Special Mentoring Edition - NCJRSLouise Lucas EOWS Program Manager for DEFY Weed & Seed In-Sites 2...

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Executive Office for Weed and Seed

Volume VIII, Number 4 November/December 2000

Special Mentoring Edit ion

01-Covers1&4 Final 12/22/00 8:47 AM Page 2

Weed & Seed In-Sites is a publication of the

U.S. Department of JusticeOffice of Justice Programs

Executive Office for Weed and Seed810 Seventh Street NW.Washington, DC 20531Phone: 202–616–1152

Fax: 202–616–1159www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/

Stephen Rickman, Director

Robert M. Samuels, Assistant Director

Nancy Ware, Director of Technical Assistance and Training

Cheryl Driscoll, Supervisory Grants Manager

Paul Casagrande, SpecialProjects Coordinator

Edison Aponte, Faith Baker, Eric Chin,Michael Connor, Jonathan Faley,

Sharron Fletcher, Robert Hendricks,Erin Holbert, Dionne Johnson, Louise Lucas, Katherine Mera,

Andrew Press, Romia Ray, Shannon Taitt, Geroma Void,

Program Managers

Claude Thomas, Chief of Staff

Linda Hawkes,Administrative Officer/Grant Specialist

Prince Cummings,Program Analyst

Penne Soltysik,Public Relations Specialist and

In-Sites Editor

Lisa Huff-Galloway, Secretary

Please send all submissions, comments, or addresscorrections to the above address.

From the DEFY ProgramManager

Drug Education for Youth 2000:Kudos to DEFY MentorsCongratulations and special thanks to all In-Sitesreaders who participated in the DEFY 2000Phase I summer camp programs and volunteeredas mentors. Your commitment and dedication tohelping our youth learn to resist drugs and livedrug-free lives is to be commended.

DEFY is a unique and popular program. Weedand Seed DEFY began in 1996 with three pilotsites—Atlanta, Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana;and San Antonio, Texas. I’m pleased to reportthat Weed and Seed DEFY 2000 has been a great

success so far. This year, the program expanded to more than 85 sites, coordinat-ing 53 camps and serving approximately 2,600 kids.

What makes DEFY unique is that representatives from the military and law en-forcement, staff from U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and members of the communityare all involved as mentors, giving youth an opportunity to see these individualsin positive roles. Too often youth fear the presence of police. At each camp I vis-ited this summer, the police officers consistently made comments such as, “Kidsused to run away when they saw us coming into the community. Since DEFY,when they see us coming, they run to us. DEFY has provided an opportunity foryouth to see us in a positive role. They no longer see us as ‘the enemy’ but astheir friends, people they can trust.” Program Coordinators said that althoughplanning and implementing a DEFY program is time consuming and exhaust-ing, the hard work pays off when staff see a look of excitement on the face of achild experiencing new things in a positive light. DEFY gives them a sense of giv-ing back to the community. For youth, DEFY provided a fun experience whileteaching them how to stay drug-free.

As DEFY sites gear up for the implementation of the important Phase II (school-year) followup, EOWS again thanks the mentors who work with Weed and Seedyouth. Your countless, selfless hours do make a difference!

DEFY is based on the theory, common to mentoring programs, that providingone-on-one role-model relationships for youth, giving them advice, and provid-ing a friendship often missing in their lives are essential to their well-being.

We look forward to your continued involvement in Phase II. Keep up thegood work!

Louise LucasEOWS Program Manager for DEFY

Weed & Seed In-Sites

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CorrectionIn a photo caption on page 8of the April/May 2000 issue ofWeed and Seed In-Sites, Maj. JimHourican was identified as “theU.S. Navy’s Maj. Jim Hourican.”The caption should have identifiedMajor Hourican as an officer ofthe U.S. Marines, under the Depart-ment of Navy.

The Weed and Seed DEFY program is administered by the Training and Technical Assistance Division of EOWS.

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November/December 2000

4 15 Tips for Effective School-Based Mentoring

6 Mentoring Works

7 Commitment: The Most Important Part of Mentoring

DEFY Phase I8 Steps to Establishing a DEFY Camp

Program

9 First Try a Success for Brownsville Weed and Seed

10 Texarkana Hosts Its First DEFY Phase I

12 Louisiana National Guard DEFY Program 2000

13 First Timers Bring DEFY to Louisville Neighborhoods

14 DEFY 2000 Camp Rapture!

15 East Dallas Weed and Seed’s DEFY Leadership Camp 2000

DEFY Phase II16 Keys to Success: Making a Difference

Through Effective Mentoring Strategies

17 Mentors Are Where You Find Them

18 The Main Ingredient for Phase II Success Is Partnership

Winners19 Atlanta, Georgia

19 Freeport, Illinois

19 Sagadahoc County, Maine

Departments20 Conference Corner

21 Web Sight

22 EOWS News

23 Mailbox

OvercomingChal lengesf i n d o u t m o r e —p a g e 1 4

Set t ing New Goalsf i n d o u t m o r e —p a g e 1 2

Request a free subscription to In-Sites! Send an e-mail to [email protected].

On cover: Mentoring youth is an important compo-nent of the New Orleans, Louisiana, Weed and SeedDEFY Phase I program.

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Dr. Weinberger is President of the MentorConsulting Group and Chairman of thePublic Policy Council of the NationalMentoring Partnership. She designedand developed the first school-based men-toring program in America in Norwalk,Connecticut, in the early 1980s.

Tip 1When establishing a mentoring pro-gram, make sure that everyone inthe community who is involved withyouth is part of the planning. Thosepresent at the “table” should includemembers of the school board, theschool superintendent, all schoolstaff, parents, top officials in businessand civic groups, union officials, andmembers of parent-teacher organiza-tions, advisory councils, religiousgroups, and all programs in the com-munity that are involved with youth.

Tip 2Make sure that the chosen school hasan outstanding principal, a cohesivestaff, and a friendly secretary.Selecting the first school to begin aprogram is critical. Unwilling schoolsshould be put on a waiting list! Theschool board should draft a writtenpolicy on mentoring and have itapproved at a public meeting. Learnwhether the school district has anyrequirements to become a volunteer(e.g., does it require a tuberculosistest for adults who work with kids?).Does the district have an insurancepolicy that covers all volunteers in aschool building?

15 Tips for Effective School-Based MentoringDr. Susan G. WeinbergerNational Mentoring PartnershipAlexandria, Virginia

Tip 3Gather demographic and dropoutstatistics. Conduct focus groups,interviews, surveys, and meetingswith teachers to determine the rightgrade level to begin a program.

Tip 4When recruiting mentors, includethose dedicated volunteers frombusinesses that are already involvedin your active partnership pro-grams. These volunteers should beapproached first to consider becom-ing involved as mentors.

Tip 5Recruit only mentors who are caring,committed, and patient. Mentorsshould be good listeners who keepappointments, enjoy spending timewith kids, and have an outstandingemployment record and a goodsense of humor. They should also befree of alcohol and drug problems.All others should not apply! Mentorscan be recruited from many differ-ent sources, including corporations;retirement communities or othersenior citizen groups; fraternal,social, and civic organizations; reli-gious groups; government, fire, andpolice agencies; institutions of high-er education; health agencies; theInternal Revenue Service and theFederal Bureau of Investigation; theUnited Way; mass media organiza-tions; and labor organizations.

Tip 6Conduct a thorough screening onall prospective mentors. Candidate

screening should include criminalbackground checks, referencechecks, personal interviews, andexamination of employment history.Many school districts pay for back-ground checks on new teachers andwill include mentors in the budget.Other schools do not have the moneyto cover the cost of backgroundchecks; when this is the case, otheroptions are available. In some dis-tricts, the chief of police works close-ly with the schools and offers freeor reduced costs for backgroundchecks. In other communities, busi-nesses pick up the cost for theiremployee mentors. If none of theseoptions is available to you, ask thementors to pay for the check. It willbe their only out-of-pocket cost.

Tip 7All mentors must be trained beforeparticipating in the program. Schoolstaff, particularly guidance coun-selors, psychologists, and social work-ers, should participate in the training.Offer volunteers the skills to becomegood mentors, including strategiesfor building self-esteem in children;instruction in being a good listener;familiarity with the policies and pro-cedures of the district, includingmandated reporting of abuses; strate-gies for each session to assist them intheir role; and insight into the typi-cal profile of the youth with whom

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they will be working. Invite thesuperintendent of schools to addressand thank the new mentors. At theend of the session, give new mentorsa table tent to put on their desks thatsays: “I am proud to be a mentor.” Itis also a great recruitment tool fornew prospects.

Tip 8Obtain parental permission for allchildren who enter the program. Ifthe family speaks a language otherthan English, make sure the permis-sion form is in their primary language.

Tip 9Ensure that the committee that rec-ommends youth for the program andmatches mentors to youth comprisesthe school principal, teachers, andsupport staff. It is very important toselect a diverse group of youngstersas the program begins. Typically, theyouth who are selected have poorself-esteem, are hostile and angry, donot take risks or get along well withtheir peers, are socially and emotion-ally detached at school, and lack asafety net and support system in theirlives. Selected youth should includethose from one- and two-parent fami-lies, those who are rich and poor,and those who are minorities andthose who are not. The types ofyouth chosen for the program senda critical message to the communityfrom the beginning of the program:Mentoring benefits all kids in aschool, not just a few. If we label justa certain group as appropriate forthe program, we will all lose.

Tip 10Designate one person at each schoolto be the liaison for the program.The individual is typically a guidancecounselor, social worker, nurse, psy-chologist, or teacher. Each businessor organization identifies one person

to be its company or agency liaisonto work with the school liaison toensure success of the program.

Tip 11Allow the mentors and youth todecide together which activities toinclude in the weekly group sessions.At the elementary level, these mayinclude reading, working on thecomputer, doing arts-and-crafts projects, writing stories or poems,playing basketball in the gymnasium,learning a foreign language, or justwalking outside or sitting under a treeand talking. At the middle school andhigh school levels, activities mightinclude doing a community serviceproject; taking a career-interest inven-tory; learning how to interview, writea résumé, and dress appropriatelyfor a job; or searching the want adsand exploring careers, postsecondaryeducation, and financial aid andcareer opportunities. Proceduresshould be in place for mentors toinform organizers and youth well inadvance when they must reschedulea session. Calling the school is oneway for mentors to communicate thiskind of change and reschedule.Another way is to fax the school andhave the message delivered to theyouth in his or her classroom. Inmy experience, the kids like the faxalmost as much as the mentor in person!

Tip 12Mentors cannot work in a vacuum.At regular intervals in the program,schedule brown-bag lunches formentors and program developersand other support staff. The mentorsshould come together to discuss howthey are doing and what additionalassistance they require from schoolstaff. Allow mentors to communicatewith teachers via notes and telephonecalls. Input from staff provides ongoing

support and feedback, which mentorsrequire to stay the long haul.

Tip 13At year’s end, host a recognitionevent to thank and encourage men-tors. You might consider awards invarious categories, such as the com-pany that has recruited the most newmentors, the company liaison who isthe most enthusiastic supporter ofthe initiative, the school principalwho is the greatest proponent of theprogram, and the teacher or schoolliaison who has dedicated himselfor herself to the program. You couldrecognize and thank a devotedschool secretary who assists withthe mentoring program, too!

Tip 14The family can play an importantrole in the partnership. Invite theyouth’s family to participate in eventsat school three or four evenings ayear. Mentors and youth could jointhe family members for potluck din-ners, square dances, or other activi-ties. The best way to ensure that thefamily will attend is to offer freetransportation, food, and childcarefor younger children.

Tip 15Organize school-based mentoringactivities during the school year only.Many mentors would like to stay incontact with their youth during thesummer months. Mentors shouldaddress and stamp a few envelopesto give to their youth. Ask eachmentee to write his or her mentor anote or draw a picture and drop it inthe mailbox. Mentors can do thesame. Swap photos before the end ofthe school year to remember eachother during the summer, and deter-mine how many weeks will pass untilyou see each other again.


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rug Education for Youthis just one example ofhow mentoring is prac-ticed within Weed and

Seed communities. Some sites bene-fit from the mentoring efforts ofnational nonprofit organizationsincluding the YMCA, the Boys &Girls Clubs of America, and BigBrothers Big Sisters of America(BBBSA). These programs have aproven record in delinquency pre-vention and have a positive, lastingeffect on youth across the country.For example, according to a Boys &Girls Club survey, 80 percent of Clubalumni said Club staff helped themlearn right from wrong.

According to an evaluation coordi-nated by BBBSA, researchers foundthat after 18 months of BBBSA men-toring, the Little Brothers and LittleSisters in the study were 46 percentless likely to begin using illegal drugs,27 percent less likely to begin usingalcohol, and 53 percent less likelyto skip school. The study concludedthat:

In the eyes of these children,what mattered was that they hada caring adult in their lives,someone to confide in, relaxwith, and look up to. As a result,they were doing better in schooland at home and avoiding vio-lence and substance abuse—this at a pivotal time in their liveswhen even small changes inbehavior, or choices made, canchange the course of theirfuture.

(To obtain a copy of these researchfindings, visit www.bbbsa.org/.)

At the Weed and Seed CreatingHealthy Communities conference inMiami, Florida, the breakout session“Elements of Effective Mentoring”

Mentoring Worksprovided information on the basicsof mentoring and mentoring initia-tives gaining national recognition,such as MAD DADS (Men AgainstDestruction—Defending AgainstDrugs and Social Disorder) and theOffice of Juvenile Justice and Delin-quency Prevention’s JUMP (JuvenileMentoring Program). In the sessionevaluation, attendees stated thatalthough they had learned about theimportance of mentoring as a meansto deter youth from delinquentbehavior, they needed more tools todevelop local programs. Without adoubt, coordinating an effectivementoring program is a challengethat often falls to the bottom of acommunity’s to-do list. However, inthe thousands of communities thathave remained dedicated to mentor-ing in their churches, schools, andneighborhoods, the rewards are cele-brated daily, and the positive changesmentoring has made in the lives oftheir youth are obvious.

Weed and Seed sites that are notactively involved in a mentoring pro-gram and are interested in startingone should contact their EOWSProgram Manager. Mentoring is aSpecial Emphasis initiative support-ed by EOWS, and sites can requestin their funding application an addi-tional $50,000 to coordinate a men-toring program in their targetarea. Sites can also request tech-nical assistance in building,implementing, or sustaininga successful mentoring pro-gram through their EOWSProgram Manager.

For more information onstarting a mentoring pro-gram, visit the EOWS Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/. The “What’s New”

section features links to mentoringresources available online.

Additional ResourcesYour Time—Their Future: Membership-Based Groups Provide Positive Activities.A guide from the Center for Sub-stance Abuse Prevention explaininghow groups, organizations, andclubs can get their members in-volved in mentoring and positiveactivities with young people to helpprevent youth substance abuse.(Free; 1–800–729–6686.)

Your Time—Their Future: Positive Activ-ities Promote a Productive Workforce.The Center for Substance AbusePrevention’s easy-to-follow guide foremployers and employees interestedin learning about youth-serving activ-ities such as mentoring, volunteer-ing, and adopt-a-school programs.(Free; 1–800–729–6686.)

Reproducible Fact Sheets for Youth andAdults. Tip sheets that help youthfind mentors and adults find men-toring opportunities. Organizationscan customize the sheets with theirlogo, description of their program,contact information, etc. (Free;202–729–4345.)

“There werealways experienced

people whom I couldreach out to, mentors who

were interested in how I devel-oped and if I succeeded, and

[who] aided me throughout mylife because it always kept me

from feeling alone.”—Lynn Swann, former Pittsburgh Steeler

and current spokesperson for BigBrothers Big Sisters of America,speaking about his experience

as a mentored youth

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Commitment: The Most ImportantPart of MentoringNorma RabagoSan Antonio Fighting Back of United WaySan Antonio, Texas

anuel Castillo may beonly 6 years old, but thefirst-grader at Las PalmasElementary School in

San Antonio, Texas, knows why men-tors are important.

“When I come here, he’s alwayshere,” Castillo said of his mentor,Ted Montelongo. For Castillo andthe other students mentored byMontelongo, nothing is more im-portant than just being there.“When you don’t show up, you dis-appoint them and you hurt them,”Montelongo said. “That’s why follow-ing through with your promises andcommitments is so important tobeing a mentor.”

For the past 3 years, the retired for-mer AmeriCorps member has men-tored children in the EdgewoodSchool District, one of the poorestdistricts in the city and State, locatedin the San Antonio Weed and Seedtarget area. In addition to his roleas a respected mentor, Montelongoserves as the Weed and Seed Coord-inator. He began mentoring as partof his AmeriCorps service but hasalways had an interest in working fora school.

“In the old days, parents didn’t putmuch value in education beyondhigh school. They just wanted youto work,” Montelongo said. So heworked as a consultant for 29 years,married, and raised three children.After retiring, he found that he wasfinancially secure enough to volun-teer. When he read about the effortsof San Antonio Fighting Back ofUnited Way (especially their Weed

and Seed efforts), Montelongodecided to join the agency’s Ameri-Corps program.

“I wanted to make a difference insomeone’s life,” he said. In the 3years that Montelongo has workedwith students at Truman MiddleSchool, Emma Frey ElementarySchool, and Las Palmas ElementarySchool, he feels he has indeed madea difference in his mentees’ lives.When he began mentoring at TrumanMiddle School, Montelongo wasassigned to 12 students in specialeducation classes. After he workedwith the students throughout theyear, five of them returned to regularclasses and began to ask for helpwhen they needed it.

At Las Palmas Elementary School,Montelongo and 23 other mentorswork with 25 students. Olivia Zapata,host program teacher, oversees theprogram that hopes to not only helpthe students with their schoolworkbut raise their self-esteem so they willhave a positive self-image. Zapataalso worked as a mentor when shewas in high school and understandsthe benefits of mentoring. “I valuemy mentors,” she said. “Along withhelping the students with their home-work, they really listen to them.[Mentors] allow our students to havea voice, and when you are 6 or 7years old, that means a lot.”

Montelongo understands the valueof listening to his mentees. He saidthat sometimes parents are so busyworking and providing a good homethat they can’t sit and really listen totheir children talk about their day.

“Parents today have so many demandsplaced on them that it’s hard forthem to just sit, relax, and have aconversation with their children,”he said. “It’s our ‘job’ to listen andassist in any way possible.”

Montelongo encourages all mentorsto get to know the youth, as well asthe communities they come from.He said that understanding the cul-ture of the children being mentoredis important. Yet the most importantrequirement of a mentor is, ofcourse, commitment. Montelongoadvises potential mentors to makesure they follow through with theirpromises.

“I guarantee that if you meet with akid at least two or three times, you’llbe hooked for life,” he said. “Yourbiggest reward will be the joy onthat kid’s face when you walk inthe door. There is no other feelinglike it.”

Ted Montelongo reviews spelling lessonswith Manuel Castillo during a mentoringsession.

D R U G E D U C A T I O N F O R Y O U T H

TM

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Steps to Establishing a DEFY Camp Program

1. Identify a military partner. Your military partner isnecessary to keep the military character of theDEFY program. The U.S. Navy created the DEFY cur-riculum in partnership with the U.S. Department ofJustice; your military partner plays a vital role in theimplementation of the curriculum, including physi-cal fitness and instruction of classroom units. Phase Iof the program (the summer leadership camp)should take place at a military facility.

2. Designate a DEFY Coordinator and AssistantCoordinator. The DEFY Coordinator should be onthe staff of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The AssistantCoordinator should be someone who works in anagency that has liability coverage (the policedepartment, city or Federal government, etc.). Themilitary point person will work closely with thesetwo coordinators.

3. Register the Coordinator, Assistant Coordinator,and the military point person for the Weed and

Seed DEFY 2001 Training to be held January 28–31,2001 (details to come). DEFY leaders must attendthe entire conference.

4. Execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).The MOU outlines the roles and responsibilities ofeach of the supporting parties. The U.S. Attorney’sOffice DEFY contact and the commander of thepartnering military unit must sign the MOU.

5. Discuss funding with the Administrative Officer andBudget Officer in your agency. The DEFY program isfunded through the U.S. Attorney’s Weed and SeedFund, which is available for the discretionary use ofthe U.S. Attorney. The DEFY Coordinator shouldmeet with the Budget Officer early in the planningprocess to determine district procedures.

Questions related to DEFY should be directed to LouiseLucas, EOWS DEFY Program Manager, by phone at202–616–1152 or by e-mail at [email protected].

IntroductionDEFY is a prevention program and a catalyst for increasing community participation in and commitment to youth deve-lopment. DEFY volunteers work with youth aged 9 to 12 through a 1-year multiphased program to help them developthe character and confidence to engage in positive, drug-free lifestyles. DEFY Phase I is a summer camp program thathelps youth develop valuable life skills such as leadership, team building, conflict resolution, and goal setting while build-ing self-confidence.

This section includes testimonials from sites new to DEFY (Brownsville, Louisville, and Texarkana) and from sites well prac-ticed in DEFY programming (East Dallas, New Orleans, and Wilmington). All DEFY camps are unique, but each DEFY stafferand volunteer has one belief in common—that mentoring is one of the best ways to help kids stay drug-free. In this sec-tion, DEFY Coordinators offer their challenges, their rewards, and their advice to all readers and all sites interested in theDEFY program.

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rownsville, Texas, Weedand Seed held its firstsolo Phase I DEFY Campat the South Padre Island

U.S. Coast Guard Station, Sunday,June 4, through Friday, June 9. In1999, the site partnered with theneighboring Galveston, CorpusChristi, and Houston Weed and Seedsites to coordinate one camp. For itssolo effort, the site secured full sup-port from partners in the local U.S.Attorney’s Office, the U.S. CoastGuard, the Cameron County JuvenileProbation Department, and theBorder Patrol Explorer’s Program.Overall, Brownsville Weed and Seedwas very pleased with its Phase I andoffers this candid insight into a first-year DEFY experience.

Not Too Big. . .Brownsville Weed and Seed kept itsfirst-ever DEFY camp small, hosting10 youth from the target area whohad been referred by the CameronCounty Juvenile Probation Depart-ment. These children were not nec-essarily delinquent, they just neededpositive role models and encourage-ment to build self-esteem. Weed andSeed staff hoped the DEFY programwould help deter the youth fromsinking deep into the juvenile justicesystem. DEFY volunteers came fromthe local target area—teachers, attor-neys, juvenile probation officers, andcollege students. Eight high schoolstudents from the Border Patrol Ex-plorers Program volunteered as jun-ior mentors and provided emotional

and moral support for the youngerstudents, which was particularly help-ful when some got homesick midweek.

Location, Location,Location!Camp began on Sunday evening,when two vans transported the youthfrom the Weed and Seed site inBrownsville to the South PadreIsland U.S. Coast Guard Station,about 30 minutes away. On that firstevening, the campers were givendirection and orientation by U.S.Coast Guard officers. Tents wereset up and assigned, and lights wereout at 10 p.m.

The campsite was ideal because itprovided plenty of outdoor spaceplus an indoor facility large enoughto accommodate everyone. Thecampsite and the Coast Guard sta-tion were close enough to each otherfor the children to walk back andforth, reducing transportation costs.The week was warm and muggy.When the first afternoon of campwas interrupted by heavy showers,the campers and volunteers brokedown the camp and relocated to theExplorer Post’s recreation room,conveniently located nearby.

Camp Unsweetened . . .Please!The Coast Guard officers took chargeof nutritional details for the first 3days. Soda, chips, and candy werebanned from camp, and children

were giventhe choice of water or

milk with each meal.Banning the sugar-filled treats fromthe camp cut down on hyperactivityand complaints of stomach pains.

Lights, Camera, Action!Thanks to the media-outreach workof Norma Lacy (U.S. Attorney’sOffice for the Southern District ofTexas) and staff from the BrownsvilleWeed and Seed site, media represen-tatives were at the camp every day.Local media were given a pressrelease providing dates, directions,and contact information for theDEFY camp. Reporters and pho-tographers came from two local newspapers, local talk radio, the Associated Press, local television,and even the U.S. Hispanic television station Univision. Camp participantswere interviewed, photographed,and filmed as they went throughthe DEFY curriculum and physicalactivities, toured a Coast Guard helicopter, learned seaman skills,and participated in flag raising.

Camp participants collected quicklyand without much prompting ongraduation day, knowing the day wasto include a trip to South PadreIsland’s Jeramiah Water Slide. Vanswere secured to transport the DEFYyouth, Border Patrol Explorers, andvolunteers from the camp to thewater park and—after graduation

continued on page 11

First Try a Success for Brownsville Weed and SeedRose GomezWeed and Seed Site CoordinatorBrownsville, Texas

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Texarkana Hosts Its First DEFY Phase IKenya Buffington-GoldenWeed and Seed CoordinatorTexarkana, Arkansas

exarkana Weed andSeed held its first DEFYPhase I Summer Leader-ship Camp at the South-

west Center (a Texarkana, Texas,Parks and Recreation Facility) fromJuly 31 to August 4, 2000. The campwas a joint effort by the Texarkana,Arkansas, and Texarkana, Texas,Weed and Seed sites with the supportof the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for theWestern District of Arkansas andEastern District of Texas and theU.S. Marine Corps. Forty children(20 from each State) between theages of 9 and 12 attended the week-long camp.

The selection process for youth participants went very smoothly. Abrief DEFY presentation was givenat the Safe Haven Summer Campsin Arkansas and Texas, after whichthe Safe Haven staff recommendedand referred youth to DEFY coordi-nators. Miller County Youth Servicesin Arkansas also recommended andreferred youth to the camp. Youthwere selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Most of the youth whoparticipated came from the Weedand Seed target areas.

On the first day of camp, youth werepicked up from the Safe Havens inboth sites by assigned Weed andSeed Officers from the Texarkana,Arkansas, Police Department andtransported to the Southwest Centerfor breakfast, followed by an orienta-tion, during which camp rules werereviewed. (Arkansas used rental vansfor youth pickup; Texas collaboratedwith the Texas Independent SchoolDistrict for use of a school bus and

driver to pick up youth.) Officersfrom both sites taught the campersvarious classes, including

■ Find Someone Who: an exerciseto help youth meet other youthand begin forming healthy friendships.

■ Build Up and Put Down: an exer-cise to help youth identify howthe behaviors of others affectthem and how theirs affect others.

■ My Own Coat of Arms: an exer-cise to encourage youth to iden-tify qualities and characteristicsabout themselves of which theyare proud.

■ Solving Conflicts: an exercise tohelp youth recognize effective,nonviolent methods to respond toconflict situations.

■ My Board of Advisors: an exerciseto encourage youth to identifytraits they admire in others and touse positive role models whenthey need support.

■ Bag of Tricks: various activitiesthat youth enjoyed during “funtime.”

These curriculum units were intro-duced to site representatives whoattended the DEFY Train-the-TrainerConference in Reno, Nevada, inspring 2000. Further instruction wasprovided by the Drug DemandReduction Task Force. The youthenjoyed all aspects of the DEFY cur-riculum, especially the LandingZone, a team-building exercise; theropes course, another team-buildingexercise; and physical training.

Camp leaders and mentors noticedone thing across the board—theyouth enjoyed simply being outsideand burning up energy!

On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday,the DEFY campers started the daywith physical training led by volun-teers from the U.S. Marine Corps.Wednesday’s activities includedReady Set Go (to identify strengthsand bad habits and to help the youthset goals) and Resistance Skills andDrug Resistance Skills (to introduceyouth to negative behaviors and con-cepts related to drug, tobacco, andalcohol use). DEFY coordinators feltthat it was imperative to the Weedand Seed effort to invite SteeringCommittee members to the DEFYcamp to meet the youth involvedwith the program. On Wednesday,members of the T-BON (TakingBack Our Neighborhood) Weedand Seed Steering Committee (forTexarkana, Arkansas) joined theyouth for a spaghetti lunch servedby members of the Lonoke BaptistChurch, a community church locat-ed in the T-BON area. The daywrapped up with a field trip toCollege Bowl (a bowling alley),where the youth bowled two gamesand had a snack.

Thursday morning began at theLiving Hope Rehabilitation CenterRopes Course. DEFY participantswere divided into four groups to par-ticipate in physical activities designedto enhance personal and team confi-dence and performance and to buildtrust and open communication with-in groups. In the afternoon, the


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camp was visited by speaker VincentGamble, a recovering drug addict.He spoke about how drug addictioncame into and almost took over hislife, and how he overcame it. Gamble’stestimony not only brought the reali-ty of drug use to light for the youthbut also emphasized the importanceof having a positive attitude andbelieving in oneself.

Units on drug resistance consistedof the Low Down on Marijuana andInhalants, a look into the basic factsabout the dangers of marijuanaand inhalant use; Maggie’s Story, arehearsal in saying no when pres-sured to use drugs; and Natural High,a presentation of positive images ofliving drug-free.

After breakfast on Friday, the Marinesconducted the morning’s physicaltraining, followed by the educationalunits Say No, providing youth withstrategies to use when they findthemselves in situations where theyare being pressured to do something

they do not want to do, and BetterThings To Do, encouraging youthto identify activities they enjoy andthose they would like to try in thefuture.

Later that day, youth enjoyed a les-son on snakes and fossils taught byBill King from Texarkana WaterUtilities, who brought live snakesand fossils for the children to touch.That afternoon, the youth went ona field trip to the Northeast TexasRestitution Center, a facility thathouses men 18 years and older whohave been in trouble with the law.The DEFY Phase I graduation cere-mony was held after the field trip.Certificates and backpacks contain-ing school supplies and hygieneitems were presented to DEFY par-ticipants. After the ceremony, gradu-ates and their families were serveda barbecue dinner by volunteersfrom the Mt. Grove Baptist Church,a community church in the T-BONarea, and a cake featuring theDEFY logo.

After completion of DEFY Phase I,the Coordinator, volunteer staff, andothers held a DEFY evaluation ses-sion to discuss the positive and nega-tive aspects of the camp. More than50 items were reviewed and listedfor consideration in planning DEFY2001. The first year proved to be agreat learning experience for bothWeed and Seed sites.

The Texarkana DEFY 2000 campdemonstrated that if a site is commit-ted and determined, it can coordi-nate a positive mentoring programfor youth by being flexible and form-ing partnerships with communitystakeholders. The Texarkana DEFYprogram would not have been sosuccessful without the generous con-tributions of volunteers, partneringagencies, and the business communi-ty. With the strength of these part-nerships behind the program, PhaseII will be as exciting as Phase I.

First Try a Success for Brownsville Weed and Seedcontinued from page 9

and lunch—back to the BrownsvilleWeed and Seed site.

The Brownsville DEFY Phase I expe-rience required much preparationand an unbelievable amount of support. By participating in DEFY,Brownsville Weed and Seed has builta friendship and working relationship

with stakeholders for the benefit ofcommunity youth. It doesn’t getany better than that! For more information on Brownsville’s first-year efforts, please call956–504–9793 or send an e-mail to [email protected].

What do Bill Cosby, Brad Pitt,

Michael Jordan, President

Clinton, Jackie Joyner-Kersee,

Martin Sheen, and Denzel

Washington have in common?

They are all alumni of the Boys

& Girls Clubs of America, which

had its beginnings in 1860.

Several women in Hartford,

Connecticut, believing that boys

who roamed the streets should

have a positive alternative,

organized the first Club. A cause

was born. Visit www.bgca.org/.

Attention Coalitions: NEED FUNDING?Start planning for the FY 2001 Drug-Free Communities SupportProgram funding opportunity, sponsored by the Office of JuvenileJustice and Delinquency Prevention and the Office of National DrugControl Policy. To learn more and order the application package, visitojjdp.ncjrs.org/dfcs/index.html.


12 12

Louisiana National Guard DEFY Program 2000Capt. John-Michael WellsLouisiana National Guard Counterdrug Task ForceNew Orleans, Louisiana

he Louisiana NationalGuard conducted itsthird residential DEFYsummer camp at Jackson

Barracks in New Orleans, Louisiana,August 7–11, 2000. The LouisianaNational Guard’s DEFY program is ajoint effort among the U.S. Attorney’sOffice for the Eastern District ofLouisiana, the Louisiana NationalGuard Counterdrug Task Force, andthe Washington Artillery, the oldestand most decorated unit in theLouisiana National Guard.

On Monday morning, 32 boys andgirls said goodbye to their parentsand boarded a military bus headedfor DEFY camp—5 days of intensivetraining, discipline, adventure, anda lot of learning. Twenty minuteslater, the bus entered historic Jack-son Barracks on the banks of theMississippi River—just 2 miles fromthe site of the Battle of New Orleans.When the youth got off the bus, they

were grouped into three squads.Each squad then continued onwardto meet the soldiers who wouldguide them for the next 5 days.

In addition to the DEFY curriculum,the Louisiana National Guard campparticipants learned many life skillsthrough extensive experiential edu-cation. At the Pelican State Starbaseclassroom, a National Guard pilottaught the children the basics offlight, compass navigation, and flightinstruction. The pilot then led themthrough a flight simulator, where thechildren were able to “take off andfly” a single-engine aircraft over theNew Orleans skyline and back to asafe landing. Then, with the aid ofFatal Vision goggles (designed togive the feeling of alcohol-relatedimpairment), children went throughan exercise that showed the difficultyof controlling motor skills and senses.Each squad then had to design asafety restraint system for a raw

egg “passenger” riding a “spaceshuttle” on acrash course intoa wall; there wereminor injuriesand one fatality,but most eggssurvived theordeal.

On Thursday,the children andtheir mentors

A DEFY participant takes time to list herpersonal goals for the program.

DEFY youth test their endurance and teamwork skills on the NationalGuard Ropes Challenge Course.

boarded the bus for a full-day trip tothe Gillis Long Center in Carville,Louisiana, where the children hadto overcome the obstacles of theNational Guard Ropes ChallengeCourse. Although guided by trainedfacilitators, youth had to rely ontheir own communication, team-work, planning, and leadershipskills to complete the obstacles.After lunch, youth overcame indi-vidual fears and limitations by rap-pelling from a 30-foot tower underthe watchful eye of a rappel masterand their squad leaders.

By graduation on Friday, both theyouth and the camp staff experi-enced bittersweet moments of sayinggoodbye to new friends while look-ing forward to the adventures tocome in Phase II.


13

First Timers Bring DEFY to LouisvilleNeighborhoodsJohn HallWeed and Seed Program CoordinatorLouisville, Kentucky

outh from the Smoke-town and Shelby Parkneighborhoods in Louis-ville, Kentucky, partici-

pated in a week-long Phase I DEFYcamp July 10–14 at Otter CreekPark’s Camp Tall Trees. The campis located near Fort Knox, about40 miles south of Louisville. TheSmoketown/Shelby Park DEFY pro-gram is a partnership among Weedand Seed, the city of Louisville’sDepartment of Neighborhoods, theKentucky National Guard, and theU.S. Attorney’s Office for theWestern District of Kentucky.

Volunteers from the National Guardfacilitated team-building exercises,conflict resolution training, anddrug education and gang awarenessclasses for youth participants. Youthwere divided into teams and spentthe week learning to work together,

Smoketown/Shelby Park DEFY grewout of a joint effort by the LawEnforcement Community Coord-inator from the U.S. Attorney’sOffice for the Western District ofKentucky and a Recreation Specialistfrom the Weed and Seed neighbor-hoods. Together, they attended theDEFY Train-the-Trainer Conferencein Reno, Nevada, in early spring2000. They secured the tools theyneeded to get the local site involvedin DEFY. Much hard work and com-mitment was needed to pull the pro-gram together, but the dedication ofthe many partners made DEFY a suc-cess for the 40 Louisville youth whoparticipated.

study together, and play together.Youth also had the opportunity totest their physical endurance withactivities such as rock climbing, canoe-ing, nature hikes, and swimming.

When asked by a local reporter whathe learned during the DEFY camp,12-year-old camp participant AntonioWilliamson said, “We learned thatyou shouldn’t join gangs becauseonce you’re in, you’re in for life.”

Phase II of the DEFY program,which began in the fall, consists ofone-on-one mentoring, with activitiesthat focus on topics of concern iden-tified by participants at the summercamp. Programs take place at theHouse of Ruth, a local facility thathelps individuals and families livingwith HIV and AIDS. The facility,located in Shelby Park, includes agymnasium, classrooms, and a com-munity room.

A 1996 studyby Pennsylvania

State University showedthe DEFY program pro-

duced measurable positiveoutcomes in drug and alco-hol knowledge and resist-

ance skills, socialbehavior, and gang

attitudes.

On behalf of EOWS, I wish to thank the following U.S. Attorney’s Office represen-tatives who made up the Weed and Seed DEFY Program Management Guidereview team. Your endless contributions and dedication to DEFY are applauded bythe entire Weed and Seed community.

—Nancy Ware, Director of Training and Technical Assistance, EOWS

Will Daniels Carol NeylanMiddle District of Florida District of Delaware

Grace Denton Alvin OverbaughCentral District of California Southern District of Iowa

Dan Drake Fred RochaDistrict of Arizona Northern District of California

Mary Jane LattieEastern District of Louisiana


14

DEFY 2000 Camp Rapture!Carol NeylanLaw Enforcement Community CoordinatorU.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware

hase I of the Wilming-ton, Delaware, Weed andSeed DEFY program—DEFY 2000 Camp

Rapture—was held at the DelawareNational Guard’s Bethany Beachtraining site. From Monday, August7, through Friday, August 11, thetraining facility served as the exclu-sive home for 40 spirited campersfrom the Weed and Seed target areain Wilmington and staff from theDelaware National Guard, U.S.Attorney’s Office for the Districtof Delaware, Wilmington PoliceDepartment, and Weed and Seedagencies. Campers stayed togetherfor 4 nights and 5 days to completeDEFY Phase I.

The week included instruction inconflict resolution, drug education,gang resistance training, personalhygiene, team-building skills, and

The Delaware National Guard brought aRecruiting Humm-Vee and helicopter toDEFY camp on August 8, 2000.

low-level ropes course instruction.Campers took field trips to the DoverAir Force Base and U.S. Coast Guardfacility and spent afternoons swim-ming in the Atlantic Ocean at DeweyBeach State Park. Monday evening,the campers and counselors partici-pated in their first Camp DEFY scav-enger hunt, which allowed the teamsto become familiar with the base,build team sportsmanship and teamspirit, and design team flags.

The highlight of the week was thegraduation ceremony on Friday,August 11, attended by parents, fami-ly, and friends of the campers. Eachcamper received a certificate of com-pletion, and everyone gathered forlunch before going home.

When planning a DEFY program, itis crucial that coordinators remem-ber mistakes from past years andbuild on what has worked. DEFY

Staff Sgt. Sandra Johnson assists Tyler Scott through the low-level ropes course.

2000 was Wilmington Weed andSeed’s fourth annual DEFY camp,and each year DEFY staff have beenable to draw on past experiences toenrich the camp. For example, thescavenger hunt held on the firstnight of camp was introduced as anactivity to “break the ice” and pro-mote team-building—and it was adelightful success.

The success and energy of Phase Ihas both mentors and youth excitedabout Phase II. So far, coordinatorshave planned a Halloween hayride,a holiday party, and trips to Phila-delphia, Pennsylvania, and to thetheater and museums located inDelaware. For more information onWilmington’s Camp Rapture, pleasesend an e-mail to Carol Neylan [email protected].


15151515

East Dallas Weed and Seed’s DEFYLeadership Camp 2000Polly WeidenkopfWeed and Seed Site CoordinatorEast Dallas, Texas

uring East Dallas, Texas,Weed and Seed’s DEFYLeadership Camp 2000in June, 42 children got

a taste of military life when they and42 counselors from the U.S. AirForce, Marines, Army, and Navy atein the chow hall and slept in tents atthe marina of Fort Worth’s Naval AirStation, Joint Reserve Base.

Campers observed morning colors,marched in formation, and visitedthe 201st Fighter Squadron—thecampers’ favorite activity. After tryingon helmets in the flight equipmentroom, the children marveled at theinside of the cockpit of an FA18. Inthe control tower, campers learnedabout the “behind the scenes” actionof flying.

Later, a member of the Fort WorthPolice Department Mounted Patrolstopped by, and the children strokedthe horse’s nose while the officerexplained how he takes care of theanimal and how she aids him in hispolice duties.

DEFY participants were selectedfrom each of the three Dallas Weedand Seed sites, as well as the FortWorth site. The collaboration gaveyouth the opportunity to meet andinteract with youth from neighbor-ing communities while learning skillsfor achieving their life goals. Formany of the mentors and other vol-unteer staff, the most enjoyableaspect of the camp was seeing howthe kids changed in just 1 week as

East Dallas Weed and Seed DEFY campers line up after morning colors.

they gained discipline and the abilityto work as a team.

On the last night of DEFY camp,youth and counselors demonstratedwhat they had learned in a talentshow featuring skits about how tosay no to drugs and what to do if afriend heads down the wrong path.Other acts included joke telling,country singing, and breakdancing.

On graduation day, proud parentscraned their necks to spot their chil-dren as campers marched in carry-ing their team flags. Each DEFYmember was called by name and presented a certificate by Capt. C.O.MacDonald, USN, Base Commander,Joint Reserve Base, and Paul Coggins,U.S. Attorney for the NorthernDistrict of Texas. Afterward, every-one enjoyed a Texas barbecue andsaid goodbye to their favorite coun-selors and new friends.

DEFY coordinators hosted a reunionpicnic for all DEFY campers, their

families, and mentors on September29 to serve as a kickoff for DEFYPhase II. The Weed and Seed sitesand volunteers are looking forwardto partnering together for a very successful school year. For moreinformation on the East DallasDEFY program, please send an e-mail to Polly Weidenkopf at [email protected].

Johnny Howard wears a pilot helmet dur-ing the camp visit to the 201st FighterSquadron.

16


Keys to Success: Making a DifferenceThrough Effective Mentoring StrategiesWilliam C. DanielsLaw Enforcement Community CoordinatorU.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida

To stand up for what is right in the faceof opposition, to reach out to others intheir hour of need, to work passionatelyat making a difference is to be the kindof person who can change the world.

—Frederick Douglass

ome things are constantwhen we examine pru-dent strategies for ourpromising youth: no suc-

cessful human development process

can exist without positive interac-tions and quality relationshipsbetween the past and the future,between adults and youth. Here, wecan make a difference!

Phase I DEFY provides the backdropnecessary to instill in our youthstructure, order, and discipline. Yet,these factors are only the basis forthe greater opportunities to come.Phase II tests the will, character, and


D R U G E D U C A T I O N F O R Y O U T H

TM

IntroductionParticipants who successfully complete, or “graduate” from, DEFY Phase I in the summer go on to participate in Phase II,which begins with the school year. Phase II introduces a more intense level of mentoring by involving youth in regularlyscheduled activities with mentors and staff. Activities include tutoring, positive reinforcement through group mentoring,interactive workshops, and field trips. Phase I submerges participants in daylong activities in a positive camp environment.Phase II introduces scheduled mentoring activities over several months.

Phase II is the more difficult phase for DEFY Coordinators. It requires planning for the entire school year, including holidaysand weekends. No national curriculum is provided for Coordinators to adhere to, as in Phase I, and maintaining a commit-ted staff base as energetic and available as in Phase I is a challenge. The support structure can often be jeopardized, if notsubstantially depleted, as volunteers and staff attend to other commitments.

Peer mentoring is essential in Phase II programming. The DEFY Train-the-Trainer Conference, to be offered January 28–31,2001, will address this need in more detail. For this section, In-Sites invited a few DEFY masterminds to offer theirapproaches to Phase II and the DEFY program as a whole.

commitment of everyone involved inthis youth movement. In Phase II,we have the opportunity to bestowour greatest gift—mentoring. Thisphase, deemed by many to be cru-cial, provides the keys for lasting success.

With seven DEFY sites in the six coun-ties of central Florida, mentoringstrategies often vary but result in

171717


Mentors Are Where You Find ThemDan DrakeExecutive Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona

The high school marching band andthe DEFY kids bonded the very firstsummer, and thejoint camphas beenrepeatedeach summersince 1996.The membersof both campsmay changeeach year, butthe dedicationthey have toeach other andthe mutual sup-port they sharehas remained consistent through theyears. Although both groups havetheir own schedules at Camp ShadowPines during the day, they usuallycome together for evening activities—band members often serenade theDEFY campers, surrounding theyouth with their music and dance.Band members also take part in theevening DEFY flag ceremonies, com-plete with a traditional flag folding.The band members bring to theDEFY camp an enthusiasm and teamspirit that may be a new experiencefor DEFY participants, who are fasci-nated with the showcased musicalarts. One DEFY 2000 camper, Jessica,wrote a thank-you letter to the Dob-son High School Marching Band.

What makes the Phoenix DEFYcamp such a different experience forthe youth is the palpable feeling thatsomeone else wants them to do welland succeed. They feel important toeach other, because the success of

their skits and games depends oneveryone in the group. Of course,their families love them, but at DEFYcamp there are strangers in NationalGuard uniforms who really seem tocare about these kids and how theydo. DEFY youth feel that they matterto the high school marching bandmembers, too.

Phoenix Weed and Seed could nothave designed a better way to giveDEFY campers exposure to positiverole models. Intended or not, thehigh school marching band mem-bers are superb mentors for theDEFY kids. As the note fromChristina B. shows, the band mem-bers even offer counseling servicesif the campers feel homesick. Whocould ask for more?

hoenix DEFY Coordina-tors didn’t expect topartner their camp withany other local youth

group when they started the PhoenixDEFY program 4 years ago. Theyplanned to follow the traditionalprocedure for DEFY: serve selectedchildren in the Weed and Seed targetarea. When DEFY staff researchedcampsites, Camp Shadow Pines inHeber, Arizona, proved to be theperfect location; however, it was toolarge for the group to fill to capacity.Coincidentally, another small groupwas interested in the camp facility—the Dobson High School MarchingBand from Mesa, Arizona, whichneeded practice space but had toofew members to fill the camp space.After some consideration, bothgroups decided to jointly camp atCamp Shadow Pines in summer 1996.

At first it was odd having a bandmarching and its energetic musicechoing through the Ponderosapines as counselors and DEFY lead-ers talked to Weed and Seed kidsabout resisting drugs and gangs.However, counselors quickly realizedthat the DEFY youth were gainingmore from the experience than hadbeen anticipated.

Just as the band members hadinstructors teaching them marchingformations, the DEFY youth hadNational Guardsmen helping themwith their formations. The exposureto older disciplined youth whodidn’t drink or smoke and who hadpositive attitudes provided a level ofmentoring never expected by DEFYCoordinators.

DEFY 2000 camper Jessica wrote this thank-you note to the Dobson High SchoolMarching Band.

DEFY 2000 camper Christina

B. wrote this thank-you

note to the Dobson High

School Marching Band.


18 18

The Main Ingredient for Phase IISuccess Is PartnershipMarcia RobertsTucson Weed and Seed CoordinatorTucson, Arizona

or Tucson and SouthTucson, DEFY Phase I ismerely the beginning ofa year of fun, education,

and partnership. Phase II is whenthe real excitement comes into play.

Tucson and South Tucson are sepa-rate Weed and Seed sites locatedwithin a few miles of each other.They have different needs, differentissues, and different ways of doingbusiness. Nonetheless, for the DEFYprogram, they work together.

The 2000 program represents thesecond year the two cities have unit-ed to coordinate one DEFY program.Both sites already know this year’sprogram is going to bring positiveresults for youth and adults alike.

The main ingredient for Phase IIsuccess is partnership. Key partnersin the Tucson/South Tucson DEFYprogram are the Arizona NationalGuard, the city of Tucson PoliceDepartment, the city of South TucsonFire Department, Tucson Parks andRecreation, Project Yes (a local organ-ization that offers tutoring and men-toring to students, a sports league, ayouth council, and parent-to-parentworkshops), and the youth partici-pants from Phase I. Resourcesinclude funding from Weed andSeed, the Kmart Kids Race AgainstDrugs, and local donations.

Last year’s DEFY graduates enteredinto a new role as junior facilita-tors—support staff—for this year’sPhase I camp. These youth now helpset up Phase II events, assist duringactivities, and act as mentors to new

DEFY youth. Not surprisingly, thejunior facilitators love taking on suchresponsibilities after learning leader-ship and other skills during Phase IIof their own DEFY year. Last year’sgraduates are looked up to by newDEFY participants as the mentorsand natural leaders they themselvesmay become.

Planning for Tucson/South TucsonPhase II began at the Camp Reunionand Parent/Youth Orientation onSaturday, September 23, 2000. Aftera meal, a volleyball game, and view-ing videos and photos from thecamp program (Phase I), everyonebegan creating an action plan to becarried out during the school year(Phase II). Led by the ArizonaNational Guard Drug DemandReduction Unit, the youth and theirparents learned about Phase II con-cepts. Each camper was encouragedto think of two activities he or shewould like to do during Phase II.Campers wrote their ideas on a“planning wall.” Ideas ranged fromfun to serious. On the silly side, par-ticipants requested both more push-ups and less push-ups, and on themore serious side were a dozenrequests to perform some form ofcommunity service. In between weresuggestions for educational trips andrecreational activities. At the end ofthe exercise, several parents askedto participate in the monthly DEFYevents. Permission granted!

With only a year for the program anddozens of suggestions, the number ofactivities that can be carried out islimited. Some popular suggestions

A youth writes ideas on the ”planning wall.”

for activities are related to seasonsor holidays. A few involve out-of-town travel, making budget a bigconsideration.

The DEFY Phase II program will con-tinue to evolve throughout the year.Ice skating, community service activi-ties, a sleep-over at the Armory, andmore activities are planned, thebest being a 3-day trip to the GrandCanyon. By the end of the program,Tucson and South Tucson’s DEFYcampers will have had a range of edu-cational and recreational experiences.

By providing DEFY youth the oppor-tunity to learn from past-year DEFYgraduates and allowing them to seethat their thoughts, actions, and sug-gestions have a place at DEFY andare respected, these youth learn tobe excellent leaders. Coordinatorswitness the transformation fromyoung DEFY students to focusedand more developed young leaders.

For more information on theTucson/South Tucson DEFY pro-gram, contact Marcia Roberts at520–791–5329.


191919

Atlanta, GeorgiaHon. Deborah S. Greene of theAtlanta Municipal Court was hon-ored June 23, 2000, by the JudicialSection of the Atlanta Bar Asso-ciation with the 10th Annual Hon.Romae Turner Powell JudicialService Award, presented annuallyto the judge who has made the mostsignificant contributions to the judici-ary by his or her work in the JudicialSection. Judge Greene serves in theDrug Court Division and has greatlyfacilitated the success of the drugtreatment/referral component ofCommunity Court in Atlanta. Theaward was presented at the Section’sannual Installation Luncheon at theRitz-Carlton Atlanta.

“Her exemplary caliber of judicialservice is reflected in her commit-ment to providing contemporary justice for persons who would be otherwise trapped in an unendingcycle of drug-related despair,” saidJudge William Riley, Jr., PresidingJudge, Atlanta Municipal Court,Community Court Division.

Freeport, IllinoisSouthern Bell Corporation (SBC)and the National Crime PreventionCouncil (NCPC) presented theannual SBC Awards of Excellenceat the NCPC National Conferencein Washington, D.C., held in Septem-ber 2000. One of the six honoreeswas Weed and Seed’s own TracyJohnson, recognized for his manycommunity works, including theFreeport Weed and Seed initiativeand partnerships formed with foun-dations, schools, and businesses tobetter the quality of life for the resi-dents of Freeport. As President ofthe Martin Luther King CommunityServices of Illinois, he also runs alarge community center.

Sagadahoc County,MaineOn May 16, 2000, Rev. Greg Vinsonwas nominated and selected as aSTAR AWARD recipient by Volun-teers of America. The award hon-ored volunteers who have shown“There Are No Limits to Caring.”Their contributions to their com-munities have made them betterplaces to live, work, and play.

Nominated by Bath Police ChiefPeter Lizanecz, Reverend Vinson waspresented the award during a cere-mony at the State Capital in Augusta,Maine, with a reception that fol-lowed at the Governor’s residence.In addition to his responsibilities asa pastor for the Elim Assembly ofGod congregation in Bath, Maine,Reverend Vinson, a committed vol-unteer, finds time to support manyother needs in his community.

As Vice Chair of the ExecutiveCouncil (steering committee) forSagadahoc County Weed and Seed,he is always an advocate in commu-nity efforts to reduce violent crimeand drug abuse and target neighbor-hoods in need of help. ReverendVinson also serves in unpaid volunteer

Rev. Gregory Vinson with son David-Michael, daughter Ruth-Anne, and wifeMary.

E O W S a n n o u n c e s t h e

Weed and Seed 2001 National Conference Theme Contest!

Weed and Seed will be celebrating its 2001 National Conference inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, and EOWS needs your help deciding on aconference theme! Collect suggestions from your neighborhood andWeed and Seed partners and submit them to EOWS (see page 2 forEOWS contact information). Suggestions should be appropriate forthe Weed and Seed audience, reflective of our mission and/or the conference host city, and concise. Winners will be compensated fortheir creative input; at this time, the award has not yet been deter-mined. For more information on the 2001 National Conference, visitwww.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows.

positions on boards of 12 other areacommittees. Truly committed tostrengthening his community by vol-unteering his expertise, time, andenergy, he sets a wonderful exampleby demonstrating that individualscan make a difference in their com-munities. In addition to other volun-teer work, Reverend Vinson is proudto serve as the Bath Police Depart-ment’s Chaplain.

20


20

At the invitation of Dan Drake, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for theDistrict of Arizona, I had the honor of keynoting Arizona’s first annualstatewide Weed and Seed Conference on July 16, 2000. Dan has asked meto summarize my experience during the first day of the conference.

The meeting served as a powerful reminder of the benefits of grassrootscollaboration. On a personal level, the conference also had a deep impact:

■ It brought home the wonderful memories of one of my very first jobs—as a staffer in the community mobilization section for Boston Commu-nity Development, one of the initial efforts in the war on poverty in themid-1960s.

■ It underscored my agency’s deep and abiding commitment to expand itswork in the Nation’s crime-besieged neighborhoods.

■ I realized once again that under policy, under program, under principlelies the single most important generative aspect of our work—the pas-sion and commitment of people like Helen Trujillo, President of theGarfield Organization.

The Arizona conference brought together the richest array of participantsimaginable—residents; representatives from local, State, and Federal gov-ernment; housing representatives; members of law enforcement; the elder-ly; health and economic development leaders; school staff; and members ofthe faith community. The meeting provided a forum to share informationabout programs under way and those on the drawing board and under-scored essential principles for community building: developing partner-ships, creating ownership and trust, establishing common goals, motivatingparticipants, listening, “walking the walk,” spurring neighborhood action,getting political, and being open to doing business a different way.

Weed and Seeders, I thank you for your beliefs and for your work. Youinspire me. You are an inspiration for our country.

Jack CalhounPresident, National Crime Prevention Council

CONFERENCECORNER

As more and more statewide

Weed and Seed conferences are

being coordinated, EOWS

encourages sites across the

country to take advantage of

the opportunities for network-

ing and peer mentoring that

local meetings offer.

The benefits of these local

meetings have been widely

recognized, even outside the

Weed and Seed family. In-

Sites offers this letter from the

National Crime Prevention

Council’s President and CEO,

Jack Calhoun, who delivered

the keynote address at the first

Arizona statewide Weed and

Seed conference.

Keys to Success: Making a Difference Through Effective Mentoring Strategiescontinued from page 16

consistent and measurable success.Building strong mentors meansrecruiting “volunteers who want tobe there,” said Dr. Stephen Boyer ofthe Lakeland Police Department.“We only want mentors who havethe desire to make a difference inthe lives of our youth. No one isordered, directed, or pressured intothis assignment.” When asked to

ensuring that quality activities areavailable for both youth and mentors.

■ Promotion—Schedule separatecamaraderie activities for thementors, independent of theyouth/mentor activities.

In the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office,Officer Ken Jefferson coordinates hisgroup of mentors with a high level

provide a few more keys to ensure aneffective mentoring phase, Dr. Boyercited the following:

■ Leadership—Have a strong commit-ment to the program fromday one.

■ Contacts—Involve individuals with-in your agency who can bring addi-tional resources to the program,


handle on what mentoring is allabout and encourage them to getinvolved in mentoring in both their

schools and their communities.

The National School Networkand Mentor Center™ Soft-ware. Mentor Center Softwareis free and enables teachers,

students, and mentors to work fromtheir own Internet-connected com-puters using their own browsers ande-mail programs. To see how it works,the Web site offers visitors the oppor-tunity to “try it out.” Users will receivea temporary, fully functional MentorCenter account, allowing them tosend work as students and reviewit as mentors. Visit the NationalSchool Network at nsn.bbn.com/to learn more.

The National Mentoring Center,funded by the Office of Justice Pro-gram’s Office of Juvenile Justice andDelinquency Prevention, maintains aWeb site complete with forms for usein developing a mentoring program.Sample Mentor Application, MentorReference Check, Volunteer Inter-view, Mentor Preference, MentorProfile, Mentee Profile, Parent Per-mission, Mentor Activity Log, andTeacher Referral forms have beendeveloped by the Center and arenot copyrighted. They may be useddirectly or as guides for developing

21212121


21

Keys to Success: Making a Difference Through Effective Mentoring Strategiescontinued from page 20

of expectation from all who areinvolved in the process. A formerpolice recruiter for the Sheriff’sOffice, Jefferson explained, “We arenot looking for résumé builders asmentors—those who show up just toput it down on paper and not doanything. We want people whobring something to the table.”

Quarterly meetings at the U.S.Attorney’s Office provide DEFYCoordinators and mentors/volun-teers from all seven sites the oppor-tunity to unveil best practices andrevamp ineffective policies—sharingthe keys to changing the world.

When interviewing potential mentorsand volunteers, he poses the ques-tion, “What can you offer DEFY?”Noted for his ability to attract peoplefrom the Jacksonville retired commu-nity, Jefferson assigns everyone who volunteers a task.

How are DEFY strategies sharedamong central Florida sites?

s with any modern-daytrend, the Internet ispushing the mentoringmovement to new

levels. In recent years, “telementor-ing programs” have surfaced as anincreasingly popular way to link thecommunity to the classroom, somuch so that Internet service pro-viders are openly soliciting membersto devote a few hours a week to theirtelementoring projects. In addition,thanks to the World Wide Web, wordis spreading quickly about mentor-ing programs that have recentlyproved themselves worthy of nation-al recognition and modeling.

For this issue of In-Sites, Web Sightresearched a few resources availableon the Internet to help readers get a

sight

your program’s own forms. The Website is also a valuable tool, providingarticles by mentoring experts on top-ics such as Gender Issues in Mentor-ing, Tapping a New Volunteer Pool,Top 10 Reasons Why Agencies ShouldBegin School-Based Mentoring Pro-grams, and dozens more. Visitwww.nwrel.org/mentoring/.

Both folks unfamiliar with the men-toring concept and mentor profes-sionals will find the Web site of theNational Mentoring Partnership aprecious resource. The site providesthe training, tools, and resourcesneeded for an adult to become aresponsible, committed, caring per-son in the life of a youth. An exhaus-tive list of tips and training exercisesfor mentors includes Teaching YourMentee to Prioritize, Helping YourMentee Manage Stress, and DealingWith Prejudice. Be sure to bookmarkwww.mentoring.org/.

Finally, Web Sight offers the Depart-ment of Justice’s Kids Page atwww.usdoj.gov/kidspage/getinvolved/,which links to some of the country’smost respected mentoring programsand provides information about getting involved in crime preven-tion, including how a volunteercan start mentoring immediately!Bookmark this site—it is updated frequently.


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EOWS NEWSWeed & Seed

The DEFY Train-the-TrainerConference is just around the cor-ner! The 3-day conference will takeplace in Phoenix, Arizona, January29–31, 2001. Attendees will have theopportunity to network with prac-ticed DEFY sites and learn about cur-riculum details and mentoring. Forthe past several months, EOWSDEFY Coordinator Louise Lucas anda team of U.S. Attorney’s Office rep-resentatives have worked to revampthe Weed and Seed DEFY Program Man-agement Guide. The new guide andcurriculum will be available at the2001 conference. Information will befeatured in In-Sites and on the EOWSWeb site as it becomes available.

At the Creating Healthy Commu-nities Conference held in Septemberin Miami, sites had the opportunityto meet EOWS Program Managers.EOWS recently reorganized geographic

Edison Aponte 202–307–3180 (CT, Eastern District of NY, MA, ME, RI)

Faith Baker 202–305–2586 (CA, NV, OR, U.S. Virgin Islands, WA)

Eric Chin 202–305–2723 (HI, IN, MI, MN)

Michael Connor 202–616–9384 (AK, IA, KS, NE, SD, WI)

Jonathan Faley 202–514–2350 (DE, NJ, Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of NY, PA)

Sharron Fletcher 202–305–2358 (AL, GA, KY, TN)

Robert Hendricks 202–305–1909 (LA, TX)

Erin Holbert 202–616–8158 (AZ, CO, MO, MS, UT)

Dionne Johnson 202–305–9003 (DC, FL)

Shannon Taitt 202–305–2356 (MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)

Geroma Void 202–305–7781 (AR, IL, MT, NM, OH, OK)

assignments for Program Managers. Alist of regional assignments is providedbelow for quick reference. For a com-plete listing of all EOWS staff, pleasevisit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/.

WelcomeEOWS welcomes a few new ProgramManagers to its roster. JonathanFaley joined EOWS in April 2000after serving as a Program Managerfor the Drug Courts Program Office(DCPO) at the Office of JusticePrograms. Jonathan has an M.S.in Administration of Justice fromShippensburg University and a B.A.in Administration of Justice fromPennsylvania State University. Healso studied drug policy at theUniversity of Leiden in the Nether-lands. Jonathan currently serves onFederal working groups addressing

mental health and crime issues andcorrections issues.

Before joining EOWS as a ProgramManager in August 2000, GeromaVoid served as a Grant ProgramManager for 4 years at the Stateand Local Assistance Division of theBureau of Justice Assistance. Geroma,a graduate from the University ofMaryland Eastern Shore and CoppinState College with a B.S. and anM.S. in Criminal Justice, is in a Ph.D.program in sociology at AmericanUniversity.

Finally, Dionne Johnson joinedEOWS in July 2000 but has beenworking for the U.S. Departmentof Justice since 1995. Before joiningEOWS, she managed grants forDCPO and was a Policy Analyst atthe Office for Community OrientedPolicing Services (COPS). She hasexperience with several Departmentof Justice grant programs, includingDrug Court Implementation, COPSUniversal Hiring, MORE (MakingOfficer Redeployment Easy), andCombating Domestic Violence grants.Before joining the Federal Govern-ment, Dionne worked as a BudgetAssistant in the Office of Research,Grants, and Contracts at AmericanUniversity. She received her master’sdegree in public administration andbachelor’s degree from AmericanUniversity in Washington, D.C.

✁


23

approval before Phase I funds can be used for Phase II (aseparate Request Form does not need to be signed by theU.S. Attorney’s Office).

The Phase I Final Report“Is there an official form we need to use to do thePhase I final report, or do we write a narrative andprovide numbers, etc.?”

Maura WhitePortland Police Department

Portland, Oregon

There is not an official Phase I Final Report form. DEFYcoordinators can prepare the report in any format, as longas it includes the following:

■ Identification of the Weed and Seed site(s) involved.

■ Date and location of camp (residential/nonresidential).

■ A summary of the accomplishments, program success,lessons learned, and recommendations for improvement.

■ A description of any incident or injury and how it wasaddressed.

■ A description of any media coverage, with copies of articles if possible.

■ A roster of staff, volunteers, and mentors.

Note: The purpose of the “lessons learned” segment is toidentify strengths and weaknesses in the program design,daily schedules, etc., to use as a basis for improvements forfuture DEFY programming.

EOWS receives hundreds of queries from the field eachmonth. Our Mailbox section providesa forum in which to answer questions and share com-ments. Via this shared line of communication, Weed andSeed sites can keep themselves informed and up-to-date—so we need you to participate! E-mail your questions andcomments to [email protected] or mail them toEOWS, 810 Seventh Street NW., Washington, DC 20531.

Revising the DEFY Budget“If our site comes in under budget for Phase I, are weallowed to transfer the unused funds into our DEFYPhase II budget?”

Pam LightseyWeed and Seed Coordinator

U.S.Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia

Yes, sites may use unexpended funds from Phase I to sup-port the activities of Phase II. However, a revised budgetmust be submitted to the EOWS DEFY Coordinator for

Senior Airman Rebecca Beal of Robins Air Force Base and SiteCoordinator Pam Lightsey help prepare a nutritious breakfast forMacon’s DEFY participants.

02-covers 2 & 3 1/4/01 2:09 PM Page 2

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Executive Office for Weed and Seed

Washington, DC 20531

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300

Return Service Requested

FIRST-CLASS MAILPOSTAGE & FEES PAID

DOJ/EOWSPERMIT NO. G–91

E-mail From the Field“The new Web site looks fantastic.Very user friendly and relevant.Thanks for including the advanceinformation on conferences. Thatwill be so helpful.”—Marcia Roberts,Tucson Weed and Seed, Tucson,Arizona

“I just visited the new, improvedEOWS Web site and find it muchmore friendly. I was delighted to dis-cover that under Weed and Seed in aNutshell you used our Web site as anexample. We are proud of the workwe are doing on all levels, and itwas nice to see recognition of oursite.”—Karen Henry, ExecutiveDirector, Westside Weed and Seed,Grand Rapids, Michigan

“You folks have made some greatimprovements to the Web site.Particularly useful to the sites is theinformation about funding sourcesand grant applications. I’m proudto refer people to this site for Weedand Seed information and generalcommunity development informa-tion as well. Great job!”—Dan Drake,Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney forthe District of Arizona, Phoenix,Arizona

EOWS has a new Web site!Visit the new Web site of the Executive Office for Weed andSeed, featuring an online conference calendar, funding oppor-tunities, links to Weed and Seed sites, photos from the field,an all-new DEFY page, and much more!

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/

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