Building Bonds, Breaking the Barriers
Against Reaching Success
End of Year Report
2010 – 2011
Development and Progress. Laying the
Foundation.
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. End of Year Report 1
Acknowledgements
This document was
prepared by Building
Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S.
under the direction of
Javonie Hodge, Jeremy
Martin, Bo Nebolisa, and
Sam Pride. We would like
to thank all of our inaugural
members for their
dedication and service to
the students we mentor and
to the organization. Thank
you to Chaplain Sandra
McKeown and the entire
CA Dillon Youth Development Center staff for working with us during our first year and
ensuring that we were successful. Also, thanks to our advisors, professors Geeta Kapur
and Joseph Jordan, for your guidance and support in making sure that we meet our goals
and develop into a leading organization. Special thanks to Joscelyne Brazile, April
Spruill, and the entire Sonja Haynes Stone Center staff and personnel for providing a
space and resources when needed. Thank you to Vice Chancellor Winston Crisp, Mr. C.
Hawkins, and Ms. Devetta Holman-Nash for devoting your time and resources. To Jamal
Carr, Donald Pinchback, and the NC Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention, we are encouraged by your continued commitment to ensure that Building
Bonds is able to carry out its mission.
To all of our community and campus supporters, we thank you all. Without your help and
encouragement, Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. would not be the organization that it
is today.
Contact Us
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S.
The Sonja Haynes Stone Center
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Campus Box 5250, 150 South Road
Chapel Hill, NC | 27599-5250
919.843.1894
[email protected]
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. End of Year Report 2
The Organization
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. has a short but
significant history. It was built on the solid
foundation of the four student founders and all of the
advisors, inaugural members, and supporters that
contributed to the organization in its early stages.
Our organization works side by side with students in the Youth Development Centers of
North Carolina, particularly the center in Butner, NC. Our interactions are designed to
build sustainable relationships (bonds) with the students in an effort to serve as positive
role models. Our volunteer services include bi-weekly educational and interactive
visitations and one-on-one enhancement sessions with students. Our organization is
committed to showing our kids the importance of education, giving back to the
community, all with the ultimate goal of reducing recidivism rates.
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. was founded in January 2010 at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. is supported by the
Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History and became an officially
recognized student organization in September of 2010. Through this recognition and
sponsorship we are able to impact the larger campus and state community.
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. End of Year Report 3
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
2
The Organization
3
Table of Contents
4
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S at a Glance
5
Message to the Supporters
7
Section One: Youth Development Center Report
8
Section Two: Campus Programming Report
12
Building on the Foundation
14
Student Reactions
15
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. End of Year Report 4
Building Bonds at a Glance
Youth Development Center Committee
It is the responsibility of the YDC Committee to develop, implement, and oversee the
activities in the Youth Development Center. Programs include opening large group
activities, documentary screenings, pre-screening and post-screening discussions, field
trips, and all other activities that take place with the students. In the future, the committee
seeks to expand its role as a model for subsequent chapters across the state of North
Carolina.
Finance Committee
It is the responsibility of the Finance Committee to oversee the writing of grants,
applying for funds through the student government allocation process, and to ensure that
the organization has the required funds to carry out its business. Looking forward, the
finance committee will work aggressively to seek and apply for grants to ensure a
sustainable future for the organization.
Campus Programming Committee
It is the responsibility of the Campus Programming Committee to oversee all events and
programs that occur on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
This includes the promotion of events, event planning and logistics, and overall event
implementation.
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. End of Year Report 5
Vision
To be recognized as the leading organization and information center for issues regarding
juvenile justice, policies that affect juveniles, and service to at-risk youth populations.
Mission
“Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S.” is an innovative program that allows college-aged
African-American males the opportunity to work with at-risk students in our community.
We strive to educate and prepare these young men for re-entry into society, the school
system, and the work force. Our program uses forums to spread awareness of the
problem, volunteering in juvenile correctional facilities as a solution, and fundraising to
provide resources to mobilize our ideas.
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. End of Year Report 6
Message to Supporters
Friends,
Thank you for your interest in Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. (Barriers Against
Reaching Success). We welcome your support and are excited about the future of our
organization.
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S., an officially recognized student organization at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was created to serve as resource for direct
outreach into the Youth Development Centers of North Carolina. We recognize that there
are a disproportionate number of African-American males in the juvenile justice system,
and we seek to: 1) provide the students in the YDC’s with positive role models, and 2)
prevent other young African-American males from making contact with the juvenile
justice system.
We believe that providing positive role models for the students in the Youth
Development Centers can change their lives for the better. We know that if each of the
incarcerated youths are exposed to positive alternatives, that if they see successful
African American men being productive members of society, that they will have a
tangible desire to strive for. This is what we will provide.
With your support, we are confident that we can continue to impact the lives of young
black men all across the state of North Carolina. Please feel free to ask any questions that
you might have. Together, we can build an effective program that assists the young
people in our communities.
Sincerely,
Javonie Hodge
Director of Finances
Bo Nebolisa
Director of Campus Programming
Jeremy Martin
Director of Youth Development Center Education
Sam Pride
Director of Community Outreach
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. End of Year Report 7
Youth Development Center Report: Education, Interaction, and
Programs
Group Demographics
Building Bonds worked with 15 male students ranging in age from 14 to 17. This cohort
included 13 African American students, 1 Asian American student, and 1 white student
who were all selected by the volunteer coordinator for the facility.
Visitations from Period One (January – April 2010)
Full visitations inside of the Youth
Development Center began in January 2011
with test visits occurring in November and
December 2010. The purpose of these initial
visits was to establish relationships with a
small group of students and design a program
around the thoughts, needs, and expectations
of the students. We believe that this assisted the organization in making sure that our
curriculum worked in tandem with the expectations of our kids.
Period One Objectives Include:
Building relationships
Establishing the organization within the facility
Promoting positive goals and goal orientation
Promoting cultural and historical awareness
The key to all of our visits is ensuring that we are promoting positive, strong, and
personal relationships with each student. With this idea in mind, we sought to begin each
visit with a large group activity that allowed each student to familiarize themselves with
each other and with members of Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. Following these
large group activities, students and volunteers organized in small groups to discuss their
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. End of Year Report 8
short and long term goals, and to help process their feelings and thoughts following one
of the documentary film screenings.
In order to establish Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. within the C.A. Dillon Youth
Development Center, members visited the facility outside of our general visitation days.
These visits were a part of a larger mission to build personal relationships with each
student, to assess the program and its implementation, to orient new students into the
program, or to organize activities with specific kids. Additionally, these supplementary
visits allowed organization members to converse with staff members and gain a presence
inside of the Youth Development Center.
It was important for us to begin
this first period by exposing our
group of students with black
history for cultural enrichment.
Before we can encourage our
students to be strong, educated,
and driven individuals, we must
first show them that they come
from a rich history of strong,
educated, and driven leaders who
fought for the opportunities that
await them. The “Bring Your A-Game” and “Eyes on the Prize” documentary screenings
were the primary resources used when communicating history and cultural awareness.
The former was instrumental in explaining the purpose behind our organization
(increased number of African American males in criminal justice system), as well as
providing a reality for future career aspirations. The latter was used as the main source
for information on the Civil Rights Movement. Each screening was followed by a
discussion to emphasize critical points and to allow each student the opportunity to share
their feelings and perspectives.
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. End of Year Report 9
Visitations from Period Two (Summer 2011)
Period Two Objectives Include:
College Preparation
Career Preparation
Cultural & Historical Awareness
Following the first period of visitations, many
YDC students began to express a desire to learn
more about college, the college admission
process, and information about majors and
careers of interest. Their questions were
compiled and presented in a series of visits and
activities geared toward college and career
preparation. Volunteers gathered research on
behalf of the student’s interests which included
majors, careers, and colleges. The college track
lists, which contain all requested information
specific to each student, was compiled and
placed into a packet that will be available for
each student to take with them upon their
release. We hope that these packets will serve as
a permanent reminder of the goals they set and
as an incentive to pursue them vigorously.
During the summer visitation period, Building
Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. will take our students
on our first field trip. This trip was organized around the cultural and historical awareness
theme and will feature a tour of the International Civil Rights Museum and a campus tour
of North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University, both in Greensboro, North
Carolina. We believe that this trip was particularly important because we understand that
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. End of Year Report 10
many of the students may not have the opportunity to tour a college campus while in their
home communities and we did not want any of our students to be robbed of this life
changing experience.
Impacting Policy and Perspectives
In June of 2011, Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. accepted an invitation to present our
program before the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention and other leaders and administrators in the department. Along
with our organization, two students that we serve were also in attendance to explain the
impact of our program on their lives and future goals. We used this opportunity to
highlight the impact that programs such as ours have on the lives of each student we
make contact with. Additionally, we advocated for more funds from the department for
enrichment programs, more participation and involvement of department leaders, and any
other resources that will steer each kid who is in the juvenile justice system across the
state in the right direction.
Looking Ahead
1. Future curriculums will continue to build upon the foundation of incorporating
programs and activities that promote cultural and historical awareness. This should
be emphasized to help promote positive self images in each of the youth under our
direction.
2. Seeking to incorporate the ideas and emerging needs of each student must be a
priority for future curriculums. Thus, such curriculums should demonstrate
flexibility to include new activities constructed and guided by the ideas of our
students.
3. We will advance our objectives by bringing in leaders from the community to
share with the students their experiences. These community leaders will be
businessmen, academics, and other professionals who can speak about the
importance of higher education and being goal-oriented.
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. End of Year Report 11
Campus Programming Report: Solidifying our Presence
In November 2010, Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S.
began our campus-wide recruitment of inaugural members.
This effort had been preceded by meeting with
administrators, student organizations, and departments across
campus to spread the word about the organization. We were
able to use these offices as outlets to reach interested
students. Thus we received more than 20 applications, and
began our first visitation period with 15 committed members.
In April 2011, Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. hosted its
second forum entitled: “Schools, Prisons, and Re-segregation” alongside the Mu Zeta
Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. With more than 100 hundred
students in attendance, this forum was a great way to promote Building Bonds and
establish partnerships with other organizations who seek to provide awareness about
issues affecting our target population.
In addition to fulfilling the mission of
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S., our
campus efforts include supporting other
organizations in their missions to
combat injustices within the Chapel Hill
community. In April 2011, members of
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S.
joined students, UNC staff, professors,
and community supporters in the fight
for workers rights at UNC Chapel Hill. We believe that wherever there is an injustice that
affects the community, we must do our part to support those who stand up and against
those injustices until they are rectified. Our campus efforts work in tandem with
promoting equality and equity for all.
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. End of Year Report 12
Looking Ahead
1. Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. will implement a massive recruitment strategy
that will enhance our presence on campus, particularly with first year students. By
recruiting first year students into our organization, we hope to be able to sustain
our organization in the long-term.
2. We will develop various events throughout the next year to enhance our campus
impact. Formerly, we planned one big event in the Spring semester that spoke to
issues surrounding juvenile justice. Looking ahead, we will plan for more events
throughout the year that will increase and sustain our presence on campus as the
leading student organization for juvenile justice issues.
3. Continue to fight injustice wherever we see it. By joining other organizations and
their progressive efforts, we can help work towards eradicating every injustice.
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. End of Year Report 13
Building on the Foundation
Dedication to Service
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. will continue to put the kids we serve first. Every
program, every drive, every activity will be developed with the primary focus of ensuring
that our students become productive and engaged members of society.
Expanding the Organization
The future for Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. is bright and focused on positive
growth and a strong commitment to continue to answer the calling of the organization:
prevent young people of color from entering and re-entering the juvenile justice system at
all levels.
In the 2011 – 2012 academic year, we will continue to spread the mission and vision of
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. We will implement an approach that seeks to expand
to neighboring colleges and universities with the purpose of starting chapters across the
state of North Carolina. By creating more chapters and growing the organization, we will
be able to provide positive role models in all 7 Youth Development Centers in the state.
That is our goal. That is our commitment.
Intensive Fundraising
As we explore expanding options, we will also work aggressively to fundraise to sustain
the organization financially. The fundraising efforts will include campus-wide initiatives
as well as applying for grants offered through organizations from across the country.
Working with UNC’s strategic planning office, a division of student affairs, will assist us
in making certain that Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. is responsible in our business
as we are in our service.
Member Recruitment
The success of every initiative we undertake is dependent upon a strong group of
dedicated members who are invested in the mission and vision of Building Bonds,
Breaking B.A.R.S. We will continue to recruit African American male volunteers who
understand the importance of serving our target group of students, and who embody the
characteristics necessary to be positive role models to the students in the Youth
Development Centers.
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. End of Year Report 14
Student Reactions
What did you think about our first visit and our start with small group
conversations about your future goals?
“I think it was good because it let us express our feelings.”
“It allowed us to open up with you [UNC volunteers] and some of the other
students.”
Are you able to speak openly in your small groups?
“Yes, because I don’t worry about being judged.”
“It’s a time for understanding.”
If you had to tell someone about Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S., how
would you describe our program?
“Time when we can learn about Black History and discuss the goals that we have.”
“Just cool dudes that come and talk with us.”
Did this organization encourage you to complete your GED?
“I have a team that encouraged me, and they are a part of that team.”
Contact Us
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S.
The Sonja Haynes Stone Center
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Campus Box 5250, 150 South Road
Chapel Hill, NC | 27599-5250
919.843.1894
[email protected]
Building Bonds, Breaking B.A.R.S. End of Year Report 15