February 7, 2011

Encouragement From Campus-Alabama State Parters in new Community-Based Youth Program

Alabama State University kicked off the Alabama Family Youth Initiative (AFYI) program Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011. A news conference announcing the program was held at ASU’s John L. Buskey Health Science building.

AFYI is a program which empowers youth to say “no” to drugs, gangs and crime and stay in school.

Dr. Cheryl Plettenberg, chair of the department of Health Information Management in ASU’s College of Health Sciences and AFYI director, said the program’s goal is to work collaboratively with the community to keep youth in school, help them make healthy long-term life decisions graduate from high school, attend college and give back to their community.

The program encourages participation from neighborhood centers, faith-based and community organizations, law enforcement, state and local community leaders, educators and parents.

Dr. Plettenberg started a similar program in Michigan which she said became very successful. She became very emotional as she talked about her vision for AFYI.

“I am so pleased that ASU has allowed me to bring this program. We know that we have a huge drop-out rate in Alabama. It will be our goal to decrease that rate. I have watched over 16,000 children in Michigan turn around their grade point average, go to college and come back and serve their community,” Plettenberg said. “Every child who will be in this program will be given that opportunity. Our goal is to do it through mentoring.”

Click here to read the rest of the story from the Alabama State University official web site.

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