Masala
Masala is a recipe for gang prevention that was instituted
in four Dallas Indep
endent Schools and funded under a CDB Grant from HUD. Our schools were located in the roughest, most
dangerous neighborhoods in Dallas with a considerable crime element
and gang presence. Most schools in these neighborhoods were
performing below acceptable levels. Statistics indicate that
children who are lagging behind are more at risk to become members
of gangs. Homes with absent fathers, economically distressed
families, and undereducated parents are breeding grounds for
juvenile delinquents. Our concept developed an artistic
cookbook of programs and activities to address the problems students
face in these communities. Masala is a Swahili word meaning spicy
mixture and the AAP designed
a series of activities with a wide range of appeal.
"PROJECT MASALA HEATING UP"
Acting, theatre, ethno-centric crafts and prose, art, dance,
movies and music were
made available to youth in the various target areas . Martial A
rts,
swimming, soccer, volleyball, track and field were daily
activities that students could enjoy and compete for in local and
state Meets. These activities occurred at the Afro-American Players Theatre and
were open to all students
living in the designated areas, ages 8-13. Masala
Summer Workshops were
conducted Monday through Friday, 8:30A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Registration
was required. Activities were free.
The arts
and humanities, conflict resolution training, multi-cultural plays and sports
teams were
intermixed to provide students with positive
alternatives to violence and improper behavior.
Glo Dean Baker the project director says "Masala gives
students an excellent opportunity to interface with professional
artists and athletes. It is a program that caters
to the
interests of most students. When we peak their interest we
insure their presence and participation. The participants are
enlightened, informed and enhanced by this delectable gang
prevention recipe."
Schools who participated in the Masala project found that
students improved in reading, writing and social skills, with a
decrease in violent behavior within the student body. The
introduction of racially sensitive materials, multi-cultural
activities and indigenous programs assisted in addressing the
cultural lags present in the students' environment. Pride was
born when they obtained knowledge of heroes and sheroes from their
individual ethnic backgrounds.
Post evaluation statics show us that when you integrate the arts and
humanities with athletic programs and academics, you are able to maintain
students' interest and allow them to improve their self esteem.
Project CREATE
Project CREATE Dallas was borne from a 6 year grant under the
Department of Health, Education and Welfare. CREATE stands for
Cultural Recognition Enhances Awareness, Talent, Esteem.
Directors of the company were approached by the Dallas gang
coordinator who had concern for the rising gang activity in the southern
and eastern corridors of Dallas. He was soliciting proposals and unique programs
that could address the needs of the community.
The Afro-American Players were awarded a grant that utilized the
arts and humanities to address the caustic problems in our target
communities. African American and Hispanic youth who had been
identified as gang members and were entrenched in the legal system
participated in CREATE on a daily basis. When 16 year old
students were asked about their future goals, they commented "
I just want to live to be 18." Our program involved
an extensive curriculum of exercises that helped the students use
coping mechanisms for anger management, self-actualization, dispute
mediation, and group identification.
Games were played which would encourage participants to problem
solve and use new methods of communication. Games also allowed
students to identify with their cultural heritage. The act of
script
writing require
d research,
and research opened up new dimensions. The students gained a knowledge of who they were and where they came from;
this allowed them to dream . Cognitive learning collaborated with
affective
artistic styles in a creative format. When students
observed negative behaviors from a stylized vignette, they gained a
visual understanding of how bad actions can represent you in a
negative light.
These vignettes allowed the students to think, analyze and comment
on various situations in their lives. They gained knowledge on
how to plan alternative scenarios to the destructive environments
in which they found themselves in.
Interview techniques, etiquette, and proper manners were taught
through non verbal acting exercises, such as emoting, pantomime,
and gibberish. Other life skills were introduced by teaching
students proper nutrition and culinary skills. Each day
groups were assigned to plan and cook meals using various cuisines,
helping them gain an appreciation of
different cultures.
Cross cultural appreciation was encouraged when students shared and
elaborated upon their indigenous music , art, clothing, and cultural mores.
Hair washing parties, visits to ethnic homes, field trips to museums and
poetry slams broadened their total perspective. The program
culminated in a production finale in which the students showcased their
talents through music, dance and theater.
Project CREATE presented a world where students could paint a different
picture of themselves utilizing ALL the colors of the
rainbow. They created a new role in their life script; tragedy had
been written out of their future. Their world no longer needed to end
in a tombstone.