Title: Weed and Seed In-Sites

Series: Volume VIII, Number 4

Author: U.S. Department of Justice

Published: Novemeber/December 2000

Subject: DEFY program, youth mentoring

38 pages

75,000 bytes

-----------------

Figures, charts, forms, and tables are not included
in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document
in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic
file available from this Web site or order a print
copy from NCJRS at 800-851-3420 (877-712-9279 For TTY
users).

-----------------

Weed & Seed In-Sites is a publication of the U.S.
Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs

Executive Office for Weed and Seed
810 Seventh Street NW.
Washington, DC 20531
Phone: 202-616-1152 
Fax: 202-616-1159
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/

Stephen Rickman, Director 

Robert M. Samuels, Assistant Director

Nancy Ware, Director of Technical Assistance and
Training

Cheryl Driscoll, Supervisory Grants Manager

Paul Casagrande, Special Projects Coordinator

Edison Aponte, Faith Baker, Eric Chin, Michael
Connor, Jonathan Faley, Sharron Fletcher, Robert
Hendricks, Erin Holbert, Dionne Johnson, Louise
Lucas, Katherine Mera, Andrew Press, Romia Gore,
Shannon Taitt, Geroma Void,Program Managers

Claude Thomas, Chief of Staff

Linda Hawkes, Administrative Officer/Grant Specialist

Prince Cummings, Program Analyst

Romia Gore, Public Relations Specialist and
In-Sites Editor

Lisa Huff-Galloway, Secretary

Please send all submissions, comments, or address
corrections to the above address.

-----------------

Correction

In a photo caption on page 8 of the April/May 2000
issue of Weed and Seed In-Sites, Maj. Jim Hourican
was identified as "the U.S. Navy's Maj. Jim
Hourican." The caption should have identified Major
Hourican as an officer of the U.S. Marines, under the
Department of Navy.

-----------------

From the DEFY Program Manager

Drug Education for Youth 2000: Kudos to DEFY Mentors

Congratulations and special thanks to all In-Sites
readers who participated in the DEFY 2000 Phase I
summer camp programs and volunteered as mentors. Your
commitment and dedication to helping our youth learn
to resist drugs and live drug-free lives is to be
commended.

DEFY is a unique and popular program. Weed and Seed
DEFY began in 1996 with three pilot sites--Atlanta,
Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana; and San Antonio,
Texas. I'm pleased to report that Weed and Seed DEFY
2000 has been a great success so far. This year, the
program expanded to more than 85 sites, coordinating
53 camps and serving approximately 2,600 kids.

What makes DEFY unique is that representatives from
the military and law enforcement, staff from U.S.
Attorney's Offices, and members of the community are
all involved as mentors, giving youth an opportunity
to see these individuals in positive roles. Too often
youth fear the presence of police. At each camp I
visited this summer, the police officers consistently
made comments such as, "Kids used to run away when
they saw us coming into the community. Since DEFY,
when they see us coming, they run to us. DEFY has
provided an opportunity for youth to see us in a
positive role. They no longer see us as 'the enemy'
but as their friends, people they can trust." Program
Coordinators said that although planning and
implementing a DEFY program is time consuming and
exhausting, the hard work pays off when staff see a
look of excitement on the face of a child
experiencing new things in a positive light. DEFY
gives them a sense of giving back to the community.
For youth, DEFY provided a fun experience while
teaching them how to stay drug-free.

As DEFY sites gear up for the implementation of the
important Phase II (school-year) followup, EOWS again
thanks the mentors who work with Weed and Seed youth.
Your countless, selfless hours do make a difference!

DEFY is based on the theory, common to mentoring
programs, that providing one-on-one role-model
relationships for youth, giving them advice, and
providing a friendship often missing in their lives
are essential to their well-being.

We look forward to your continued involvement in
Phase II. Keep up the good work! 

Louise Lucas
EOWS Program Manager for DEFY

-----------------
The Weed and Seed DEFY program is administered by the 
Training and Technical Assistance Division of EOWS.
-----------------

15 Tips for Effective School-Based Mentoring
Mentoring Works
Commitment: The Most ImportantPart of Mentoring

DEFY Phase I

Steps to Establishing a DEFY Camp Program
First Try a Success for Brownsville Weed and Seed
Texarkana Hosts Its First DEFY Phase I
Louisiana National Guard DEFY Program 2000
First Timers Bring DEFY to Louisville Neighborhoods
DEFY 2000 Camp Rapture!
East Dallas Weed and Seed's DEFY Leadership Camp 2000

DEFY Phase II

Keys to Success: Making a Difference Through
Effective Mentoring Strategies

Mentors Are Where You Find Them
The Main Ingredient for Phase II Success Is
Partnership

Winners

Atlanta, Georgia
Freeport, Illinois
Sagadahoc County, Maine

Departments

Conference Corner
Web Sight
EOWS News
Mailbox

-----------------

15 Tips for Effective School-Based Mentoring

Dr. Susan G. Weinberger
National Mentoring Partnership
Alexandria, Virginia

Dr. Weinberger is President of the Mentor Consulting
Group and Chairman of the Public Policy Council of
the National Mentoring Partnership. She designed and
developed the first school-based mentoring program in
America in Norwalk, Connecticut, in the early 1980s.

Tip 1 

When establishing a mentoring program, make sure that
everyone in the community who is involved with youth
is part of the planning. Those present at the "table"
should include members of the school board, the
school superintendent, all school staff, parents, top
officials in business and civic groups, union
officials, and members of parent-teacher
organizations, advisory councils, religious groups,
and all programs in the community that are involved
with youth. 

Tip 2

Make sure that the chosen school has an outstanding
principal, a cohesive staff, and a friendly
secretary. Selecting the first school to begin a
program is critical. Unwilling schools should be put
on a waiting list! The school board should draft a
written policy on mentoring and have it approved at a
public meeting. Learn whether the school district has
any requirements to become a volunteer (e.g., does it
require a tuberculosis test for adults who work with
kids?). Does the district have an insurance policy
that covers all volunteers in a school building?

Tip 3

Gather demographic and dropout statistics. Conduct
focus groups, interviews, surveys, and meetings with
teachers to determine the right grade level to begin
a program. 

Tip 4

When recruiting mentors, include those dedicated
volunteers from businesses that are already involved
in your active partnership programs. These volunteers
should be approached first to consider becoming
involved as mentors. 

Tip 5

Recruit only mentors who are caring, committed, and
patient. Mentors should be good listeners who keep
appointments, enjoy spending time with kids, and have
an outstanding employment record and a good sense of
humor. They should also be free of alcohol and drug
problems. All others should not apply! Mentors can be
recruited from many different sources, including
corporations; retirement communities or other senior
citizen groups; fraternal, social, and civic
organizations; religious groups; government, fire,
and police agencies; institutions of higher
education; health agencies; the Internal Revenue
Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the
United Way; mass media organizations; and labor
organizations. 

Tip 6

Conduct a thorough screening on all prospective
mentors. Candidate screening should include criminal
background checks, reference checks, personal
interviews, and examination of employment history.
Many school districts pay for background checks on
new teachers and will include mentors in the budget.
Other schools do not have the money to cover the cost
of background checks; when this is the case, other
options are available. In some districts, the chief
of police works closely with the schools and offers
free or reduced costs for background checks. In other
communities, businesses pick up the cost for their
employee mentors. If none of these options is
available to you, ask the mentors to pay for the
check. It will be their only out-of-pocket cost. 

Tip 7

All mentors must be trained before participating in
the program. School staff, particularly guidance
counselors, psychologists, and social workers, should
participate in the training. Offer volunteers the
skills to become good mentors, including strategies
for building self-esteem in children; instruction in
being a good listener; familiarity with the policies
and procedures of the district, including mandated
reporting of abuses; strategies for each session to
assist them in their role; and insight into the
typical profile of the youth with whom they will be
working. Invite the superintendent of schools to
address and thank the new mentors. At the end of the
session, give new mentors a table tent to put on
their desks that says: "I am proud to be a mentor."
It is also a great recruitment tool for new
prospects. 

Tip 8

Obtain parental permission for all children who enter
the program. If the family speaks a language other
than English, make sure the permission form is in
their primary language. 

Tip 9

Ensure that the committee that recommends youth for
the program and matches mentors to youth comprises
the school principal, teachers, and support staff. It
is very important to select a diverse group of
youngsters as the program begins. Typically, the
youth who are selected have poor self-esteem, are
hostile and angry, do not take risks or get along
well with their peers, are socially and emotionally
detached at school, and lack a safety net and support
system in their lives. Selected youth should include
those from one- and two-parent families, those who
are rich and poor, and those who are minorities and
those who are not. The types of youth chosen for the
program send a critical message to the community from
the beginning of the program: Mentoring benefits all
kids in a school, not just a few. If we label just a
certain group as appropriate for the program, we will
all lose.



Tip 10 

Designate one person at each school to be the liaison
for the program. The individual is typically a
guidance counselor, social worker, nurse,
psychologist, or teacher. Each business or
organization identifies one person to be its company
or agency liaison to work with the school liaison to
ensure success of the program. 

Tip 11

Allow the mentors and youth to decide together which
activities to include in the weekly group sessions.
At the elementary level, these may include reading,
working on the computer, doing arts-and-crafts 
projects, writing stories or poems, playing
basketball in the gymnasium, learning a foreign
language, or just walking outside or sitting under a
tree and talking. At the middle school and high
school levels, activities might include doing a
community service project; taking a career-interest
inventory; learning how to interview, write a r‚sum‚,
and dress appropriately for a job; or searching the
want ads and exploring careers, postsecondary
education, and financial aid and career
opportunities. Procedures should be in place for
mentors to inform organizers and youth well in
advance when they must reschedule a session. Calling
the school is one way for mentors to communicate this
kind of change and reschedule. Another way is to fax
the school and have the message delivered to the
youth in his or her classroom. In my experience, the
kids like the fax almost as much as the mentor in 
person!

Tip 12

Mentors cannot work in a vacuum. At regular intervals
in the program, schedule brown-bag lunches for
mentors and program developers and other support
staff. The mentors should come together to discuss
how they are doing and what additional assistance
they require from school staff. Allow mentors to
communicate with teachers via notes and telephone
calls. Input from staff provides ongoing support and
feedback, which mentors require to stay the long
haul. 

Tip 13

At year's end, host a recognition event to thank and
encourage mentors. You might consider awards in
various categories, such as the company that has
recruited the most new mentors, the company liaison
who is the most enthusiastic supporter of the
initiative, the school principal who is the greatest
proponent of the program, and the teacher or school
liaison who has dedicated himself or herself to the
program. You could recognize and thank a devoted
school secretary who assists with the mentoring
program, too!

Tip 14

The family can play an important role in the
partnership. Invite the youth's family to participate
in events at school three or four evenings a year.
Mentors and youth could join the family members for
potluck dinners, square dances, or other activities.
The best way to ensure that the family will attend is
to offer free transportation, food, and childcare for
younger children. 

Tip 15

Organize school-based mentoring activities during the
school year only. Many mentors would like to stay in
contact with their youth during the summer months.
Mentors should address and stamp a few envelopes to
give to their youth. Ask each mentee to write his or
her mentor a note or draw a picture and drop it in
the mailbox. Mentors can do the same. Swap photos
before the end of the school year to remember each
other during the summer, and determine how many weeks
will pass until you see each other again.

-----------------

Mentoring Works

Drug Education for Youth is just one example of how
mentoring is practiced within Weed and Seed
communities. Some sites benefit from the mentoring
efforts of national nonprofit organizations including
the YMCA, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Big
Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA). These
programs have a proven record in delinquency
prevention and have a positive, lasting effect on
youth across the country. For example, according to a
Boys & Girls Club survey, 80 percent of Club alumni
said Club staff helped them learn right from wrong. 

According to an evaluation coordinated by BBBSA,
researchers found that after 18 months of BBBSA
mentoring, the Little Brothers and Little Sisters in
the study were 46 percent less likely to begin using
illegal drugs, 27 percent less likely to begin using
alcohol, and 53 percent less likely to skip school.
The study concluded that:

In the eyes of these children, what mattered was that
they had a caring adult in their lives, someone to
confide in, relax with, and look up to. As a result,
they were doing better in school and at home and
avoiding violence and substance abuse--this at a
pivotal time in their lives when even small changes
in behavior, or choices made, can change the course
of their future. 

(To obtain a copy of these research findings, visit
www.bbbsa.org/.) 

At the Weed and Seed Creating Healthy Communities
conference in Miami, Florida, the breakout session
"Elements of Effective Mentoring" provided
information on the basics of mentoring and mentoring
initiatives gaining national recognition, such as MAD
DADS (Men Against Destruction--Defending Against
Drugs and Social Disorder) and the Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention's JUMP (Juvenile
Mentoring Program). In the session evaluation,
attendees stated that although they had learned about
the importance of mentoring as a means to deter youth
from delinquent behavior, they needed more tools to
develop local programs. Without a doubt, coordinating
an effective mentoring program is a challenge that
often falls to the bottom of a community's to-do
list. However, in the thousands of communities that
have remained dedicated to mentoring in their
churches, schools, and neighborhoods, the rewards are
celebrated daily, and the positive changes mentoring
has made in the lives of their youth are obvious. 

Weed and Seed sites that are not actively involved in
a mentoring program and are interested in starting
one should contact their EOWS Program Manager.
Mentoring is a Special Emphasis initiative supported
by EOWS, and sites can request in their funding
application an additional $50,000 to coordinate a
mentoring program in their target area. Sites can
also request technical assistance in building,
implementing, or sustaining a successful mentoring
program through their EOWS Program Manager. 

For more information on starting a mentoring program,
visit the EOWS Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ eows/.
The "What's New" section features links to mentoring
resources available online.

Additional Resources

Your Time--Their Future: Membership-Based Groups
Provide Positive Activities. A guide from the Center
for Substance Abuse Prevention explaining how groups,
organizations, and clubs can get their members
involved in mentoring and positive activities with
young people to help prevent youth substance abuse.
(Free; 1-800-729-6686.)

Your Time--Their Future: Positive Activities Promote
a Productive Workforce. The Center for Substance
Abuse Prevention's easy-to-follow guide for employers
and employees interested in learning about
youth-serving activities such as mentoring,
volunteering, and adopt-a-school programs. (Free; 1-
800-729-6686.)

Reproducible Fact Sheets for Youth and Adults. Tip
sheets that help youth find mentors and adults find
mentoring opportunities. Organizations can customize
the sheets with their logo, description of their
program, contact information, etc. (Free; 202-729-
4345.) 

-----------------
"There were always experienced people whom I could
reach out to, mentors who were interested in how I
developed and if I succeeded, and [who] aided me
throughout my life because it always kept me from
feeling alone." 

--Lynn Swann, former Pittsburgh Steeler and current
spokesperson for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America,
speaking about his experience as a mentored youth

-----------------

Commitment: The Most Important Part of Mentoring

Norma Rabago
San Antonio Fighting Back of United Way
San Antonio, Texas

Manuel Castillo may be only 6 years old, but the
first-grader at Las Palmas Elementary School in San
Antonio, Texas, knows why mentors are important. 

"When I come here, he's always here," Castillo said
of his mentor, Ted Montelongo. For Castillo and the
other students mentored by Montelongo, nothing is
more important than just being there. "When you don't
show up, you disappoint them and you hurt them,"
Montelongo said. "That's why following through with
your promises and commitments is so important to
being a mentor." 

For the past 3 years, the retired former AmeriCorps
member has mentored children in the Edgewood School
District, one of the poorest districts in the city
and State, located in the San Antonio Weed and Seed
target area. In addition to his role as a respected
mentor, Montelongo serves as the Weed and Seed
Coordinator. He began mentoring as part of his
AmeriCorps service but has always had an interest in
working for a school.

"In the old days, parents didn't put much value in
education beyond high school. They just wanted you to
work," Montelongo said. So he worked as a consultant
for 29 years, married, and raised three children.
After retiring, he found that he was financially
secure enough to volunteer. When he read about the
efforts of San Antonio Fighting Back of United Way
(especially their Weed and Seed efforts), Montelongo
decided to join the agency's AmeriCorps program.

"I wanted to make a difference in someone's life," he
said. In the 3 years that Montelongo has worked with
students at Truman Middle School, Emma Frey
Elementary School, and Las Palmas Elementary School,
he feels he has indeed made a difference in his
mentees' lives. When he began mentoring at Truman
Middle School, Montelongo was assigned to 12 students
in special education classes. After he worked with
the students throughout the year, five of them
returned to regular classes and began to ask for help
when they needed it.

At Las Palmas Elementary School, Montelongo and 23
other mentors work with 25 students. Olivia Zapata,
host program teacher, oversees the program that hopes
to not only help the students with their schoolwork
but raise their self-esteem so they will have a
positive self-image. Zapata also worked as a mentor
when she was in high school and understands the
benefits of mentoring. "I value my mentors," she
said. "Along with helping the students with their
homework, they really listen to them. [Mentors] allow
our students to have a voice, and when you are 6 or 7
years old, that means a lot."

Montelongo understands the value of listening to his
mentees. He said that sometimes parents are so busy
working and providing a good home that they can't sit
and really listen to their children talk about their
day. 

"Parents today have so many demands placed on them
that it's hard for them to just sit, relax, and have
a conversation with their children," he said. "It's
our 'job' to listen and assist in any way possible."

Montelongo encourages all mentors to get to know the
youth, as well as the communities they come from. He
said that understanding the culture of the children
being mentored is important. Yet the most important
requirement of a mentor is, of course, commitment.
Montelongo advises potential mentors to make sure
they follow through with their promises. 

"I guarantee that if you meet with a kid at least two
or three times, you'll be hooked for life," he said.
"Your biggest reward will be the joy on that kid's
face when you walk in the door. There is no other
feeling like it." 

-----------------

Introduction

DEFY is a prevention program and a catalyst for
increasing community participation in and commitment
to youth development. DEFY volunteers work with youth
aged 9 to 12 through a 1-year multiphased program to
help them develop the character and confidence to
engage in positive, drug-free lifestyles. DEFY Phase
I is a summer camp program that helps youth develop
valuable life skills such as leadership, team
building, conflict resolution, and goal setting while
building self-confidence. 

This section includes testimonials from sites new to
DEFY (Brownsville, Louisville, and Texarkana) and
from sites well practiced in DEFY programming (East
Dallas, New Orleans, and Wilmington). All DEFY camps
are unique, but each DEFY staffer and volunteer has
one belief in common--that mentoring is one of the
best ways to help kids stay drug-free. In this
section, DEFY Coordinators offer their challenges,
their rewards, and their advice to all readers and
all sites interested in the DEFY program.

-----------------

Steps to Establishing a DEFY Camp Program



1. Identify a military partner. Your military partner
is necessary to keep the military character of the
DEFY program. The U.S. Navy created the DEFY
curriculum in partnership with the U.S. Department of
Justice; your military partner plays a vital role in
the implementation of the curriculum, including
physical fitness and instruction of classroom units.
Phase I of the program (the summer leadership camp)
should take place at a military facility.

2. Designate a DEFY Coordinator and Assistant
Coordinator. The DEFY Coordinator should be on the
staff of the U.S. Attorney's Office. The Assistant
Coordinator should be someone who works in an agency
that has liability coverage (the police department,
city or Federal government, etc.). The military point
person will work closely with these two coordinators. 

3. Register the Coordinator, Assistant Coordinator,
and the military point person for the Weed and Seed
DEFY 2001 Training to be held January 28-31, 2001
(details to come). DEFY leaders must attend the
entire conference. 

4. Execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The
MOU outlines the roles and responsibilities of each
of the supporting parties. The U.S. Attorney's Office
DEFY contact and the commander of the partnering
military unit must sign the MOU.

5. Discuss funding with the Administrative Officer
and Budget Officer in your agency. The DEFY program
is funded through the U.S. Attorney's Weed and Seed
Fund, which is available for the discretionary use of
the U.S. Attorney. The DEFY Coordinator should meet
with the Budget Officer early in the planning process
to determine district procedures.

Questions related to DEFY should be directed to
Louise Lucas, EOWS DEFY Program Manager, by phone at
202-616-1152 or by e-mail at lucas@ojp.usdoj.gov.

-----------------

First Try a Success for Brownsville Weed and Seed

Rose Gomez
Weed and Seed Site Coordinator
Brownsville, Texas

Brownsville, Texas, Weed and Seed held its first solo
Phase I DEFY Camp at the South Padre Island U.S.
Coast Guard Station, Sunday, June 4, through Friday,
June 9. In 1999, the site partnered with the
neighboring Galveston, Corpus Christi, and Houston
Weed and Seed sites to coordinate one camp. For its
solo effort, the site secured full support from
partners in the local U.S. Attorney's Office, the
U.S. Coast Guard, the Cameron County Juvenile
Probation Department, and the Border Patrol
Explorer's Program. Overall, Brownsville Weed and
Seed was very pleased with its Phase I and offers
this candid insight into a first-year DEFY
experience.

Not Too Big. . .

Brownsville Weed and Seed kept its first-ever DEFY
camp small, hosting 10 youth from the target area who
had been referred by the Cameron County Juvenile
Probation Department. These children were not
necessarily delinquent, they just needed positive
role models and encouragement to build self-esteem.
Weed and Seed staff hoped the DEFY program would help
deter the youth from sinking deep into the juvenile
justice system. DEFY volunteers came from the local
target area--teachers, attorneys, juvenile probation
officers, and college students. Eight high school
students from the Border Patrol Explorers Program
volunteered as junior mentors and provided emotional
and moral support for the younger students, which was
particularly helpful when some got homesick midweek.

Location, Location, Location!

Camp began on Sunday evening, when two vans
transported the youth from the Weed and Seed site in
Brownsville to the South Padre Island U.S. Coast
Guard Station, about 30 minutes away. On that first
evening, the campers were given direction and
orientation by U.S. Coast Guard officers. Tents were
set up and assigned, and lights were out at 10 p.m.

The campsite was ideal because it provided plenty of
outdoor space plus an indoor facility large enough to
accommodate everyone. The campsite and the Coast
Guard station were close enough to each other for the
children to walk back and forth, reducing
transportation costs. The week was warm and muggy.
When the first afternoon of camp was interrupted by
heavy showers, the campers and volunteers broke down
the camp and relocated to the Explorer Post's
recreation room, conveniently located nearby. 

Camp Unsweetened . . . Please!

The Coast Guard officers took charge of nutritional
details for the first 3 days. Soda, chips, and candy
were banned from camp, and children were given the
choice of water or milk with each meal. Banning the
sugar-filled treats from the camp cut down on
hyperactivity and complaints of stomach pains.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Thanks to the media-outreach work of Norma Lacy (U.S.
Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas)
and staff from the Brownsville Weed and Seed site,
media representatives were at the camp every day.
Local media were given a press release providing
dates, directions, and contact information for the
DEFY camp. Reporters and photographers came from two
local newspapers, local talk radio, the Associated
Press, local television, and even the U.S. Hispanic
television station Univision. Camp participants were
interviewed, photographed, and filmed as they went
through the DEFY curriculum and physical activities,
toured a Coast Guard helicopter, learned seaman
skills, and participated in flag raising. 

Camp participants collected quickly and without much
prompting on graduation day, knowing the day was to
include a trip to South Padre Island's Jeramiah Water
Slide. Vans were secured to transport the DEFY youth,
Border Patrol Explorers, and volunteers from the camp
to the water park and after graduation and lunch back
to the Brownsville Weed and Seed site.

The Brownsville DEFY Phase I experience required much
preparation and an unbelievable amount of support. By
participating in DEFY, Brownsville Weed and Seed has
built a friendship and working relationship with
stakeholders for the benefit of community youth. It
doesn't get any better than that! For more
information on Brownsville's first-year efforts,
please call 956-504-9793 or send an e-mail to
rgomez@co.cameron.tx.us.

-----------------

Texarkana Hosts Its First DEFY Phase I

Kenya Buffington-Golden
Weed and Seed Coordinator
Texarkana, Arkansas

Texarkana Weed and Seed held its first DEFY Phase I
Summer Leadership Camp at the Southwest Center (a
Texarkana, Texas, Parks and Recreation Facility) from
July 31 to August 4, 2000. The camp was a joint
effort by the Texarkana, Arkansas, and Texarkana,
Texas, Weed and Seed sites with the support of the
U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Western District of
Arkansas and Eastern District of Texas and the U.S.
Marine Corps. Forty children (20 from each State)
between the ages of 9 and 12 attended the week-long
camp.

The selection process for youth participants went
very smoothly. A brief DEFY presentation was given at
the Safe Haven Summer Camps in Arkansas and Texas,
after which the Safe Haven staff recommended and
referred youth to DEFY coordinators. Miller County
Youth Services in Arkansas also recommended and
referred youth to the camp. Youth were selected on a
first-come, first-served basis. Most of the youth who
participated came from the Weed and Seed target
areas.

On the first day of camp, youth were picked up from
the Safe Havens in both sites by assigned Weed and
Seed Officers from the Texarkana, Arkansas, Police
Department and transported to the Southwest Center
for breakfast, followed by an orientation, during
which camp rules were reviewed. (Arkansas used rental
vans for youth pickup; Texas collaborated with the
Texas Independent School District for use of a school
bus and driver to pick up youth.) Officers from both
sites taught the campers various classes, including

--Find Someone Who: an exercise to help youth meet
other youth and begin forming healthy friendships.

--Build Up and Put Down: an exercise to help youth
identify how the behaviors of others affect them and
how theirs affect others.

--My Own Coat of Arms: an exercise to encourage youth
to identify qualities and characteristics about
themselves of which they are proud. 

--Solving Conflicts: an exercise to help youth
recognize effective, nonviolent methods to respond to
conflict situations.

--My Board of Advisors: an exercise to encourage
youth to identify traits they admire in others and to
use positive role models when they need support.

--Bag of Tricks: various activities that youth
enjoyed during "fun time."

These curriculum units were introduced to site
representatives who attended the DEFY
Train-the-Trainer Conference in Reno, Nevada, in
spring 2000. Further instruction was provided by the
Drug Demand Reduction Task Force. The youth enjoyed
all aspects of the DEFY curriculum, especially the
Landing Zone, a team-building exercise; the ropes
course, another team-building exercise; and physical
training. Camp leaders and mentors noticed one thing
across the board--the youth enjoyed simply being
outside and burning up energy!

On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, the DEFY campers
started the day with physical training led by
volunteers from the U.S. Marine Corps. Wednesday's
activities included Ready Set Go (to identify
strengths and bad habits and to help the youth set
goals) and Resistance Skills and Drug Resistance
Skills (to introduce youth to negative behaviors and
concepts related to drug, tobacco, and alcohol use).
DEFY coordinators felt that it was imperative to the
Weed and Seed effort to invite Steering Committee
members to the DEFY camp to meet the youth involved
with the program. On Wednesday, members of the T-BON
(Taking Back Our Neighborhood) Weed and Seed Steering
Committee (for Texarkana, Arkansas) joined the youth
for a spaghetti lunch served by members of the Lonoke
Baptist Church, a community church located in the
T-BON area. The day wrapped up with a field trip to
College Bowl (a bowling alley), where the youth
bowled two games and had a snack.

Thursday morning began at the Living Hope
Rehabilitation Center Ropes Course. DEFY participants
were divided into four groups to participate in
physical activities designed to enhance personal and
team confidence and performance and to build trust
and open communication within groups. In the
afternoon, the camp was visited by speaker Vincent
Gamble, a recovering drug addict. He spoke about how
drug addiction came into and almost took over his
life, and how he overcame it. Gamble's testimony not
only brought the reality of drug use to light for the
youth but also emphasized the importance of having a
positive attitude and believing in oneself.

Units on drug resistance consisted of the Low Down on
Marijuana and Inhalants, a look into the basic facts
about the dangers of marijuana and inhalant use;
Maggie's Story, a rehearsal in saying no when
pressured to use drugs; and Natural High, a
presentation of positive images of living drug-free.

After breakfast on Friday, the Marines conducted the
morning's physical training, followed by the
educational units Say No, providing youth with
strategies to use when they find themselves in
situations where they are being pressured to do
something they do not want to do, and Better Things
To Do, encouraging youth to identify activities they
enjoy and those they would like to try in the future. 

Later that day, youth enjoyed a lesson on snakes and
fossils taught by Bill King from Texarkana Water
Utilities, who brought live snakes and fossils for
the children to touch. That afternoon, the youth went
on a field trip to the Northeast Texas Restitution
Center, a facility that houses men 18 years and older
who have been in trouble with the law. The DEFY Phase
I graduation ceremony was held after the field trip.
Certificates and backpacks containing school supplies
and hygiene items were presented to DEFY
participants. After the ceremony, graduates and their
families were served a barbecue dinner by volunteers
from the Mt. Grove Baptist Church, a community church
in the T-BON area, and a cake featuring the DEFY
logo.

After completion of DEFY Phase I, the Coordinator,
volunteer staff, and others held a DEFY evaluation
session to discuss the positive and negative aspects
of the camp. More than 50 items were reviewed and
listed for consideration in planning DEFY 2001. The
first year proved to be a great learning experience
for both Weed and Seed sites.

The Texarkana DEFY 2000 camp demonstrated that if a
site is committed and determined, it can coordinate a
positive mentoring program for youth by being
flexible and forming partnerships with community
stakeholders. The Texarkana DEFY program would not
have been so successful without the generous
contributions of volunteers, partnering agencies, and
the business community. With the strength of these
partnerships behind the program, Phase II will be as
exciting as Phase I. 

-----------------

Attention Coalitions: NEED FUNDING?

Start planning for the FY 2001 Drug-Free Communities
Support Program funding opportunity, sponsored by the
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
and the Office of National Drug Control Policy. To
learn more and order the application package, visit
ojjdp.ncjrs.org/dfcs/index.html.

-----------------

What do Bill Cosby, Brad Pitt, Michael Jordan,
President Clinton, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Martin
Sheen, and Denzel Washington have in common? They are
all alumni of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America,
which had its beginnings in 1860. Several women in
Hartford, Connecticut, believing that boys who roamed
the streets should have a positive alternative,
organized the first Club. A cause was born. Visit
www.bgca.org/.

-----------------

Louisiana National Guard DEFY 
Program 2000

Capt. John-Michael Wells
Louisiana National Guard Counterdrug Task Force
New Orleans, Louisiana

The Louisiana National Guard conducted its third
residential DEFY summer camp at Jackson Barracks in
New Orleans, Louisiana, August 7-11, 2000. The
Louisiana National Guard's DEFY program is a joint
effort among the U.S. Attorney's Office for the
Eastern District of Louisiana, the Louisiana National
Guard Counterdrug Task Force, and the Washington
Artillery, the oldest and most decorated unit in the
Louisiana National Guard.

On Monday morning, 32 boys and girls said goodbye to
their parents and boarded a military bus headed for
DEFY camp,5 days of intensive training, discipline,
adventure, and a lot of learning. Twenty minutes
later, the bus entered historic Jackson Barracks on
the banks of the Mississippi River,just 2 miles from
the site of the Battle of New Orleans. When the youth
got off the bus, they were grouped into three squads.
Each squad then continued onward to meet the soldiers
who would guide them for the next 5 days.

In addition to the DEFY curriculum, the Louisiana
National Guard camp participants learned many life
skills through extensive experiential education. At
the Pelican State Starbase classroom, a National
Guard pilot taught the children the basics of flight,
compass navigation, and flight instruction. The pilot
then led them through a flight simulator, where the
children were able to "take off and fly" a
single-engine aircraft over the New Orleans skyline
and back to a safe landing. Then, with the aid of
Fatal Vision goggles (designed to give the feeling of
alcohol-related impairment), children went through an
exercise that showed the difficulty of controlling
motor skills and senses. Each squad then had to
design a safety restraint system for a raw egg
"passenger" riding a "space shuttle" on a crash
course into a wall; there were minor injuries and one
fatality, but most eggs survived the ordeal.

On Thursday, the children and their mentors boarded
the bus for a full-day trip to the Gillis Long Center
in Carville, Louisiana, where the children had to
overcome the obstacles of the National Guard Ropes
Challenge Course. Although guided by trained
facilitators, youth had to rely on their own
communication, teamwork, planning, and leadership
skills to complete the obstacles. After lunch, youth
overcame individual fears and limitations by
rappelling from a 30-foot tower under the watchful
eye of a rappel master and their squad leaders.

By graduation on Friday, both the youth and the camp
staff experienced bittersweet moments of saying
goodbye to new friends while looking forward to the
adventures to come in Phase II. 

-----------------

First Timers Bring DEFY to Louisville Neighborhoods

John Hall
Weed and Seed Program Coordinator
Louisville, Kentucky

Youth from the Smoketown and Shelby Park
neighborhoods in Louisville, Kentucky, participated
in a week-long Phase I DEFY camp July 10-14 at Otter
Creek Park's Camp Tall Trees. The camp is located
near Fort Knox, about 40 miles south of Louisville.
The Smoketown/Shelby Park DEFY program is a
partnership among Weed and Seed, the city of
Louisville's Department of Neighborhoods, the
Kentucky National Guard, and the U.S. Attorney's
Office for the Western District of Kentucky. 

Volunteers from the National Guard facilitated
team-building exercises, conflict resolution
training, and drug education and gang awareness
classes for youth participants. Youth were divided
into teams and spent the week learning to work
together, study together, and play together. Youth
also had the opportunity to test their physical
endurance with activities such as rock climbing,
canoeing, nature hikes, and swimming.

When asked by a local reporter what he learned during
the DEFY camp, 12-year-old camp participant Antonio
Williamson said, "We learned that you shouldn't join
gangs because once you're in, you're in for life."

Phase II of the DEFY program, which began in the
fall, consists of one-on-one mentoring, with
activities that focus on topics of concern identified
by participants at the summer camp. Programs take
place at the House of Ruth, a local facility that
helps individuals and families living with HIV and
AIDS. The facility, located in Shelby Park, includes
a gymnasium, classrooms, and a community room.

Smoketown/Shelby Park DEFY grew out of a joint effort
by the Law Enforcement Community Coordinator from the
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of
Kentucky and a Recreation Specialist from the Weed
and Seed neighborhoods. Together, they attended the
DEFY Train-the-Trainer Conference in Reno, Nevada, in
early spring 2000. They secured the tools they needed
to get the local site involved in DEFY. Much hard
work and commitment was needed to pull the program
together, but the dedication of the many partners
made DEFY a success for the 40 Louisville youth who
participated. 

-----------------

On behalf of EOWS, I wish to thank the following U.S.
Attorney's Office representatives who made up the
Weed and Seed DEFY Program Management Guide review
team. Your endless contributions and dedication to
DEFY are applauded by the entire Weed and Seed
community.

Nancy Ware, Director of Training and Technical
Assistance, EOWS

Will Daniels 
Middle District of Florida

Grace Denton
Central District of California

Dan Drake
District of Arizona

Mary Jane Lattie
Eastern District of Louisiana

Carol Neylan
District of Delaware

Alvin Overbaugh
Southern District of Iowa

Fred Rocha
Northern District of California

-----------------

A 1996 study by Pennsylvania State University showed
the DEFY program produced measurable positive
outcomes in drug and alcohol knowledge and resistance
skills, social behavior, and gang attitudes.

-----------------

DEFY 2000 Camp Rapture!

Carol Neylan
Law Enforcement Community Coordinator
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Delaware

Phase I of the Wilmington, Delaware, Weed and Seed
DEFY program-DEFY 2000 Camp Rapture-was held at the
Delaware National Guard's Bethany Beach training
site. From Monday, August 7, through Friday, August
11, the training facility served as the exclusive
home for 40 spirited campers from the Weed and Seed
target area in Wilmington and staff from the Delaware
National Guard, U.S. Attorney's Office for the
District of Delaware, Wilmington Police Department,
and Weed and Seed agencies. Campers stayed together
for 4 nights and 5 days to complete DEFY Phase I.

The week included instruction in conflict resolution,
drug education, gang resistance training, personal
hygiene, team-building skills, and low-level ropes
course instruction. Campers took field trips to the
Dover Air Force Base and U.S. Coast Guard facility
and spent afternoons swimming in the Atlantic Ocean
at Dewey Beach State Park. Monday evening, the
campers and counselors participated in their first
Camp DEFY scavenger hunt, which allowed the teams to
become familiar with the base, build team
sportsmanship and team spirit, and design team flags. 

The highlight of the week was the graduation ceremony
on Friday, August 11, attended by parents, family,
and friends of the campers. Each camper received a
certificate of completion, and everyone gathered for
lunch before going home.

When planning a DEFY program, it is crucial that
coordinators remember mistakes from past years and
build on what has worked. DEFY 2000 was Wilmington
Weed and Seed's fourth annual DEFY camp, and each
year DEFY staff have been able to draw on past
experiences to enrich the camp. For example, the
scavenger hunt held on the first night of camp was
introduced as an activity to "break the ice" and
promote team-building-and it was a delightful
success.

The success and energy of Phase I has both mentors
and youth excited about Phase II. So far,
coordinators have planned a Halloween hayride, a
holiday party, and trips to Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, and to the theater and museums located
in Delaware. For more information on Wilmington's
Camp Rapture, please send an e-mail to Carol Neylan
at carol.neylan@usdoj.gov. 

-----------------

East Dallas Weed and Seed's DEFY Leadership Camp 2000

Polly Weidenkopf
Weed and Seed Site Coordinator
East Dallas, Texas

During East Dallas, Texas, Weed and Seed's DEFY
Leadership Camp 2000 in June, 42 children got a taste
of military life when they and 42 counselors from the
U.S. Air Force, Marines, Army, and Navy ate in the
chow hall and slept in tents at the marina of Fort
Worth's Naval Air Station, Joint Reserve Base.

Campers observed morning colors, marched in
formation, and visited the 201st Fighter Squadron-the
campers' favorite activity. After trying on helmets
in the flight equipment room, the children marveled
at the inside of the cockpit of an FA18. In the
control tower, campers learned about the "behind the
scenes" action of flying.

Later, a member of the Fort Worth Police Department
Mounted Patrol stopped by, and the children stroked
the horse's nose while the officer explained how he
takes care of the animal and how she aids him in his
police duties.

DEFY participants were selected from each of the
three Dallas Weed and Seed sites, as well as the Fort
Worth site. The collaboration gave youth the
opportunity to meet and interact with youth from
neighboring communities while learning skills for
achieving their life goals. For many of the mentors
and other volunteer staff, the most enjoyable aspect
of the camp was seeing how the kids changed in just 1
week as they gained discipline and the ability to
work as a team.

On the last night of DEFY camp, youth and counselors
demonstrated what they had learned in a talent show
featuring skits about how to say no to drugs and what
to do if a friend heads down the wrong path. Other
acts included joke telling, country singing, and
breakdancing. 

On graduation day, proud parents craned their necks
to spot their children as campers marched in carrying
their team flags. Each DEFY member was called by name
and presented a certificate by Capt. C.O. MacDonald,
USN, Base Commander, Joint Reserve Base, and Paul
Coggins, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of
Texas. Afterward, everyone enjoyed a Texas barbecue
and said goodbye to their favorite counselors and new
friends.

DEFY coordinators hosted a reunion picnic for all
DEFY campers, their families, and mentors on
September 29 to serve as a kickoff for DEFY Phase II.
The Weed and Seed sites and volunteers are looking
forward to partnering together for a very successful
school year. For more information on the East Dallas
DEFY program, please send an e-mail to Polly
Weidenkopf at weedseed@swbell.net. 

-----------------

Introduction

Participants who successfully complete, or "graduate"
from, DEFY Phase I in the summer go on to participate
in Phase II, which begins with the school year. Phase
II introduces a more intense level of mentoring by
involving youth in regularly scheduled activities
with mentors and staff. Activities include tutoring,
positive reinforcement through group mentoring,
interactive workshops, and field trips. Phase I
submerges participants in daylong activities in a
positive camp environment. Phase II introduces
scheduled mentoring activities over several months. 

Phase II is the more difficult phase for DEFY
Coordinators. It requires planning for the entire
school year, including holidays and weekends. No
national curriculum is provided for Coordinators to
adhere to, as in Phase I, and maintaining a committed
staff base as energetic and available as in Phase I
is a challenge. The support structure can often be
jeopardized, if not substantially depleted, as
volunteers and staff attend to other commitments. 

Peer mentoring is essential in Phase II programming.
The DEFY Train-the-Trainer Conference, to be offered
January 28-31, 2001, will address this need in more
detail. For this section, In-Sites invited a few DEFY
masterminds to offer their approaches to Phase II and
the DEFY program as a whole.

-----------------

Keys to Success: Making a Difference Through
Effective Mentoring Strategies

William C. Daniels
Law Enforcement Community Coordinator
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of
Florida

To stand up for what is right in the face of
opposition, to reach out to others in their hour of
need, to work passionately at making a difference is
to be the kind of person who can change the world.

-Frederick Douglass

Some things are constant when we examine prudent
strategies for our promising youth: no successful
human development process can exist without positive
interactions and quality relationships between the
past and the future, between adults and youth. Here,
we can make a difference!

Phase I DEFY provides the backdrop necessary to
instill in our youth structure, order, and
discipline. Yet, these factors are only the basis for
the greater opportunities to come. Phase II tests the
will, character, and commitment of everyone involved
in this youth movement. In Phase II, we have the
opportunity to bestow our greatest gift--mentoring.
This phase, deemed by many to be crucial, provides
the keys for lasting success.

With seven DEFY sites in the six counties of central
Florida, mentoring strategies often vary but result
in consistent and measurable success. Building strong
mentors means recruiting "volunteers who want to be
there," said Dr. Stephen Boyer of the Lakeland Police
Department. "We only want mentors who have the desire
to make a difference in the lives of our youth. No
one is ordered, directed, or pressured into this
assignment." When asked to provide a few more keys to
ensure an effective mentoring phase, Dr. Boyer cited
the following:

--Leadership-Have a strong commitment to the program
from day one.

--Contacts-Involve individuals within your agency who
can bring additional resources to the program,
ensuring that quality activities are available for
both youth and mentors.

--Promotion-Schedule separate camaraderie activities
for the mentors, independent of the youth/mentor
activities.

In the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Officer Ken
Jefferson coordinates his group of mentors with a
high level of expectation from all who are involved
in the process. A former police recruiter for the
Sheriff's Office, Jefferson explained, "We are not
looking for r‚sum‚ builders as mentors--those who
show up just to put it down on paper and not do
anything. We want people who bring something to the
table." 

When interviewing potential mentors and volunteers,
he poses the question, "What can you offer DEFY?"
Noted for his ability to attract people from the
Jacksonville retired community, Jefferson assigns
everyone who volunteers a task. 

How are DEFY strategies shared among central Florida
sites? Quarterly meetings at the U.S. Attorney's
Office provide DEFY Coordinators and
mentors/volunteers from all seven sites the
opportunity to unveil best practices and revamp
ineffective policies-sharing the keys to changing the
world.

-----------------

Mentors Are Where You Find Them

Dan Drake
Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of
Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona



Phoenix DEFY Coordinators didn't expect to partner
their camp with any other local youth group when they
started the Phoenix DEFY program 4 years ago. They
planned to follow the traditional procedure for DEFY:
serve selected children in the Weed and Seed target
area. When DEFY staff researched campsites, Camp
Shadow Pines in Heber, Arizona, proved to be the
perfect location; however, it was too large for the
group to fill to capacity. Coincidentally, another
small group was interested in the camp facility-the
Dobson High School Marching Band from Mesa, Arizona,
which needed practice space but had too few members
to fill the camp space. After some consideration,
both groups decided to jointly camp at Camp Shadow
Pines in summer 1996.

At first it was odd having a band marching and its
energetic music echoing through the Ponderosa pines
as counselors and DEFY leaders talked to Weed and
Seed kids about resisting drugs and gangs. However,
counselors quickly realized that the DEFY youth were
gaining more from the experience than had been
anticipated. 

Just as the band members had instructors teaching
them marching formations, the DEFY youth had National
Guardsmen helping them with their formations. The
exposure to older disciplined youth who didn't drink
or smoke and who had positive attitudes provided a
level of mentoring never expected by DEFY
Coordinators. 

The high school marching band and the DEFY kids
bonded the very first summer, and the joint camp has
been repeated each summer since 1996. The members of
both camps may change each year, but the dedication
they have to each other and the mutual support they
share has remained consistent through the years.
Although both groups have their own schedules at Camp
Shadow Pines during the day, they usually come
together for evening activities-band members often
serenade the DEFY campers, surrounding the youth with
their music and dance. Band members also take part in
the evening DEFY flag ceremonies, complete with a
traditional flag folding. The band members bring to
the DEFY camp an enthusiasm and team spirit that may
be a new experience for DEFY participants, who are
fascinated with the showcased musical arts. One DEFY
2000 camper, Jessica, wrote a thank-you letter to the
Dobson High School Marching Band. 

What makes the Phoenix DEFY camp such a different
experience for the youth is the palpable feeling that
someone else wants them to do well and succeed. They
feel important to each other, because the success of
their skits and games depends on everyone in the
group. Of course, their families love them, but at
DEFY camp there are strangers in National Guard
uniforms who really seem to care about these kids and
how they do. DEFY youth feel that they matter to the
high school marching band members, too. 

Phoenix Weed and Seed could not have designed a
better way to give DEFY campers exposure to positive
role models. Intended or not, the high school
marching band members are superb mentors for the DEFY
kids. As the note from Christina B. shows, the band
members even offer counseling services if the campers
feel homesick. Who could ask for more? 

-----------------

The Main Ingredient for Phase II Success Is
Partnership

Marcia Roberts
Tucson Weed and Seed Coordinator
Tucson, Arizona

For Tucson and South Tucson, DEFY Phase I is merely
the beginning of a year of fun, education, and
partnership. Phase II is when the real excitement
comes into play.

Tucson and South Tucson are separate Weed and Seed
sites located within a few miles of each other. They
have different needs, different issues, and different
ways of doing business. Nonetheless, for the DEFY
program, they work together.

The 2000 program represents the second year the two
cities have united to coordinate one DEFY program.
Both sites already know this year's program is going
to bring positive results for youth and adults alike. 

The main ingredient for Phase II success is
partnership. Key partners in the Tucson/South Tucson
DEFY program are the Arizona National Guard, the city
of Tucson Police Department, the city of South Tucson
Fire Department, Tucson Parks and Recreation, Project
Yes (a local organization that offers tutoring and
mentoring to students, a sports league, a youth
council, and parent-to-parent workshops), and the
youth participants from Phase I. Resources include
funding from Weed and Seed, the Kmart Kids Race
Against Drugs, and local donations. 

Last year's DEFY graduates entered into a new role as
junior facilitators-support staff-for this year's
Phase I camp. These youth now help set up Phase II
events, assist during activities, and act as mentors
to new DEFY youth. Not surprisingly, the junior
facilitators love taking on such responsibilities
after learning leadership and other skills during
Phase II of their own DEFY year. Last year's
graduates are looked up to by new DEFY participants
as the mentors and natural leaders they themselves
may become.

Planning for Tucson/South Tucson Phase II began at
the Camp Reunion and Parent/Youth Orientation on
Saturday, September 23, 2000. After a meal, a
volleyball game, and viewing videos and photos from
the camp program (Phase I), everyone began creating
an action plan to be carried out during the school
year (Phase II). Led by the Arizona National Guard
Drug Demand Reduction Unit, the youth and their
parents learned about Phase II concepts. Each camper
was encouraged to think of two activities he or she
would like to do during Phase II. Campers wrote their
ideas on a "planning wall." Ideas ranged from fun to
serious. On the silly side, participants requested
both more push-ups and less push-ups, and on the more
serious side were a dozen requests to perform some
form of community service. In between were
suggestions for educational trips and recreational
activities. At the end of the exercise, several
parents asked to participate in the monthly DEFY
events. Permission granted! 

With only a year for the program and dozens of
suggestions, the number of activities that can be
carried out is limited. Some popular suggestions for
activities are related to seasons or holidays. A few
involve out-of-town travel, making budget a big
consideration.

The DEFY Phase II program will continue to evolve
throughout the year. Ice skating, community service
activities, a sleep-over at the Armory, and more
activities are planned, the best being a 3-day trip
to the Grand Canyon. By the end of the program,
Tucson and South Tucson's DEFY campers will have had
a range of educational and recreational experiences.

By providing DEFY youth the opportunity to learn from
past-year DEFY graduates and allowing them to see
that their thoughts, actions, and suggestions have a
place at DEFY and are respected, these youth learn to
be excellent leaders. Coordinators witness the
transformation from young DEFY students to focused
and more developed young leaders.

For more information on the Tucson/South Tucson DEFY
program, contact Marcia Roberts at 520-791-5329. 

-----------------

Winners

Atlanta, Georgia

Hon. Deborah S. Greene of the Atlanta Municipal Court
was honored June 23, 2000, by the Judicial Section of
the Atlanta Bar Association with the 10th Annual Hon.
Romae Turner Powell Judicial Service Award, presented
annually to the judge who has made the most
significant contributions to the judiciary by his or
her work in the Judicial Section. Judge Greene serves
in the Drug Court Division and has greatly
facilitated the success of the drug
treatment/referral component of Community Court in
Atlanta. The award was presented at the Section's
annual Installation Luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton
Atlanta.

"Her exemplary caliber of judicial service is
reflected in her commitment to providing contemporary
justice for persons who would be otherwise trapped in
an unending cycle of drug-related despair," said
Judge William Riley, Jr., Presiding Judge, Atlanta
Municipal Court, Community Court Division.

Freeport, Illinois

Southern Bell Corporation (SBC) and the National
Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) presented the annual
SBC Awards of Excellence at the NCPC National
Conference in Washington, D.C., held in September
2000. One of the six honorees was Weed and Seed's own
Tracy Johnson, recognized for his many community
works, including the Freeport Weed and Seed
initiative and partnerships formed with foundations,
schools, and businesses to better the quality of life
for the residents of Freeport. As President of the
Martin Luther King Community Services of Illinois, he
also runs a large community center. 

Sagadahoc County, Maine

On May 16, 2000, Rev. Greg Vinson was nominated and
selected as a STAR AWARD recipient by Volunteers of
America. The award honored volunteers who have shown
"There Are No Limits to Caring." Their contributions
to their communities have made them better places to
live, work, and play. 

Nominated by Bath Police Chief Peter Lizanecz,
Reverend Vinson was presented the award during a
ceremony at the State Capital in Augusta, Maine, with
a reception that followed at the Governor's
residence. In addition to his responsibilities as a
pastor for the Elim Assembly of God congregation in
Bath, Maine, Reverend Vinson, a committed volunteer,
finds time to support many other needs in his
community.

As Vice Chair of the Executive Council (steering
committee) for Sagadahoc County Weed and Seed, he is
always an advocate in community efforts to reduce
violent crime and drug abuse and target neighborhoods
in need of help. Reverend Vinson also serves in
unpaid volunteer positions on boards of 12 other area
committees. Truly committed to strengthening his
community by volunteering his expertise, time, and
energy, he sets a wonderful example by demonstrating
that individuals can make a difference in their
communities. In addition to other volunteer work,
Reverend Vinson is proud to serve as the Bath Police
Department's Chaplain.

-----------------

EOWS announces the 
Weed and Seed 2001 National Conference Theme Contest!

Weed and Seed will be celebrating its 2001 National
Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and EOWS
needs your help deciding on a conference theme!
Collect suggestions from your neighborhood and Weed
and Seed partners and submit them to EOWS (see page 2
for EOWS contact information). Suggestions should be
appropriate for the Weed and Seed audience,
reflective of our mission and/or the conference host
city, and concise. Winners will be compensated for
their creative input; at this time, the award has not
yet been determined. For more information on the 2001
National Conference, visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows.

-----------------

Conference Corner 

As more and more statewide Weed and Seed conferences
are being coordinated, EOWS encourages sites across
the country to take advantage of the opportunities
for networking and peer mentoring that local meetings
offer.

The benefits of these local meetings have been widely 
recognized, even outside the Weed and Seed family.
In-Sites offers this letter from the National Crime
Prevention Council's President and CEO, Jack Calhoun,
who delivered the keynote address at the first
Arizona statewide Weed and Seed conference.

-----------------

At the invitation of Dan Drake, Executive Assistant
U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, I had the
honor of keynoting Arizona's first annual statewide
Weed and Seed Conference on July 16, 2000. Dan has
asked me to summarize my experience during the first
day of the conference.

The meeting served as a powerful reminder of the
benefits of grassroots collaboration. On a personal
level, the conference also had a deep impact:

--It brought home the wonderful memories of one of my
very first jobs-as a staffer in the community
mobilization section for Boston Community
Development, one of the initial efforts in the war on
poverty in the mid-1960s.

--It underscored my agency's deep and abiding
commitment to expand its work in the Nation's
crime-besieged neighborhoods.

--I realized once again that under policy, under
program, under principle lies the single most
important generative aspect of our work-the passion
and commitment of people like Helen Trujillo,
President of the Garfield Organization.

The Arizona conference brought together the richest
array of participants imaginable-residents;
representatives from local, State, and Federal
government; housing representatives; members of law
enforcement; the elderly; health and economic
development leaders; school staff; and members of the
faith community. The meeting provided a forum to
share information about programs under way and those
on the drawing board and underscored essential
principles for community building: developing
partnerships, creating ownership and trust,
establishing common goals, motivating participants,
listening, "walking the walk," spurring neighborhood
action, getting political, and being open to doing
business a different way.

Weed and Seeders, I thank you for your beliefs and
for your work. You inspire me. You are an inspiration
for our country. 

Jack Calhoun
President, National Crime Prevention Council

-----------------

Web sight

As with any modern-day trend, the Internet is pushing
the mentoring movement to new levels. In recent
years, "telementoring programs" have surfaced as an
increasingly popular way to link the community to the
classroom, so much so that Internet service providers
are openly soliciting members to devote a few hours a
week to their telementoring projects. In addition,
thanks to the World Wide Web, word is spreading
quickly about mentoring programs that have recently
proved themselves worthy of national recognition and
modeling.

For this issue of In-Sites, Web Sight researched a
few resources available on the Internet to help
readers get a handle on what mentoring is all about
and encourage them to get involved in mentoring in
both their schools and their communities. 

The National School Network and Mentor Center 
Software. Mentor Center Software is free and enables
teachers, students, and mentors to work from their
own Internet-connected computers using their own
browsers and e-mail programs. To see how it works,
the Web site offers visitors the opportunity to "try
it out." Users will receive a temporary, fully
functional Mentor Center account, allowing them to
send work as students and review it as mentors. Visit
the National School Network at nsn.bbn.com/ to learn
more.

The National Mentoring Center, funded by the Office
of Justice Program's Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention, maintains a Web site complete
with forms for use in developing a mentoring program.
Sample Mentor Application, Mentor Reference Check,
Volunteer Interview, Mentor Preference, Mentor
Profile, Mentee Profile, Parent Permission, Mentor
Activity Log, and Teacher Referral forms have been
developed by the Center and are not copyrighted. They
may be used directly or as guides for developing your
program's own forms. The Web site is also a valuable
tool, providing articles by mentoring experts on
topics such as Gender Issues in Mentoring, Tapping a
New Volunteer Pool, Top 10 Reasons Why Agencies
Should Begin School-Based Mentoring Programs, and
dozens more. Visit www.nwrel.org/mentoring/.

Both folks unfamiliar with the mentoring concept and
mentor professionals will find the Web site of the
National Mentoring Partnership a precious resource.
The site provides the training, tools, and resources
needed for an adult to become a responsible,
committed, caring person in the life of a youth. An
exhaustive list of tips and training exercises for
mentors includes Teaching Your Mentee to Prioritize,
Helping Your Mentee Manage Stress, and Dealing With
Prejudice. Be sure to bookmark www.mentoring.org/.

Finally, Web Sight offers the Department of Justice's
Kids Page at www.usdoj.gov/kidspage/getinvolved/,
which links to some of the country's most respected
mentoring programs and provides information about 
getting involved in crime preven-tion, including how
a volunteer can start mentoring immediately! Bookmark
this site--it is updated frequently. 

-----------------

EOWS NEWS
Weed & Seed

The DEFY Train-the-Trainer Conference is just around
the corner! The 3-day conference will take place in
Phoenix, Arizona, January 29-31, 2001. Attendees will
have the opportunity to network with practiced DEFY
sites and learn about curriculum details and
mentoring. For the past several months, EOWS DEFY
Coordinator Louise Lucas and a team of U.S.
Attorney's Office representatives have worked to
revamp the Weed and Seed DEFY Program Management
Guide. The new guide and curriculum will be available
at the 2001 conference. Information will be featured
in In-Sites and on the EOWS Web site as it becomes
available.

At the Creating Healthy Communities Conference held
in September in Miami, sites had the opportunity to
meet EOWS Program Managers. EOWS recently reorganized
geographic assignments for Program Managers. A list
of regional assignments is provided below for quick
reference. For a complete listing of all EOWS staff,
please visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/.

Welcome

EOWS welcomes a few new Program Managers to its
roster. Jonathan Faley joined EOWS in April 2000
after serving as a Program Manager for the Drug
Courts Program Office (DCPO) at the Office of Justice
Programs. Jonathan has an M.S. in Administration of
Justice from Shippensburg University and a B.A. in
Administration of Justice from Pennsylvania State
University. He also studied drug policy at the
University of Leiden in the Netherlands. Jonathan
currently serves on Federal working groups addressing
mental health and crime issues and corrections
issues.

Before joining EOWS as a Program Manager in August
2000, Geroma Void served as a Grant Program Manager
for 4 years at the State and Local Assistance
Division of the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Geroma,
a graduate from the University of Maryland Eastern
Shore and Coppin State College with a B.S. and an
M.S. in Criminal Justice, is in a Ph.D. program in
sociology at American University.

Finally, Dionne Johnson joined EOWS in July 2000 but
has been working for the U.S. Department of Justice
since 1995. Before joining EOWS, she managed grants
for DCPO and was a Policy Analyst at the Office for
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). She has
experience with several Department of Justice grant
programs, including Drug Court Implementation, COPS
Universal Hiring, MORE (Making Officer Redeployment
Easy), and Combating Domestic Violence grants. Before
joining the Federal Government, Dionne worked as a
Budget Assistant in the Office of Research, Grants,
and Contracts at American University. She received
her master's degree in public administration and
bachelor's degree from American University in
Washington, D.C.

-----------------

Edison Aponte 
202-307-3180
(CT, Eastern District of NY, MA, ME, RI)

Faith Baker 
202-305-2586
(CA, NV, OR, U.S. Virgin Islands, WA)

Eric Chin 
202-305-2723 
(HI, IN, MI, MN) 

Michael Connor 
202-616-9384 
(AK, IA, KS, NE, SD, WI) 

Jonathan Faley
202-514-2350
(DE, NJ, Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of
NY, PA)

Sharron Fletcher
202-305-2358
(AL, GA, KY, TN)

Robert Hendricks
202-305-1909
(LA, TX)

Erin Holbert 
202-616-8158
(AZ, CO, MO, MS, UT)

Dionne Johnson
202-305-9003
(DC, FL)

Shannon Taitt
202-305-2356
(MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)

Geroma Void
202-305-7781
(AR, IL, MT, NM, OH, OK)

-----------------

Mailbox

EOWS receives hundreds of queries from the field each
month. Our Mailbox section provides a forum in which
to answer questions and share comments. Via this
shared line of communication, Weed and Seed sites can
keep themselves informed and up-to-date-so we need
you to participate! E-mail your questions and
comments to askeows@ojp.usdoj.gov or mail them to
EOWS, 810 Seventh Street NW., Washington, DC 20531.

Revising the DEFY Budget

"If our site comes in under budget for Phase I, are
we allowed to transfer the unused funds into our DEFY
Phase II budget?"

Pam Lightsey

Weed and Seed Coordinator 
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of
Georgia

Yes, sites may use unexpended funds from Phase I to
support the activities of Phase II. However, a
revised budget must be submitted to the EOWS DEFY
Coordinator for approval before Phase I funds can be
used for Phase II (a separate Request Form does not
need to be signed by the U.S. Attorney's Office).

The Phase I Final Report

"Is there an official form we need to use to do the
Phase I final report, or do we write a narrative and
provide numbers, etc.?" 

Maura White
Portland Police Department
Portland, Oregon

There is not an official Phase I Final Report form.
DEFY coordinators can prepare the report in any
format, as long as it includes the following:

--Identification of the Weed and Seed site(s)
involved.

--Date and location of camp
(residential/nonresidential).

--A summary of the accomplishments, program success,
lessons learned, and recommendations for improvement.

--A description of any incident or injury and how it
was addressed.

--A description of any media coverage, with copies of 
articles if possible.

--A roster of staff, volunteers, and mentors.

Note: The purpose of the "lessons learned" segment is
to identify strengths and weaknesses in the program
design, daily schedules, etc., to use as a basis for
improvements for future DEFY programming.

-----------------

EOWS has a new Web site!

Visit the new Web site of the Executive Office for
Weed and Seed, featuring an online conference
calendar, funding opportunities, links to Weed and
Seed sites, photos from the field, an all-new DEFY
page, and much more! 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows

E-mail From the Field

"The new Web site looks fantastic. Very user friendly
and relevant. Thanks for including the advance
information on conferences. That will be so
helpful."-Marcia Roberts, Tucson Weed and Seed,
Tucson, Arizona

"I just visited the new, improved EOWS Web site and
find it much more friendly. I was delighted to
discover that under Weed and Seed in a Nutshell you
used our Web site as an example. We are proud of the
work we are doing on all levels, and it was nice to
see recognition of our site."-Karen Henry, Executive
Director, Westside Weed and Seed, Grand Rapids,
Michigan

"You folks have made some great improvements to the
Web site. Particularly useful to the sites is the
information about funding sources and grant
applications. I'm proud to refer people to this site
for Weed and Seed information and general community
development information as well. Great job!"--Dan
Drake, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for the
District of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona