A group of eight youngsters ages 10-17 from the South Side Communication Center’s Youth Program took part recently in a 2½-hour workshop at the center led by three Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) facilitators.
The workshop provided an opportunity for the center’s leadership and the youths to experience and learn more about the AVP program. The children practiced affirmations in pairs and participated in various games and exercises, including a brainstorming session on violence/non-violence and the roots of violence. They also practiced listening skills, which enabled them to learn things about each other that they didn’t know.
The center and AVP are discussing plans to hold other mini-workshops in the fall, as well as a full basic youth workshop for children from the center and two other nearby youth centers.
“I applaud AVP’s efforts to educate about alternatives to violence and empower individuals to develop the personal skills necessary to utilize nonviolent solutions to deal with conflict,” says Syracuse University Vice President for Community Engagement Bea González. “Our children are seeking these skills, and we are committed to assisting them. The lessons they learn now will serve them both now and later as they become adults.”
The South Side Communication Center—located at 2331 S. Salina St., Syracuse—opened in 2011. It is a key asset in the development of a business and cultural district along South Salina Street between East Colvin Street and Brighton Avenue that has been spearheaded by the Southside Community Coalition (SCC), Syracuse University’s South Side Initiative Office and Home HeadQuarters.
The center offers an open access computer cluster, providing residents with free public access to computers with internet connectivity and on-site assistance, and the center provides a platform for several SCC and South Side Initiative projects, including The Stand newspaper and Networking Academy classes.
