: ft . wm
Photos by Layla Farmer
Young ones pay close attention during a STEP session last week.
Partners save program
for public housing kids
STEP had faced funding hurdles
BY LAYLA FARMER
I III-. CHRONtCl 1
Community partnerships
are a major driving torce
behind the success ot a
learning progra for children.
The Housing Authority
of Winston-Salem (HAWS)
Summer Teaching
Enrichment Program
(STEP), now in its tourth
year, will end on Aug. 4. For
the past eight weeks, stu
dents in grades K-l
received in-class instruction
'in subjects like math and
reading. And at least once a
week, they left the Goler
Memorial AME Zion Church
Family Enrichment Center,
where the program is based,
to take field trips to educa
tional sites like SciWorks.
It all is made possible by
through partnerships with
public entities like the
Winston-Salem /Forsyth
County School System and
the Winston-Salem Police
Department, and businesses
like HanesBrands. which has
supported STEP for several
years. Goler is also a pro
gram partner.
STEP Coordinator Bui
McClain says the partner
agencies' contributions aTe
changing kids' lives .
"Many of them don t
have academic weaknesses,
per se. they're just under
motivated." explained
McClain. who joined repre
sentatives from other partner
agencies at Goler last week
to tout the program's suc
cess. "By the end of the
summer, we see some
changes in attitudes."
The program saw a spike
in enrollment this year
About 30 kids participated
in STEP last year. McClain
said, and organizers had
hoped to attract about 50 this
time around.
"When we got up to ?:>.
we had to stop." McClain
said. "If we could e
afforded it, we could have
served 250 - no question.
STEP faced some unex
pected financial challenges
early on. The state's shrink
ing budget absorbed one of
the program's chief funding
sources this year. Schools
Superintendent Don Martin
said. Supplemental money
had to be procured through
Title I sources, which came
from individual schools, not
the school system itself, he
explained.
Martin said summer pro
grams like STEP are essen
tial to keeping kids in a
learning mode.
Hill Mctlain
"For kids and learning,
that summer retention loss is
huge," Martin related. "That
happens with everybody, but
it's exacerbated if you don't
have an opportunity for
more experiences in the
summer."
The Police Department
contributed funds to make
up for the shortfall as well.
Police Chief Scott
Cunningham the program is
worth every penny.
"We think there's no bet
ter use of this money than to
turn around and help our
children out." Cunningham
declared. "We are talking
about children, and that is
our future.
Cunningham has made
community involvement a
hallmark of his leadership.
"It's about giving them the
opportunity, showing them
that they have options. They
Joy Heuke, Alesia Archie and Kah 'yrie Cherry lake a break
from afternoon activities to pose for the camera.
can do anything in this
world that they want to do.
but we've got to give them
those opportunities."
News
Clips
Props! earns honors
at music camp
Miranda Propsl recently
represented Winston-Salem at
Cannon Music Camp at
Appalachian State University.
She received The
Director's Award lor the
Chamber Singers Choir and
also the Bill McCloud Music
Educators of North Carolina
Award. Propst will have a full_
scholarship to the Cannon
Music Camp next year.
She is a senior at West
Forsyth High School, where
she is drum major in the
marching hand. Propst is a
member of Galilee Missionary
Baptist Church
No Parent Left Behind
Conference
The parents of all K- 1 2 stu
dents iii Winston
Salem/Forsyth County are
invited to attend the No Parent
Left Behind Conference on
Thursday. Aug. 13 at Parkland
High School, 16(X) Brewer
Road. It will start at 5:30 p.m.
The annual conference is
free, and will include a series
of workshops to inform and
empower parents so that their
children can be better equipped
to perform successfully in
school. Workshops will be con
ducted on many subjects such
as: parental involvement,
scholarships and financial aid,
preparing for the SAT,
Programs for LD/ADHD stu
dents, End of Grade testing
and bullying.
Free pizza will be served at
5:30 p.m.. workshops begin at
6 pjn. The workshops con
clude at 8:45. The conference
is sponsored by the Forsyth
Council for Youth, an affiliate
of the Northwest Piedmont
Workforce Development
Board.
NBTF teen discussion
On Thursday Aug. 6. the
Winston Salem Urban League,
in cooperation with the
National Black Theatre
Festival, is sponsoring
"Keeping It Real," a candid and
open discussion of the issues
facing today's youth. The pro
gram will
he held at
t h e
Winston
Salem
Urban
League ,
201 West
Fifth St.,
from 10
a.m.
noon. This
event is sponsored by the Youth
Celebrity Project of the
National Black Theatre Festival
and is open to teens 13 to 18
( years of age.
Teens will have an opportu
nity to voice their concerns
about the issues confronting
today's youth and interact with
famous television stars.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner and
T'Keyah Crystal Keymah are
among the invited celebrities.
Antonio 'Tiny" Stevenson, a
well known youth advocate,
and Keith Grandberry, presi
dent and CEO of the Winston
Salem Urban League, will
serve as program moderators.
Stores cited for selling
tobacco to minors
From Jan. 1 through June
30, state Alcohol Law
Enforcement (ALE) agents
have conducted 2366 tobacco
compliance checks across the
slate and cited 371 storp clerks
in 70 counties for selling tobac- .
co or tobacco products to a
minor.
Of those 575 establish
ments were checked in the
Greensboro Area, which
includes Guilford, Forsyth and
seven other counties. Forty
four citations were issued in the
Greensboro Area.
"Every month, ALE agents
are making sure retail establish
ments are checking IDs and not
selling tobacco to minors," said
ALE Director Bill Chandler.
"Store clerks who sell tobacco
to a minor will find that the
penalties can be stiff."
A district court judge may
tine a violator up to $1 JOOO or
order community punishment
of up to 30 days if the defendant
has no prior convictions. If the
store clerk does have, prior con
victions. the judge may also
order jail time. Selling tobacco
to an underage person is a Class
II misdemeanor.
Each month, ALE agents
make unannounced compliance
checks as part of the state's
Tobacco Education and
Compliance Check Program.
Hagan earns 'Gavel'
award
U.S. Senator Kay R.
Hagan (D-NC) last week was
presented with the U.S.
Senate's "Golden Gavel"
award in honor of completing
100 hours of presiding over
the United States Senate in the
1 1 1th Congress. The award is
presented to every senator that
presides for 100 hours, and
Senator Hagan is the second
Senator this year to achieve
this milestone.
"While presiding over the
Senate, I have had the oppor
tunity to hear debate on legis
lation that is critical to our
country and North Carolina's
families," Hagan said.
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