Seven Danville teenagers were honored on Tuesday for completing life skills training and goal-setting exercises through Project Imagine, a community violence intervention collaborative that steers gang-prone kids off the streets and into completing school and becoming employed.
Graduating from the program were Iunta Barksdale, Semaj’ Jeffries, Stanford Lipscomb, Ta’Shon Nash, William Stamps, Jayden Whitaker, and Torian White.
Robert David, youth services and gang violence prevention coordinator for the City of Danville, commended the youths for deciding to move in another direction and pursue something greater in their life.
“I know you have heard enough negative stuff about yourself,” David said, speaking to the graduating kids. “Whatever you have done, we don’t care about that. We are worried about where you are going. You have made a decision to do greater things and pursue your dreams. This is the first step.”
David said the Project Imagine staff will continue to help each kid.
“As we call ourselves, we are your new aunts and uncles. You are with us until you don’t want to be with us anymore. We are about helping you be the best of who you are regardless of your circumstances. Everybody makes mistakes. We don’t hold that against you. But what we are going to hold against you is your potential. That is the pressure we are going to put on you.”
Deputy City Manager Earl Reynolds told the kids that they have potential to do great things.
“You need to unleash it,” Reynolds said. “Once you make the commitment to do that, your whole world will change. … And you will be able to change the life of others in a positive way.”
Since the program’s inception, 14 classes totaling 80 teens have graduated. One of the City’s youth services and gang violence prevention outreach workers is assigned to mentor each teen in the program for a minimum of one year.