Youth from Blake High School Receive Grant To Carry Out Community Action Project
On December 3rd, 2003 and January 22, 2004, youth participating in the GEAR-UP program at Blake High School will be helping their community by cleaning thirty apartments for the elderly and disabled residents of Tampa Housing Authority’s Bethune Highrise, located approximately 3 blocks from Blake High School. The GEAR-UP youth were awarded a Youth as Resources (YAR) community service grant from the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ). Two students of the GEAR UP program, Quinton Abdullah and Faye Austin, developed and presented the “Teens Working with the Elderly and Disabled” project. A total of forty-two students are signed up to participate.NCCJ of Tampa Bay, the funding organization for this project, believes that young people must play a critical role in solving society's most pressing social issues. This organization has implemented the Youth As Resources (YAR) program in Hillsborough County since 1995 and has awarded over $128,000 to 119 youth groups. Over 4,000 children and youth have also been involved in planning and participating in YAR projects. The belief of YAR is that, “as communities gain from the hard work, services, and products the youth provide, young people change their own lives while improving the lives of others. And, adults and youth begin to view each other in new ways - as partners they can trust and respect. All begin to see new hope and potential for the communities they live in and care about.”
The GEAR-UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program) itself is federally funded by the U.S. Department of Education, and receives substantial local support from the Children's Board of Hillsborough County. The GEAR UP program is housed in the Department of Child and Family Studies at the de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute at USF. The University has two GEAR UP programs, one at Blake High School and the other at Memorial Middle School. The Blake GEAR UP project began in 1999 at Franklin Middle School when the entire 7th and 8th grade became the first group of Hillsborough County students to participate in this five-year nationwide program designed to prepare low-income students to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. Since that time, caseworkers for GEAR UP have remained with the students, now in the 10th and 11th grades at Blake High School in Tampa. The Memorial GEAR UP program began last year with students in the 6th and 7th grade.
While clearly focused on providing students academic supports and assistance such as tutoring and FCAT/SAT/ACT preparation and other academic supports, the program also offers a variety of recreational and social supports. GEAR UP staff believe that with the award of the YAR grant, youths will be able to give back to others, especially those in their community. Project Director, Ruby Joseph, believes that this is just the first step and looks forward to having similar types of activities the students can engage in.
GEAR UP staff are particularly excited about the prospect of being able to capture the positive contributions of the students by highlighting these two community events. “This event will illustrate that many of our students care about their community and want to give something back,” says Ruby Joseph.
Additional information on the GEAR UP program can be found at http://cfs.cbcs.usf.edu/tread/gearup. For information on the YAR program visit http://www.nccjtampabay.org/yar.htm. For specific details on the "Teens Working with the Elderly and Disabled" project, contact Bryce Pride at 813-272-3422 ext 780, or 813-974-6186.
GEAR-UP is housed within the Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS), a department of the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida. The faculty and staff of CFS are committed to enhancing the development, mental health and well-being of children and families through leadership in integrating research, theory & practice.