COLUMBUS, Ohio — Miguel Geno Tucker officially began his program, Urban Scouts, back in July and recently just started the second course.
The first course in the summer consisted of teens ages 14 to 18, doing yard work and other tasks for the community.
The fall program is an after-school program where they are in the IMPACT Community Action Building from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The teens can earn three different certifications: IT, customer service or construction.
“We have 22 kids right now,” Tucker said.
We spoke with four girls who are part of the program.
Noelle Miles and Tyonna Ellebe-Easley are 15, Kjuana Baker is 14 and Ammirah Pollard Clark is 17.
Tucker said they work with private contractors and local partners, such as IMPACT Community Action, to keep the kids busy with jobs. They earn $150 a week.
“The first program was like a summer job thing. It was when we did yard work and helped the community out,” Baker said.
Ellebe-Ealey, Baker and Miles said they are all participating in the customer service and IT course. Clark said she is learning in the construction course.
“I really wasn’t interested at first, but you know it might come in handy later on in life,” Clark said.
Tucker said he saw many opportunities for her growth in that course.
“She wasn’t really thinking about construction, but construction right now, the labor force is in high demand, especially for women and minorities so this is an opportunity for us to teach our minorities and young ladies and young men how they can make a good living in construction,” Tucker said.
The teens start the courses doing homework every day for the first hour. They also meet with counselors every Wednesday.
The goal of this program is to help guide them in a successful path with their career and in life in general.
“When they get exposed to a bunch of opportunities, different ways of living, that’s when they can see themselves having a different way of life,” Tucker said.
For the girls, they said success is a priority for them.
“I want to be successful in life and have good jobs and have good things on my recommendations and you know when they look me up on LinkedIn and see all the things I did when I was younger so you know I can have better opportunities,” Ellebe-Easley said.
They said programs like this help in a variety of ways.
“I feel like it helps youth keeping them off the streets and doing bad decisions,” Ellebe-Easley said.
With violence, especially involving the youth, increasing in the city, they said it’s scary.
“It’s scary to like even walk outside,” Baker said.
“It’s crazy because it’s people my age making me feel like I have to watch out because I’m the same age as these kids getting shot or getting arrested,” Ellebe-Easley said.
The teens feel not everyone has the right guidance in their lives.
“That’s what they think. They think the streets is for them,” Ellebe-Easley said.
It was also mentioned while speaking with the teens, how crucial influences are in life.
“That’s all they see, they already see violence in the streets, that’s why they pick up guns, that’s why they kill each other,” Pollard Clark said.
For others close in age, they have some advice they’d like to get out there.
Stride for the best, keep your head up,” Clark said.
“Always try your best no matter what,” Miles said.
“Stay strong people,” Baker said.
As far as what’s next, they are working on getting enrollment started for their winter program.
It’ll include the initial landscaping and they are adding cosmetology for youth 16 and up, as well as culinary arts.
“We are launching our mobile bike shop which will serve as a community pit stop for low-income families to receive free service on their bicycles as well as a bike shop,” Tucker said.
They are working with Franklinton Cycle Work and have had a bin donated by GotBins’ owner Greg Tuel and Solar Panels by Darin Hadinger from Muster LLC.
“These mobile bikes shops will allow us to do bicycle maintenance and training in communities where they have no access. Each one will be powered by solar panels to work on renewable energy,” Tucker said.
Tucker can be reached at geno@ruurbanscouts.com