On a Monday morning in late March, Deryl Bailey's gaze is unwavering.
The object of his attention is Tommy Williams, a ninth grader
at Cedar Shoals High School. Bailey has some questions about
Williams' recent behavior, and he wants answers.
Williams is one of about 100 students participating in Empowered
Youth Programs and one of the 45 young men in Gentlemen on the
Move, a program aimed at developing and nurturing academic and
social excellence in young African-American males. GOTM participants
meet every Saturday on the UGA campus to study and work on social
skills with graduate students and teachers from UGA and Cedar
Shoals High School who volunteer as teachers and tutors.
Many of the young men in the program have had no male role models
before joining GOTM and several are from single-parent homes.
The program tries to fill a void left by the schools, which
have very few African-American men as teachers.
"Students who have a positive relationship with teachers
do well academically," Bailey said. "For black male
students, that often doesn't exist."
Bailey created GOTM 15 years ago while working as a counselor
in North Carolina high schools. He brought the program with
him five years ago when he came to UGA, where he is now an assistant
professor of counseling and human development. GOTM has since
expanded beyond its original scope and now includes students
of all ethnicities, female students, and middle and elementary
school students (Empowered Youth Programs).
This year, Bailey has received local, statewide, and national
accolades—the most recent are the 2004 Ohana Honors Award
from the Counselors for Social Justice and the 2004 Multicultural
Program of the Year from the Georgia chapter of the National
Association for Multicultural Education.
But the most significant events associated with GOTM happen
without an audience—in classrooms, school corridors or
perhaps a counselor's office. On this day, one such moment includes
good news for DeVante Hunter, a fifth grader at Chase Elementary
School. During Bailey's previous visit, Hunter was told that
his behavior was keeping him off the list for an upcoming trip
to the Tennessee Aquarium. However, after receiving a favorable
report from Chase Elementary teachers and counselors, Bailey
tells Hunter he's back on the list. Moments like this make it
all worth it, Bailey said.
"I believe all kids are at-risk, but I also believe that
all young people are also at-promise. The potential is there
and it's our job to develop and nurture it. I only ask that
students make progress towards their potential to be great and
if they will do that much, in time success will follow."
Competing in a Global Economy
The University of Georgia is at the forefront of the globalization
movement in higher education with a wealth of opportunities
for international experiences. Our students are flocking to
study-abroad programs, thriving on the challenges inherent in
confronting a new cultural environment. More and more, students
on campus are also making choices that reflect an understanding
of the importance of global awareness—from living in a
residence hall-based language community to starting a radio
program in another language to minoring in a foreign language.
These experiences, whether at home or abroad, influence how
our students perceive the world and their place in it. We’re
producing graduates prepared to be world citizens—well
informed, culturally sensitive and technologically sophisticated.
They’re ready to take on the challenges of our global
society, and they’ll be equally at home whether in the
Peach State or the Republic of Georgia. |
