Pilot Project.

Everyone's familiar with MAARUF's focus on leadership development for young people. We're about to begin a new phase of the effort. We've taken on a project which, we hope, will encourage an at risk youth to change tracks. We were approached by his mother after his second arrest for a minor offense. We've established contact with his probation officer and will design a series of leadership activities designed to expose him to local level civics. The general approach to a community service sentence is a mop and broom, an approach that does not build the character we need in our young people. We hope that through this effort we can have a new alternative to offer at risk youth.

Bahiyyah's quote of the day...

"This is the life!"  (@  yamashiro on myrtle / washington with a piece of salmon roll in her hand.  Did I mention she doesn't have a job?)

PRODUCT REVIEW

It's official. SHE CAN REEEEAD!!!! She read a book full of sight word sentences today without any help from me. Scholastic makes a series of phonics based beginner's readers that can be bought at Barnes & Noble. Another method I bought, "Your Baby Can Read" does work, if you favor the whole word approach to reading. It uses the whole word and recognition of it using pictures and sound. I preferred the "Click N Kids" model because it's phonics based. By using phonics, I feel, the child is better equipped to read because they learn word structure - something the whole word approach doesn't address.

Bed Stuy's own, "Dazzle Divaz"!!!

I met Bernice Foster Malone in Stuyvesant Park a few weeks back and couldn't wait to post this one. She's owner and founder of Dazzle Divaz. This is more than her business, it's her passion. It shows what can happen when we extend our concerns beyond our own kids - we just might end up with something to benefit all of them. Having a daughter myself, ideas like this, where little girls can engage and have clean fun, are more than welcome. We must support Bernice and bring out other ideas to enhance kid life in Bed Stuy. Thank you Bernice!

Leadership Development in Focus

The Bridge Street Development Corporation and Project for Public Spaces have partnered with MAARUF in a new project, planning a new Malcolm X - Fulton Street plaza. The first phase will consist of survey taking. In the photo above, (left to right) Jamera Mcneil, Dante Davis, Aurash Khawarzad and Karen Levy are doing pedestrian surveys aimed at getting community opinion on what it would like to see in a newly designed space. For MAARUF, this is our way of getting our young people involved in meaningful neighborhood change - being in on the decisions that will impact how we all live and share space.