Listen 2 The Lyrics

Listen 2 The Lyrics, held April 4th, 2013, was the kick-start to a four part series titled 'I am Hear" that celebrates Youth & Poetry Month. TWP is collaborating with Norfolk Recreation Parks & Open Space to present this four part community events that celebrate the power of words and really HEARING what they mean.

  

The first part of the series tackled Hip-Hop. Through Listen 2 The Lyrics, youth were empowered to be active listeners. They participated in a cool listening session which put local rappers on the hot seat, across from them were three young listeners that carefully pulled apart the lyrics of the selected song. Grace Wiggins of Listen 2 The Lyrics, facilitated an open forum where young listeners, attentively and actively listened to artists Double XL, Brandeesh and Focus songs and clearly analyzed the lyrics through questions.

 

The evening started with a concert by Teens With a Purpose members which was open to the community, young people performed their own positive and original music. Listen 2 the Lyrics is based out of Baltimore and uses hip-hop as a tool to develop positive attitudes towards education through critical thinking and problem solving skills in order to increase high school graduation rates of at risk male students and to create  positive self image among them. Youth will work together to learn how to make a conscious effort to effectively listen to music of their choice, in order to give serious consideration of how it relates to their lives.

 

Special thanks to: Art Thatcher of Norfolk Recreation Parks & Open Space (NRPOS), Grace Wiggins of Listen 2 The Lyrics, DJ Kira and of course the brave artists: Brandeesh, Double XL and Focus
 

 

 

What time does the train leave????

Anybody know what time does the train leave????

Guess what month it is!!!!!!....Ok it is February which means……….FEBRUANY deals at SUBWAYYYYYY (YAY). Ok so, Subway is not the real reason why I am writing this blog. However, it still pertains to a train and not the kind of train or subway your thinking about.

Can you guess………………………………….???????????????? THE UNDERGROUD RAILROAD...duh its Black History Month. Ok so if you did not know that this month was dedicated to Black History then you have definitely been hiding under a rock.

But anyway, I mainly wanted to write about the Underground Railroad…and sadly this was brought on by a Subway commercial. However, as you may or may not know the Underground Railroad was not actually a railroad or train system at all. Straight from the PBS network, the Underground Railroad was a huge network of people that helped runaway slaves escape from South. This network system helped moved hundreds upon hundreds of slaves to the North as well as Canada each year.  Historians are estimating that this network to help escaped slaves began in the late 18^th century.

Nicknamed the “Underground Railroad” in 1831, they coincidentally had a lot of railroading terms. For example, homes that escaped slaves stayed in were called “stations” and “conductors” were responsible for moving slaves from one station to the next.

So What Do You Think? Could you have escaped during that time?

Oh and by the way….the “Great Escape” was not easy. Never mind travelling 10 to 20 miles between stations, running from dogs, slave masters,  and hiding in barns for your life…seems like pretty heavy stuff to deal with.

Harriet Tubman…one of the most notable African Americans for her actions with the Underground Railroad served as a “conductor”. “During a ten-year span she made 19 trips into the South and escorted over 300 slaves to freedom,”…but I you already knew that.

ANYWAYS….tell me your thoughts!!! DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD HAVE MADE IT?

Also feel free to name a notable African American…I will do my best to write a blog about it and share YOUR idea/event/person with the WORLD.


http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2944.html

Written by Ashlee Babb, TWP Volunteer

So your thinking about college....

You would think that with all the talk about the economy, that going to college would be a definite option. That obtaining a degree and even pursuing a masters would be GOLD, in the eyes of a young high school senior.

WRONG!!!

 

According to CNN 30 percent "of high school graduates do not go on to college right after graduation. In the workforce, a high school graduate earns on average more than someone without a diploma, but still only 60 percent of what a college graduate makes a year."

Often times I wonder why students in their senior year of high school opt out of taking the SATs to get into to a university. SOooooo, I decided to take the liberty of listing some college myths that may contribute to the 30 percent of students who choose not to pursue higher education.

MYTHS :

Myth #1. College is much harder that high school

In reality, college (in my opinion) is a lot like high school. Frankly, some of the classes are A LOT EASIER than in high school. I remember my freshman year of college, I had two classes called "Freshman Seminar" which was mainly a group of people just talking and interacting with one another. That Was It, just talking and socializing. Another class that I had in my Junior year was called "Story Telling". AND GUESS WHAT WE DID.....You Guessed it, we told stories. So, the classes are what you make out of it. Regular classes such as English, Math, History, etc (which everyone has to take) are a lot like high school, it is not harder nor is it easier.

Myth #2. College students are poor and starving

Not true...kinda, this really depends on what you are offered for financial aid, or what type of financial aid you were granted (i.e loans, grants, scholarships, work study, etc). For example, if a student has a grant or loan of 50,000$ and tuition was only 12,000$, then the student would get the remaining difference back of 38,000$ ***THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE***  hmm...maybe I should try a more likely amount..OK Example #2: Lets say you received a loan for 12,000$ for a whole year of college and tuition cost 10,000 for the whole year then you would receive 2,000$ as a refund. Of course,  if you have a loan even though you are receiving this money, eventually you would have to pay it back once you graduate. Long story short, you will not be completely broke, depending on you situation. I would not suggest buying a 2013 BMW or Benz...or you probably would end up poor or starving.

Myth #3. I need to decide on my career before I can choose a college

Now, I know you have heard of college students changing there majors over and over again. You do not have to know exactly what you want to do as a career/profession when you enter into college. My first year of college, I was determined to major in medical technology and now two and a half years later I decided that political science was the way to go.

Overall, college is fun and challenging...but mainly fun. Myths such as these should not be feared but conquered!

I challenge you to research a school you are interested in today and list the pros and cons to attending...tell me about it (COMMENT OR EMAIL), let me know your college plans.

Written by Ashlee Babb, TWP Volunteer

                                                                                                                       

HRYP JOINS PEERS WITH INTERNATIONAL STAGE

Hampton Roads Youth Poets joined forces with spoken word youth activists from around the globe to tackle the hard-core and heavy: political inequities, abuse, racial strife, cancer. And they don't just speak they artfully and  strategically, of course, performing profoundly - starting low and slow then rising in volume and intensity until their words are heard.

HRYP is a division of Teens With a Purpose, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to empowering Hampton Roads youth by providing young people with a platform to empower their peers to use their voices, their energy, and their abilities to demonstrate the power to effect personal change, improve the lives of others, and foster a more knowledgeable community that is more invested in both themselves and each other using the arts and through peer-led programs and events.

Started in 2007, Hampton Roads Youth Poets uses their energy, ideas and VOICE to be a change in their community. Member of HRYP cultivate and present Open Mics, attend workshops preparing young writers to address critical issues facing the world, the community, youth and the individuals. Their voice is an honest look into our youth, they address serious issues such as Hunger, Poverty, Violence, Rape, Bullying, War, and HIV/AIDS awareness. HRYP hosts a monthly open-mic night, VIBES is held on the Second Saturday of every month at BEAN THERE Cafe. The upcoming VIBES will showcase the 2012 HRYP 2012 Slam Team and the pieces they performed recently at BNV.  

TWP ACTIVISTS MARCH AT AIDS CONFERENCE 2012

  Teens With a Purpose joined thousands of Medical professionals, policy makers, and advocates for those living with HIV/AIDS at the 19th  International AIDS Conference to “Turn Back the Tide of the Epidemic.” They hailed in from from more than 180 countries, making it the largest AIDS conference in the world and assembled in Washington, D.C., for a week of speeches, symposiums, exhibits and more.

A group of Teens With a Purpose youth activists joined the march led by TWP Mentor, Andrea Castleberry. Teens With a Purpose has been at the forefront of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Awareness since 1996. TWP uses creative & evidence-based methods to spread the message including Peer education, Spoken Word, Drama, Dance and Original Music inspired by Role Model Stories. Role Model Stories are stories that have been collected from real teens in Hampton Roads. The primary purpose of the role model stories is to model risk-reducing behaviors, suggest solutions to risky situations, and illustrate positive outcomes of taking steps toward protecting oneself. Last fall, Teens With a Purpose hosted their first full theatrical production titled “Imagine Me”. The event was held at the Crispus Attucks Theatre and included break-out sessions and workshops. The production was well received and included over 300 guests. This theatrical event, written, produced and featuring local Teens, raised awareness so Youth can better understand the consequences of their actions thus reducing their risk for: HIV/STI, Dating Abuse, Bullying, Suicide and Dropouts. To view our current Role Model Stories click here.

Teens With a Purpose work is imperative, the numbers are alarming, according to the CDC In 2009, young persons accounted for 39% of all new HIV infections in the US and young blacks accounted for 65% (5,404) of diagnoses of HIV infection reported among persons aged 13-24 years. TWP is committed to finding new and innovative ways to educate young people on how to protect themselves from HIV infection.