-Patriot Staff
July 25, 2008

Communities In Schools (CIS) of Wilkes County needs more volunteers for the Lunch Buddy Program.
Over 60 children in the Wilkes schools are on a waiting list for participation in the program.
This program is serving in all 13 Wilkes elementary schools, serving children in kindergarten through third grade.

In the program, a volunteer has lunch with a child one day each week at school during the child’s lunch period. Volunteers aren’t required to visit the child for lunch on the same day each week.

The program’s purpose is to provide children with positive role models and make a difference in their lives. “Students in the program get to have a special, healthy relationship with an adult “buddy” – a person who will listen to them, talk with them, and laugh with them during their school lunch,” stated a news release.

“If you have the desire to work with a youth in Wilkes County and have the time to spend one lunch period per week to eat with them, we need you to become a Lunch Buddy volunteer,” said Amie Rose, CIS Lunch Buddy coordinator.

People interested are asked to fill out a volunteer form.

A one-hour Lunch Buddy volunteer training and information session is scheduled for noon on Aug. 12. It’s at the CIS office in the school system administration building on Cherry Street, North Wilkesboro.

CIS of Montgomery County – Festival plans moving forward

July 23, 2008

By Tammy Dunn
Montgomery Herald

The Web site is being updated weekly, the children’s activities are being fine-tuned and the vendors are being lined up in anticipation of the third annual Uwharrie Mountain Festival scheduled for Oct. 11 at King’s Mountain Point in the Uwharrie National Forest.

Heather Wallace said the plans are coming along for an expanded field of children’s events with a focus on the environment. Early plans call for hula hoop contest, a crafts area, potato on a spoon race and drawing contest focused on forest objects. Wallace, Communities in Schools coordinator, has teamed with the Partnership for Children to bring a new focus to the children’s events.

Nathan Davis of God’s Country Outfitters plans on bringing a large number of canoes and kayaks to the event for people to try out as well as for use in the scheduled paddling events planned for that day.

Gordon Knowles is overseeing the activities and as usual there is an array of events planned including a trail run, a nature walk, geocaching, orienteering and disc golf.

Kasey Cook of N.C. Wildlife is contacting the N.C. Zoo about a return visit with some of their animals, an event that children found interesting the first year. Cook is also providing a wildlife area from the Wildlife Commission and other interesting items related to wildlife and their habitats.

Riley Beaman is lining up the music for the day and promises that Blue Horizon, a crowd favorite, will be on about midday.

The Lumber Jack competition will be held in the afternoon. That event proved to be very popular last year, and even included some students from Montgomery Community College’s forestry program.

Crystal Cockman of the N.C. LandTrust has the Web site up and going again with listings of events, vendors, directions and contact information. Check out the Web site at uwharriefestival.com or through a link with Montgomery Herald’s Web site.

New to the event this year is a wine tasting tent. Ron Franklin is heading up that area of the festival and already has two vineyards, Rocky River Vineyards out of Midland and Stony Mountain Vineyards out of Albemarle. Tastings will be held and bottles will be available for purchase.

Festival organizers are still searching for volunteers, noting it takes a lot of people to make an event like this happen. Additional vendors are needed as well, said Chris Cagle who is heading up that portion of the festival. Cagle is currently contacting some past vendors and others that will be a good match for the festival. Anyone interested in being a vendor can check the information on the Web site. Vendor spots are $25.

Back again this year is the Mud Club. The Mud Club is for individuals wanting to give the festival a hand and with a donation of $50 they receive a Mud Club tee shirt and an invitation to the night before barbecue and party at Kings Mountain Point. Mud Club members are limited to 100. For more information on volunteering or being a sponsor contact Travis Stewart, Chris Cagle or Marla Coulthard.

Communities In Schools Recognizes the Achievements of Its Network of Non-Traditional High Schools in Preparing Students for Success

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 17, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX

Performance Learning Centers from Across the Country Honored With Inaugural Award for Excellence

Communities In Schools, Inc., the nation’s largest dropout prevention organization, honored its outstanding non-traditional schools at the inaugural Performance Learning Center Awards in Atlanta on Wednesday. The ceremony recognized the academic outcomes of 10 Performance Learning Centers (PLCs) operated by Communities In Schools where students at risk of dropping out can catch up and graduate on time.

Performance Learning Centers are a key part of the CIS portfolio of initiatives. They are high schools designed to meet the needs of students have not been successful in a traditional learning environment. Funded by a multi-million dollar three-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the CIS national office, 12 new PLCs are scheduled to be established in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington state.

The Performance Learning Center Awards took place at the annual PLC Summer Training Institute, “Road Work Ahead: The PLC Roadmap to Success.” Sponsored by CIS of Georgia, the Institute brings together PLC staff to explore best practices that will help them continue to meet their students’ needs and explore issues surrounding the No Child Left Behind Act.

“We are proud to recognize these PLCs and their students. Their success proves that when students are joined by caring adults in a mutual respect for each other and learning, those young people are already choosing success and focusing on succeeding, not just in school, but in life,” said Daniel J. Cardinali, president, Communities In Schools, Inc.

First developed and implemented by CIS of Georgia, PLCs represent the culmination of CIS’ commitment to non-traditional education. Between 2003 and 2007, a total of 2,014 students graduated from PLCs. There are currently more than 30 operational PLCs in the CIS network, with 45 expected to be operational by 2009.

The honorees for the 2008 Performance Learning Center Awards are:

Highest Number of Graduates

Forsyth Academy

Highest Percentage of Graduates Based on Enrollment

Forsyth Academy, Douglas PLC and Coweta PLC

Highest ADA for the School Year

Douglas PLC

Highest number of Dual Enrolled Students

Kent PLC, Bainbridge-Westside PLC

Highest Number of College-going Culture

Charlotte-Mecklenburg PLC

Highest Number of College Acceptance Letters

Charlotte-Mecklenburg PLC

Highest Number of Credits Earned by Students

Bainbridge-Westside PLC, Harris County PLC and Fuller PLC

Highest Number of GNC Entries/Service Records

Durham PLC, Southside PLC

Founded in 1977, Communities In Schools is the nation’s largest dropout prevention organization, working in more than 3,250 K-12 public schools. Today, nearly 1.2 million young people every year receive direct services through more than 200 Communities In Schools local affiliates in 27 states and the District of Columbia. Between 80-90 percent of our tracked students show improvement in academic achievement, attendance, behavior and promotion to the next grade level.

SOURCE Communities In Schools

CIS of Rowan County – Golden Giver Award

The Salisbury Post
7/16/08

Trinity Oaks Retirement Community is the winner of one of two WSOC-TV “Golden Giver” Awards.

The award is presented to organizations or individuals who extend extraordinary effort in support of the School Tools program sponsored annually by the Charlotte TV station.

School Tools is a collaborative effort of WSOC-TV and Communities In Schools (CIS), a national dropout prevention program. School Tools volunteers collect and distribute new school supplies to children in need in Rowan, Mecklenburg and 20 other counties surrounding Mecklenburg. Collected supplies remain in the county where they were received.

Trinity Oaks was nominated for the award by Vicky Slusser, executive director of the Communities in Schools program in Rowan County.

“Trinity Oaks not only donated a cottage for our use for six weeks, but several residents volunteered over 40 hours collecting, sorting and bagging supplies for over 350 children. The residents also took up a collection to purchase additional supplies when they found out we were lacking several items for the children’s School Tools bags,” Slusser said. “And the staff made sure we were well stocked with punch and fresh-baked cookies for the volunteers each day.”

Carolyn Myers, Ruth Woodburn, Char Molrine, Mike Walsh, Trinity Oaks executive director, and Janine Lawson, wellness coordinator, accepted the award on behalf of Trinity Oaks residents.