New Youth Program launches at African Art Gallery

<B><I>A series of workshops, seminars, spoken word competitions and entrepreneurial projects designed to keep young people positively engaged and off the streets</B></I> <!--break--> <img class="dada-image-center" src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/migrate_dada/Baobab.GIF"><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Why are so many of Rochester's young people dying each year in violence realted incidents? What will it take to reverse this tragic trend and make our streets safe once again?</span><br /><br />Because those are such complicated questions the answers aren't simple. Perhaps there is no <span style="font-style: italic;">one answer</span>, just a series of responsibilities that the entire community must accept to make change. For its part, the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thebaobab.org">Baobab Cultural Center</a> is launching a new program that hopefully will play a part in providing alternative activities for youth.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Language Arts Wednesdays</span></span> is the name of the new program, offered at the Baobab Center, 315 Gregory St., at 7 pm every Wednesday. The program plans to use seminars, clubs, workshops, presentations and other events to help promote literacy and art for people of all ages, but with a special emphasis on teens.<br /><br />These are some of the areas of Language Arts that the Baobab will target:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">POETRY</span> - Participants will study such classic poets as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Paul Laurence Dunbar</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Langston Hughes</span> and learn the differences and similarities between the older form of the discipline and how it manifests in modern art styles, like as Rap. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spoken Word</span>, a popular and relatively new poetic form, will be <span style="font-style: italic;">thoroughly examined</span> and some participants will have the opportunity to compete in Poetry Slams.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">STORYTELLING - </span>In the venerable manner of legendary <span style="font-weight: bold;">Aesop</span>, poignant tales with significant moral messages will be introduced and the ultimate intention is that participants will be able to compose and tell their own stories.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">PUBLIC SPEAKING &amp; DEBATE - </span>In addition to art and culture, society and politics also has its place in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Language Arts Wednesdays</span> lineup. Young people will be encouraged to retain an awareness of community issues and will be mentored on how to articulate their own concerns in a powerful and appropriate fasion.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">DRAMA AND ORATION - </span>Local directors and performers will be brought in to work with participants with then intention of giving those youth all the tools they need to write, perform and produce their own theatrical expressions, which naturally will include the dicipline of monologue.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">PUBLISHING - </span>Book(let)s, greeting cards, postcards, newletters, web logs - the different tools available for participants wo publish their work are many and Baobab will have adult mentorship for each phase of the process.</li></ul>The Baobab Center also offers a wide variety of cinematic features and discussion twice a week and hosts a business club. The spaces is also available for private functions, upon request.<br /><br />For more information, contact Program Director Neima Neteri, call (585) 546-4790, or email<a href="mailto:"> info@thebaobab.org</a>.<br />

<p><b><i>A series of workshops, seminars, spoken word competitions and entrepreneurial projects designed to keep young people positively engaged and off the streets</i></b></p> <!--break--><p> <img class="dada-image-center" src="http://rochester.indymedia.org/sites/default/files/migrate_dada/Baobab.GIF" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Why are so many of<br /> Rochester's young people dying each year in violence realted incidents?<br /> What will it take to reverse this tragic trend and make our streets<br /> safe once again?</span></p> <p>Because those are such complicated questions the answers aren't simple. Perhaps there is no <span style="font-style: italic;">one answer</span>, just a series of responsibilities that the entire community must accept to make change. For its part, the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thebaobab.org">Baobab Cultural Center</a> is launching a new program that hopefully will play a part in providing alternative activities for youth.</p> <p><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Language Arts Wednesdays</span></span><br /> is the name of the new program, offered at the Baobab Center, 315<br /> Gregory St., at 7 pm every Wednesday. The program plans to use<br /> seminars, clubs, workshops, presentations and other events to help<br /> promote literacy and art for people of all ages, but with a special<br /> emphasis on teens.</p> <p>These are some of the areas of Language Arts that the Baobab will target:<br /> </p><ul style="text-align: left;"> <li><span style="font-weight: bold;">POETRY</span> - Participants will study such classic poets as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Paul Laurence Dunbar</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Langston Hughes</span><br /> and learn the differences and similarities between the older form of<br /> the discipline and how it manifests in modern art styles, like as Rap. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spoken Word</span>, a popular and relatively new poetic form, will be <span style="font-style: italic;">thoroughly examined</span> and some participants will have the opportunity to compete in Poetry Slams.</li> <li><span style="font-weight: bold;">STORYTELLING - </span>In the venerable manner of legendary <span style="font-weight: bold;">Aesop</span>,<br /> poignant tales with significant moral messages will be introduced and<br /> the ultimate intention is that participants will be able to compose and<br /> tell their own stories.</li> <li><span style="font-weight: bold;">PUBLIC SPEAKING &amp; DEBATE - </span>In addition to art and culture, society and politics also has its place in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Language Arts Wednesdays</span><br /> lineup. Young people will be encouraged to retain an awareness of<br /> community issues and will be mentored on how to articulate their own<br /> concerns in a powerful and appropriate fasion.</li> <li><span style="font-weight: bold;">DRAMA AND ORATION - </span>Local<br /> directors and performers will be brought in to work with participants<br /> with then intention of giving those youth all the tools they need to<br /> write, perform and produce their own theatrical expressions, which<br /> naturally will include the dicipline of monologue.</li> <li><span style="font-weight: bold;">PUBLISHING - </span>Book(let)s,<br /> greeting cards, postcards, newletters, web logs - the different tools<br /> available for participants wo publish their work are many and Baobab<br /> will have adult mentorship for each phase of the process.</li> </ul> <p>The<br /> Baobab Center also offers a wide variety of cinematic features and<br /> discussion twice a week and hosts a business club. The spaces is also<br /> available for private functions, upon request.</p> <p>For more information, contact Program Director Neima Neteri, call (585) 546-4790, or email<a href="mailto:"> info@thebaobab.org</a>.</p>