Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011

Bringing college to youth

The week leading up to the annual gridiron match between St. Augustine's College and Shaw University promises us a bag full of treats.

Starting Oct. 30, the Oak City Classic opens our world to activity and health, higher learning and careers, and a red carpet of community pride.

The weeklong celebration culminates Nov. 4, the eve of the Southeast Raleigh Football Showcase, which highlights a rare cross-town rivalry between Raleigh's two historically black colleges and universities that sit just 2 miles apart.

The Oak City Classic opens with a Youth Pep Rally - complete with a chance to be in a video that could air on ABC's "Good Morning America" - and winds down with a show-and-tell-style Youth Science Fair.

The Raleigh Parks and Recreation Department has gotten "phenomenal" volunteer support from officials and students from area schools such as Shaw, St. Augustine's and N.C. State University, said Grady Bussey, who oversees the city's Sgt. Courtney T. Johnson and John P. "Top" Greene community centers.

Folks at Shaw couldn't resist the offer to step up when Bussey first shared his idea of an event that connects community pride, education and athletics.

The event aims to replicates the spirit of historic black college football classic games across the country - the Bayou Classic and the Aggie-Eagle Classic, for instance.

"There are so many activities that actually benefit the community, it's a no-brainer," said Gwynth Nelson, Shaw's director of development. "The visibility of Shaw University students as volunteers for the Oak City Classic is very important."

Oak City Classic events are free, although some require signed permission forms from parents or guardians.

Check out what's in the treat-bag:

Youth Pep Rally: 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, at Chavis Community Center, MLK Boulevard. Youth ages 6-18 are invited to wear a school or college shirt and join a video shoot for "Good Morning America's" "Your Three Words" campaign. The Oak City Classic's three-word expression: "Next Stop College."

Football Skills/Cheerleading Clinic: 4:30 to 6 p.m., at Chavis after the pep rally. Student athletes and cheerleaders from St. Augustine's, Shaw and N.C. State will lead age-division football skills competitions and a basic cheerleading skills clinic for youth ages 8-15.

Community Health Screening: 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 31, at Top Greene Center, MLK Boulevard. Rex Hospital staff will provide blood-pressure testing, heart risk assessments and carotid artery screenings, in addition to other screenings and information for adults.

Job Workshop: "Youth Workers Wanted: Get a Life, Get a Job!," from 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, at Saint Monica Teen Center, Tarboro Road. Raleigh's Community Service Department focuses youth on resume-writing, applications and interviewing for employment, including its Summer Youth Employment Program.

College and Vocational Fair: 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, at Tarboro Road Community Center. St. Augustine's Pan-Hellenic Council will lay out a red carpet for students to interact with representatives from postsecondary institutions about courses, admissions, financial aid and college life.

Science Fair: 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, at Walnut Creek Wetland Center. A showcase of work from students ages 6-12.

Youth Step Show: 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, at Biltmore Hills Community Center. Students from different schools can compete for the Oak City Classic Step Master crown. Interested teams, call 919-831-6527.

Last year's inaugural Oak City Classic hosted about 1,000 people, Bussey said, noting plans for 2,000 this year.

"The good news is spreading," he said.

Aside from giving Raleigh a well-deserved black college classic, Bussey wants to see the city's youth face-to-face with opportunity and tools to navigate roads to colleges and careers of their choice.

"I want to make sure the city does all we can do to expose these young people in every community to those opportunities," he told me. "But we also want to make sure the kids who aren't exposed, that we bring it to them.

"I'm a true believer that the difference between that kid who's a dropout and that kid who goes to Harvard is that somebody exposed that kid to Harvard," he said.

Bingo!