Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / June 25, 2009, edition 1 / Page 5
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Bus drives kids to make right choices BY TODD LUCK I Hh CHRONKT I The Choice Bus stopped in Winston-Salem last Thursday, reminding local kids that the decisions that they make today carry consequences that will impact them tomorrow. The bus is designed to leave its young visitors w ith a lasting impression. It contains a replica of a cramped jail cell and uses videos to bring stu dents face-to-face with real life prisoners. Conceived as a high school dropout prevention project, the bus makes stops afound the nation. Its Winston-Salem stop at the William G. White Jr. Family YMCA, and ones in Raleigh and Statesville. were sponsored by the N,C, Bankers Association. Several groups of kids vis ited the bus. including those from the Winston Lake Family YMCA Achievers Academy. Upon entering the bus, they took a seat facing the back and watched a brief video that talked about dropout statics. Dropouts make $IO.(XK) less a year than high school gradu ates. said one statistic; another said that 75 percent of those in prison are dropouts. The video then showed prison inmates lamenting their decision not to Youths watch a video abroad the bus. get an education . After the video, the flat screen television was pulled to the side and the black curtain behind it was parted ty reveal the K-by8-foot jail cell, which contains a bed and metal toilet with a sink on top, all of which are used by real inmates in prison. Facilitator Phil Christian demonstrated the loud, unnerving clang the cell 'door makes when shut. The Achievers Academy kids are already on the right educational track, but the bus visit made them 'even more determined to stay focused on their studies. Fourteen-year-old Chris Geter said he didn't want to end up like the people in the video. "I ain't trying to have a hard life," he said. Christian - who is also executive director of the dropout prevention organiza tion that created the bus. The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation ? calls the nation's dropout rate an "epidemic," with 1.2 million students dropping out each year. He said that the method the Stewart Foundation uses isn't meant to scare kids straight, but to illus trate the hard life that could be ahead if they don't get an edu cation. "We want young people to understand that education is the key to ... success in life and anyone who chooses to drop out of school is just cut ting themselves short," said Christian. Spencer McCall, the Winston Lake Y teen program director, thinks the bus is an effective prevention and edu cational tool. "You can tell them these kind of things, but we don't really understand until we see it," said McCall. The bus is in high demand and typically visits schools. Currently there's only one Choice Bus, but the Foundation wants to add nine more. The Stewart Foundation also provides an anti-dropout DVD and curriculum material used by teachers in 40 states. The Foundation also has an Phot??s by Todd Luck One of the features of the jail cell. active speaker bureau, which includes the Foundation's founder. Shelly Stewart, who created if in 2007 in honor of his mother, Mattie. At Age 5. Stewart wit nessed his father murder his mother, but he overcame, tragedy and hardship to get an education and become a radio personality in Birmingham. Ala., who was involved in the Civil Rights Movement. He also started his own successful advertising and public rela tions firm. For more information on the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation visit www. ma ttiecste ? art .org. WFV Photo Members of the Moose family accept the Century Award from T.W. Garner Food's Kathy Raker. Awards from pmgt . W Garner Food Co. is a past Century Award winner, pre sented the award to members of the Moose family. Others on ha.nd for the June 2 ceremony at Graylyn Conference Center included Mayor Allen Joines, who gave opening remarks, and Wake Forest Dean of Business Steve Reinemund, who said that family busi nesses thrive because they follow the "4 Cs" - Character Counts. Commitment is Constant. Customers Rule and Cash is King. "Family owned business es show distinctive dedica tion which differentiates them from other businesses because the 'name on the door' is their own," he said. "Today's environment pro vides a bright future for fam ily businesses as public senti ment drives consumer behav ior. employee attitudes, pub lic policy and taxes." Sabbaticals from pane A4 nonprofits often are selfless, driven people. They give a full measure and then more until, in many instances, they drain their personal energy." Receiving grants this year are: ? Gregory M. Bounds, CEO of Goshen Medical Center in Faison. The center has 23 sites in five coun ties in Eastern North Carolina that provide pri mary health care for special popu lations, including migrants and sea sonal farm work ers, the homeless. II 1 1 I 1 1 r> II I tu pvi sons, and those who are financially needy. ? James L. Brooks, execu tive director of Project Compassion in Chapel Hill. Project Compassion works to create community and pro vides support for people liv ing with serious illness, and those involved with care giv ing, end of life and grief issues. ? Doris A. Howington, executive director of The Winner Wright Center in Rocky Mount. The Center is an adult day health care facility where elderly and disabled adults who need planned and super vised activities and health monitoring can spend the day. Qther services include transportation and nutritious meals. ? Jackie M. Thamm, exec utive director of Friend to rriena crisis center in Carthage. The organization pro vides services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, including a 24-hour crisis line, counseling. court advocacy, child assault prevention programs and a shej ter. ? Lisa D. Twiggs, executive director of FamiJy Resources of Cherokee County in Murphy. The mis sion of Family Resources is "to join hands with families by providing support, infor mation, and education so that together we build strong, healthy, productive families. For more information about the sabbatical pro gram, visit www.zsr.org. SEAS1DE^>RENTALS Premier Vacation Homes Surfsidc Beach & Qarden City Beach Book 6 nights, receive 7th night FREE plus 4 HcfcrtJ far Blue Witter Atkm turn Dnlphin Watching Excursion FREE Vacation Quide -614- >411 away frrnn Myrtle Reach, SC ? wuiw.seasidcvip.net SOLID MAKES IT POSSIBLE Manage your finances like you manage your life: effortlessly. Everyday solutions are beautiful in their simplicity. 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