Project Re-Generation Gives Its “Foot Soldiers” Their Marching Orders
While web surfing and seeking Bed-Stuy related events, I came across Project Re-Generation‘s website. Project Re-Generation (“PR-G”) is a non-profit organization with a very clear mission: the elimination of teen idleness. Barnabus Shakur, the founder of PR-G, created the organization after a very close friend, who was a member of the Bloods gang, was arrested, tried and sentence to a life term in a maximum security prison.  Mr. Shakur attributes teen idleness to unemployment, school dropout, depression, crime, drug/alcohol/ cigarette abuse and addiction, becoming teen aged parents and loss of future opportunities. PR-G focuses on eliminating idleness and its by products by employing 300 to 600 teens through its program, Foot Soldiers.
The Foot Soldiers program, in conjunction with neighborhood stakeholders (Bed Stuy homeowners, small business owners and supporters) employ teen agers to remove rubbish, rake leaves, shovel snow and provide overall outdoor property maintenance. The Foot Soldiers program is offered to stakeholders in a variety of packages, from Gold Plus (unlimited trash removal, snow shoveling, front yard and sidewalk maintenance) to Snow Removal (snow shoveling only). The program is available to homeowners in a particular geographical zone indicated in red on the service area map. The Foot Soldiers program is actively seeking stakeholders in need of this service to assist in employing teens.
PR-G has other initiatives such as Cash Flow Nights, an evening spent playing a Monopoloy-like board game where teens make real investments with their earnings, Peanut Butter and Jelly, a pairing of adults and teens, and its upcoming fifth annual Community Pride Day on July 7, 2007 (07/07/07).
But this is not just another youth employment center. Mr. Shakur pulls from his personal experience, gang organizational concepts, and other successful youth development programs to reach its targeted audience: idle Bed-Stuy teens. He uses terms like “bang” together, extended family providing support and security, and a membership entitled “Ronin“. I asked Mr. Shakur about PR-G’s ganglike metaphoric references. It was no coincidence. In a quote taken from PR-G’s Akin Yemay, a sample reading from their Hybrid initiative, a combination of literature and sound:Â
“If our youth do not learn the way we teach,
then we must teach the way they learn.”
Mr. Shakur takes the obvious ganglike terms and structure and flips it on its head. “Banging” together means to work, travel, exercise, and party together; a “Ronin” is a confident warrior who believes in the importance of family, community leadership and is virtuous. Call it what you will. Mr. Shakur has employed over 1,500 teens who would otherwise be roaming the streets and has annually won award after award for his social entrepreneurship since 2002, including the Youth Entrepreneur of the Year in 2004 (read Mr. Shakur’s bio). Bang on, Barnabus!
07 May 2007, 10:14 am
This program sounds fabulous! I’m so glad to have read about this resource.
08 May 2007, 8:39 am
thanks for shedding light on this. sounds very interesting and worthwhile.
08 May 2007, 8:43 am
I forgot to mention their location in the post. Their office is at 679 LaFayette Avenue on the second floor. I spoke with Barnabus about expanding his Foot Soldiers program to include small businesses. He has full intentions to move forward with that and will be putting together pricing packages which may be different from those for homeowners.
24 May 2007, 6:00 pm
[...] the Rites of Passage Program and the Hybrid. You can read about PR-G in our previous post here or PR-G’s [...]