OBJECTIVE:
To motivate youth and young adults to make positive and conscientious decisions regarding education, drug free living, and the development and maintenance of healthy relationships with peers and adults. NEED:
For schools, Recreation centers, YMCA’s, churches, and other organization/agencies serving youth to allow a minimum of 30minutes for Movement UP to speak with and perform for the
students whom the hosting school or youth organization is serving. MovementUP is also equipped to contract with schools and other youth focused organizations to provide groups for at risk youth on topics such as making right choices, study skills, effectively dealing with peer pressure, finding vision/focus for life, as well as groups in the arts such as a positive hip hop songwriting courses and positive hip hop production courses. MovementUP is also able to provide training and encouragement for Teachers and staff in effectively serving at risk youth and youth in general. These groups would extend over a period of weeks decided upon by the school hosting the groups or course. The curriculum can be adjusted to fit the needs of the students being served. Groups would need 45mins to an hour to meet the goals outlined in the sessions. PURPOSE:
Youth within our society have been described as being lazy, irresponsible, unmotivated, unfocused, destructive, and without conscience. The term most often used to describe youth of today is “at risk.” At-risk of dropping out of school, at risk for being victims or perpetrators of violent crimes, at risk of being incarcerated, at risk of being sexually active contracting disease or becoming pregnant, and at risk of having lives that do not benefit themselves nor the communities in which they live. In my discussion with schoolteachers, adults within the community ages thirty-three and above, and with other community leaders, I have often heard it said that this generation of young people have no conscience. They don’t care about anything or anyone and are willing to do whatever it takes to satisfy their desires even at the cost of relationships with family, friends, and community. It has been said that if you can change a man’s thoughts, you can change his actions. I have pondered this statement and discovered it to be true in my life and in the lives of others. In an effort to forge a new conscience in the minds of those who are said to have no conscience, I want to present to you Movement UP. Our goal and vision is to combine music with dynamic and honest speaking in order to motivate youth to move up. Move up in their thinking and beliefs about education, about relationships, about their community, and about their lives. Movement UP will be both proactive and reactive in approach and presentation. Movement UP will encourage and challenge those who have made poor choices or are making bad choices to begin now with their movement up from their current situations. Movement UP will also encourage those who are making correct and positive choices to continue their movement up in school, relationships, and life. STRATEGIES:
Ahmad Washington is the college and young adult minister at Carver Park Baptist Church. He is a capable and qualified social worker with a Bachelor and Master degree in Social Work from Baylor University as well as a Master of Divinity from Truett Seminary. He is also a national speaker and a Christian rap artist who has used his gifts to motivate and inspire youth and adults in various schools, Colleges, Universities, churches, youth prisons, children’s homes, and other venues. Ahmad Washington, along with other capable and qualified artists and speakers, will combine music with dynamic and honest speaking in order to promote positive values such as education, truth, right choices, honesty, integrity, character, hard work, community, and life. The presentations are designed to motivate, encourage, and challenge the students to start and/or continue their movement up. Also Ahmad Washington will be the group and session facilitator for the courses briefly described in the needs section above. Ahmad Washington has had over 8years of group experience with at risk youth. While serving at the Methodist Children’s Home he facilitated daily groups that were engaging, challenging, and inspiring to the youth who participated. Ahmad utilizes the skill set he developed in his 8 years at MCH in the groups and sessions he facilitates for MovementUP. He has facilitated engaging groups at Upward Bound at MCC for the last two years and is popular with the youth and staff because of his honesty, genuineness, and his ability to translate the truth of the issues discussed to everyday life. RESULTS:
Youth who are making right decisions will be encouraged to continue their movement up in academics, relationships, and in life. Youth who have made poor choices will be inspired to think about the steps they need to take in order to begin their movement up. Youth will be encouraged to know that although poor choices may have been made in their past, they can still recover from these choices and change the courses of their lives for the better. In the group sessions youth will develop skills for having positive and productive lives. Staff who attend these assemblies will be encouraged by the words and songs that are shared and will be motivated to help youth in their movements up.
