Giving Back

Sometimes in life we may not understand why we are going through certain experiences. But when we decide to tell our story, individuals that we would least expect can become inspired by it because they find a connection to what they are hearing from us. This is what happened when Char Nicholas and Tyrean Lewis paid a visit to the Mathews-Dickey Boys and Girls Club recently. They generously donated instructional materials to the students and they even gave Mr. Wendell Covington (Mathews-Dickey CEO) a   gift. Char Nicholas explained to Mr. Covington that when a king is in the presence of another king, he brings a gift to show his gratitude. An important component of the ULEAD program is the Blue Chips initiative that emphasizes the significance of cultivating the scholar athlete. Char Nicholas who was also an athlete, touched on his own life experiences and how he was able to learn from them along the way. He modeled for the students how to not only talk about their goals and what they wish to be, but to claim it with confidence and take ownership of what their goals are. Char Nicholas closed the session with making sure that the students understood the importance of not only being disciplined in the area of athletics, but to apply that same level of discipline in  improving their academics as well as their moral character.  In the end, it became quite clear why he and Mr. Lewis came to the facility to share not only resources for the students, but a personal testimony for them as well.  

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy-A Representation

When deciding to enlighten and inspire a group of students, it is  important that your approach comes from a culturally relevant perspective. This is exactly what happened when our guest speaker, Sir Ervin Williams III came to Mathews Dickey Boys and Girls Club recently. In this inquiry based lesson, Mr. Williams opened up the session by asking the students to define what they perceived as a man with a one word description. During this part of the lesson, the adults in the room felt the need to engage in the conversation just as much as the students. This was followed up by a healthy but very productive debate based on a real life situation that involved one of Mr. Williams’s former students which tied into that definition of a man.  The fact that many students could relate to this situation is what made this lesson the epitome of culturally relevant pedagogy. Following this very engaging discussion, Mr. Williams began educating the students on how although we may see ourselves as as smart, honest or intelligent, others may see us as something negative or undesirable. He explained that this is what leads to many of us falling victim to an unjust infrastructure as we are witnessing in the media as of late. He concluded by making sure that we understood the importance of knowing who we are and  having integrity  by not being afraid to stand by the truth even when it is not the most popular  thing to do at the moment.  The big picture that Mr. Williams painted for the students was that in due time, doing the right thing will be the most beneficial.

ULEAD program encourages positive civic engagement

Posted: 25 Jul 2016 12:26 PM PDT

UMSL doctoral candidates Aaron H. Willis and Mario P. Charles (at right) provide one-on-one support to local youth as they work through the day’s cultural debate at Mathews-Dickey Boys’ and Girls’ Club in north St. Louis. (Photos by August Jennewein)

University of Missouri–St. Louis education alumnus Wendell Covington has dedicated himself to the student-athletes of Mathews-Dickey Boys’ and Girls’ Club. As president and CEO of the organization, he spearheads the development of programs that carve new lanes for underserved, urban youth.

“A lot of times, people have the tendency to see disenfranchised young men and women as castaways,” Covington said, “but I look at them from a counselor’s perspective. I hear their voices and see their potential. I can’t rest until they’re given the service they deserve.”

In efforts to advance this vision, Covington has coordinated with Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor Chuck Granger. Together they have fostered a partnership between Mathews-Dickey Boys’ and Girls’ Club, the UMSL College of Education and the UMSL College of Arts and Sciencesto offer student-athletes from ages 12 to 18 the ULEAD program.

Having taught English courses at over a dozen educational institutions, including Saint Louis University and Roosevelt High School, Rodney W. Smith brings nearly 20 years of classroom experience to ULEAD students.

As the ULEAD mission statement notes, “There is a critical need for urban youth to have working knowledge of the legal and civic nuances of their communities and political state that affect their daily lives. ULEAD aims to offer young minds pathways to character development through first-hand involvement with law enforcement, the judicial system, constitutional history and the socio-economic structure.”

With these goals in mind, UMSL education doctoral candidates Mario P. Charles, Aaron H. Willis and Rodney W. Smith have created and implemented the program’s curriculum as part of their graduate research and practicum.

Charles believes this focus will go beyond the classroom and allow students to take what they’ve learned and apply it to their communities in an immediate and significant way.

“Recent events have consistently shown us that a population limited in its voice will have limited impact,” said Charles. “What better way to awaken and empower the masses than by giving the keys of collective action to our youth?”

Although the pilot of the ULEAD program is only five weeks long, Willis expects the students will continue to refine the critical thinking and negotiation skills they have practiced well into adulthood.

“Once the students are older, they will need to be prepared to become agents of change by either deciding to become elected officials or understanding what is necessary as a member of the community to demand change from elected officials,” said Willis.

Smith understands the responsibility of approaching what can seem to be an “overwhelming power structure” could be daunting to students, but the Mathews-Dickey and UMSL team understand the power of lifelong mentoring and a familial kind of support.

“I’ve had great parents, uncles, aunts and mentors who have supported me along the way,” said Covington. “Having caring adults in my life saved me, and I want to offer that to others.”

The ULEAD program encourages participants to think, speak and advocate for themselves.

Charles and Willis come from families of educators, and both say that pursuing the call to cultivate young minds was only natural. And Smith has firsthand experience of how knowledge can transform fortunes.

“As a young boy, my mother would constantly remind me of the benefits of education,” Smith said. “My mother’s ideas were a stark contrast to the poverty that was part of my everyday environment growing up in the Bronx. Since there were not many other ways out of poverty, excellence in education was the ideal to which I aspired.”

The program pilot that started on July 5 will conclude on Aug. 4, and from there, Mathews-Dickey and the ULEAD team will refine and expand the curriculum for future semesters. Over the long term, Covington plans on using the ULEAD program combined with Mathews-Dickey athletics offerings to create a national model for character and leadership education.

“I’ve done my job when I see more young people walk across that graduation stage, develop healthy relationships and become productive citizens,” said Covington. “Their success is the fruit of our labor. I want nothing more than that.”

This week in Civic Engagement July 11th-15th

This was a transformative week for ULEADers. We stepped into the realm of civic responsibility and privileges. As a class, we explored modern civil rights cases that continue challenge the status quo of public opinion. Our guest speaker, Kofi Khalfani engaged the group in collective exercise to explore where students stand in the continuum of liberation of their communities and what role they play Students worked together to research highly debated topics that impact how Americans exercise their rights. By the end of week, students participated in heated organized mini-debates challenging their thinking and assumptions about what composes and argument how to provide rebuttals that align with their logic. This ended up being a class favorite activity. To round out the week, we watched the film "The Great Debaters"to show how debate during the 1930's became a tool for empowerment for African-Americans.

ULEAD Commencement July 5th, 2016

First day went really well. We started with a group of young people ranging from ages 11-14. This week we are covering Character, Culture, and Consciousness. In covering character and culture, our aim is to begin on the path of orienting the students cultural compass. By helping them to identify the commonalities they have amongst each other which helps them identify their own culture and more importantly it's value in our discussion of character as well. We analyzed popular songs and speeches to explore how our culture is shaped by the media as well. Not bad for a first day :)