Summer 612 'Unlearns' Youth Violence

MINNEAPOLIS - This past summer, the city of Minneapolis kicked off the program Summer 612, to help youth unlearn the culture of violence. Four different grants were given out to teach kids different arts and sports.

Coach "Q" taught basketball. He says, "This is the first time they've even heard of things like working hard and believing in yourself and use your haters as your motivators."

The coach believes the team work, discipline and communication kids learn on the court will transfer into the rest of their world and bring success.

Alandra Brown-Cox says, "It's really changed me. It's turned me into a person who's ready for life and who wants to be successful and who doesn't just want to be on the streets and doesn't just want a plain old job that just pays little."

The kids are required to attend workshops, or they can't play. The program has four goals: place them with a trusted adult, intervene at the first sign of risk, rehabilitate, and recognize violence is a learned behavior.

Alyssa Banks is the research associate with the city of Minneapolis. She says, "The way that we think about violence can be changed and we can unlearn that culture of violence that is so pervasive in our culture today."

Basketball isn't the only violence prevention program. This summer, kids made documentary films and visual art to talk about domestic violence and did performances like spoken word.

Kahdar Abi says, "I used to curse at people. Now if they do something bad to me I just ignore them." Abi has learned verbal abuse hurts just like physical abuse.

But unlearning violence doesn't end here.

The coach says, "It puts a dent in it, but its going to take an ongoing effort... we have to continue to fight this battle because it isn't going anywhere." Sept. 22 all the kids will present their work at the Minneapolis Central Library. Learn more at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/dhfs/summer612.asp