Man holding a binder smiles at the camera in a classroom

Youth Leadership Programs Launched

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Djuan Hankins is passionate about helping youth athletes. He’s been coaching girls’ and boys’ basketball for 19 years and been the head JV girls coach at William Fleming for the last six. This experience made him a natural choice to spearhead TAP’s Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) and girl-focused Athletes as Leaders (AAL) programs as our youth services specialist. Both programs help coaches and other community members learn to empower youth to stand up for respect, integrity, and non-violence.

In 2020, two TAP staff members and a representative from Roanoke City Police Department flew out to California to receive training and certification in these evidence-based programs. Progress was slowed due to the pandemic and customizing content and training for local needs, but the local roll-out began in earnest this year. Our community is now the only one in Virginia offering these programs.

Train the Trainer

This “train the trainer” initiative focuses on reaching youth by training community advocates. Anyone who works with youth—coaches, probation officers, police, social workers, counselors, and more—is a good candidate for this training. Djuan, along with our youth services manager Lateefah Trent, has condensed the curriculum into a single 3-hour training session.  

Once trained, advocates are ready to implement the program with the youth they work with. The curriculum is designed for 12 weeks, but flexible. Program materials are scripted, making them easy to put into action. They focus on behaviors, discipline, and how youth carry themselves outside a team setting. Coaches and other youth advocates present weekly material in 15-minute chunks, then discuss the topic with players. “As coaches we already have those conversations, but this helps you go a little more in depth and know what topics to bring up,” says Djuan.  

The Main Goal: Reduce Youth Violence

The initiative’s overall goal is to reduce violence. Many kids witness violence in their homes and communities. CBIM and AAL help students recognize disrespectful or dangerous behavior and intervene safely. It also teaches leadership skills, respect for others, and gender and racial equality. These are talks most participants aren’t having at home. 

“The program is pretty much set up to be catered for sports teams,” says Djuan. “They’re the pillars and leaders in the school. If we can reach the athletes and reach their mindsets, they can carry it out through the school. But we have opened it up to all young men and women. Studies have shown that students who have participated in the program are most likely to intervene in abusive behaviors. Kids think that abusive behavior is normal behavior because they see it so much.”

Getting Results

Seventeen youth advocates have already completed local certification training. William Fleming and Patrick Henry High School cheerleaders, Patrick Henry wrestlers, and students from Fishwick Middle School have participated. Athletes complete pre- and post-season assessments that measure mindset, behavioral, and communication changes. The program is already proving to effect positive change in the kids and families it touches. 

This year’s goal is to certify 20 advocates. Training is free, and so is the program. Djuan is looking for coaches, police officers, and others who work as youth advocates in the community. Plans are for training to be offered every quarter.

Learn More

For more information on this FREE certification, please contact djuan.hankins@nulltapintohope.org or lateefah.trent@nulltapintohope.org.

Carilion’s Support for TAP

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Carilion doesn’t just provide healthcare for those in southwest Virginia. They also invest in the health and vitality of their community. Carilion has been a sponsor of TAP’s Bringing Hope Home campaign for the past three years. They provide much-needed support to our efforts to bring hope to the community. Carilion’s support for TAP has allowed us to continue providing help to those in need.

Carilion’s Support for TAP Goes Further

Carilion has gone beyond providing financial support in the past. They have demonstrated their commitment to supporting TAP. In the past Carilion has been a partner in our adult education and employment services. This partnership formed through our Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training program. Carilion worked with us to provide a pathway to a career in healthcare. Carilion’s support helped make this program accessible. Many people who faced barriers to employment were able to complete it. They now have stable and rewarding healthcare careers. Carilion’s support for TAP has helped give them a path to a brighter future.

They Believe in Our Community

By investing in the community Carilion is helping to create a stronger community. They are helping to make a more robust community. Through support for TAP’s initiatives Carilion has shown their commitment to this community. Their efforts are making a significant difference in the lives of people in the Roanoke Valley. They are bringing hope and support to those who need it the most.
Local partners like Carilion are critical. They make our efforts to create a better future for all possible. By investing in the community in this way, Carilion is making a significant contribution to the region’s growth and development. According to Nancy Agee, Carilion’s CEO, “We are pleased to join with agencies like TAP whose goals and values are aligned with our mission to improve the health of the communities we serve.”   They are setting an example for others to follow.

Ending the cycle of violence

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Gun violence is a national epidemic. The African American Culture and Contemporary Issues (AACCI) classes are part of TAP’s answer to curbing the issue locally.

Changing Dropout Rates and More

Started in 2008, the class originally aimed to reduce Black male dropout rates at William Fleming High School. This fall, it launched an open-to-the-public initiative. Based on the Fleming curriculum, this Saturday program is available to anyone age 15 or older. Both programs follow the school year calendar. Part African American history, part empowerment strategies, part holistic health, AACCI is changing lives.

“This program is catered toward building your self-worth, empowering you to be a leader, as well as knowing when you need to follow,” says Lateefah Trent, youth services and education manager at TAP. “It’s learning how to not only think of yourself when you’re in a situation, but those around you in your communities and your home; leading by example.”  

A Holistic Approach

In 2020, Antonio Stovall was tapped to manage this legacy program. He began revamping the curriculum after he was hired. Antonio integrated holistic approaches born from a tragic personal experience. “The man who my mother was in a relationship with, who she had just broken up with, had taken her life,” says Antonio. “After it happened, I could go on the path of self-destruction or [the] path of bettering myself. Reading more, working out more, eating better, studying any type of information about holistic wellness, healing, nutrition. I learned from lots of people from around the country, went to Egypt, and started teaching mindfulness, yoga, and martial arts in the community.”

With his experience, alternative education research, and natural talent for fostering relationships, Antonio created a class structure that works. “What we’re noticing is since the pandemic everything has changed. How students learn, how teachers need to teach,” he says. “This program could be a model for what is needed to rebuild that class and the environment when it comes to learning.”

Impacting Generations

The benefits of AACCI didn’t stop with high school students. “Eventually, it started having an impact on the parents as well because they started to see a difference in how their child was acting,” says Antonio. Soon, adults were asking about the class, and TAP’s “Whole Family” focus made open Saturday classes a natural next step. “The conversations are a lot more diverse. You have different age groups that are part of the class. That just makes the class a lot more interesting because of all the different perspectives,” says Antonio.

“I think one of the biggest reasons why Antonio’s approach works above and beyond the method is because he approaches every individual as an individual,” says Lateefah. “He doesn’t come off as the head honcho in the room. He believes in equality for all and that everyone has a voice.”

The class has made an invaluable impact on the community­—AACCI participants have left gangs, learned to appreciate school, and ended suicide plans. “This was created for our most at risk youth, but what we discovered is everyone needs it,” says Lateefah. “The more you recognize yourself, the more power you have over dealing with things.”

See You on Saturday!

We invite anyone age 15 or older to join us for this FREE class every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. until June at the Roanoke Higher Education Center. To register, please contact Lateefah.trent@nulltapintohope.org.