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University of North Carolina at Pembroke
One University Drive
Pembroke , NC 28372
Phone: (910) 521-6489
Fax: (910) 522-5780
E-mail: Brenda.jacobs@uncp.edu
Title: The University of North Carolina at Pembroke Youth Empowerment Program
Project Director: Brenda K. Jacobs
Project Amount Funded (FY 2006): $245,663
Target Population: American Indian and Other Minority Youth, Grades 6-8
The goal of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke Youth Empowerment Program is to reduce unhealthy behaviors in at-risk minority populations, and to strengthen protective or resiliency factors among a cohort of 40 American Indian and other minority youth and their families. The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP) partners with the Community in Schools Robeson County Academy (CIS), the Robeson County Health Department, and The Healing Lodge to implement the program. The CIS serves as the main center for implementing the year round program activities which consist of five distinct elements: an after-school enrichment program, service learning/life skills development, a parent enrichment program, “super Saturday's,” and a three-week summer institute. The after-school component is held for three hours on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and offers homework assistance, tutoring focused on math and reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, and journal writing. The service learning component is conducted all day on Wednesdays. Participants rotate through learning stations that focus on academics, health/wellness education provided by the Robeson County Health Department staff, and physical fitness/sports. The parent enrichment component (involving The Healing Lodge and the health department) includes drug prevention training, and other parental workshops that seek to promote the parents' understanding of health issues and risk and protective factors, and to foster interaction with their children. “Super Saturdays” involve alternative activities that focus on cultural enrichment and career development for participants. These activities include: career fairs, workplace and institutional tours, trips to museums, and visiting cultural and historical sites. Participants' parents and family members are encouraged to participate in these activities to increase family bonding. The summer institute provides a three-week, on-campus, academic experience for the participant cohort. Project staff provides an educational opportunity to motivate participants to develop skills and characteristics that lead to positive lifestyles, and to reduce risk for involvement in violence.