When Jenni Miller-Francis first talks with fourth and fifth graders who
go to school in Covington, she asks them what they like about the city. A
common initial response? "Nothing."
After 10 weeks of
Born Leaders of Covington Kentucky
(BLOCK), she notices a transformation. Students have spent weekly
sessions learning about their community, interviewing current leaders
and analyzing ways they could do their part to help, from making
"thank-you" soup jars filled with ingredients and instructions to
conducing a neighborhood-wide lead-poisoning awareness campaign.
"There are a lot of great things happening here," says Miller-Francis, the director of youth and family initiatives at the
Center for Great Neighborhoods in Covington.
"The coolest part is watching kids who either don't know anything about
their community or don't have anything that they like about it really
see the assets and start to have pride in it."
While the Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington has offered youth
leadership training since 1976, BLOCK has only been around since 2007.
Miller-Francis says partnering with Covington Independent Partner
Schools and Covington Partners in Prevention has helped solidify the
program in the Northern Kentucky city's 19 elementary schools.
Teachers recommend students to participate in the program, which lasts
for 20 weeks in all. Teachers and School Resource Center coordinators
offer the additional 10 weeks of instruction. "The schools encourage
kids to get involved in the community," Miller-Francis says. "We try to
help them understand city and local government and how to be involved."
Some graduates of the BLOCK and other youth leadership programs created
by the Great Neighborhood nonprofit have remained in leadership roles in
their community. Some have joined the Covington Youth Commission, where
they can gain experience as grant makers, supporting projects developed
by other young people aimed at bettering their city.
"The kids learn how to be leaders," Miller-Francis says.
Do Good:
• Get a new Mac. And
give your hand-me-down laptop to the Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington.
• Help a Born Leader. Volunteer to
spend a session or two as a part of BLOCK.
• Make nice on Facebook.
Friend the Great Neighborhoods of Covington Facebook page to keep up on the latest news.
By Elissa Yancey
Photo courtesy of BLOCK
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