Teen Mentoring Coordinator Carlton Koonce looks on as UNC mentors, left to right, Eric Surber and Sarah DeWeese work with Partners for Youth Intern Christian Frazier on his story. (Staff photo by Gwen Payne)
Carlton Koonce is the communications and teen mentoring coordinator of Partners for Youth Opportunity, a Durham VOICE community partner.
Imagine the season opener for your favorite team.
Remember the crowd noise and smells? Remember that excitement in the stadium or stands right before the game starts?
It’s the thrill of a new season.
Partners for Youth Opportunity intern Kayla Parker listens as UNC memor Zack Newbauer helps her with a re-write. (Staff photo by Gwen Payne)
The emotions are similar in the VOICE newsroom at the Golden Belt complex (big thanks to Scientific Properties Inc.!) when students return, usually on a Saturday morning for our semi-annual introductory community bus tour, at the beginning of each semester.
On this kick-off day, you can almost taste the optimism and smell the wonder that comes with our writers’ realizations that they have a unique opportunity to serve a community.
The experience is like the inauguration of a team. And although the players on this team change frequently, its mindset and mission never does.
This year Partners for Youth Opportunity students have joined the VOICE along with our newest players. There was never any question about such a partnership. PYO, as their name implies, is dedicated to providing each student opportunities to take control of their own futures and shape a successful life. The VOICE is committed to providing teens a similar opportunity by acting as a conduit to tell their stories to the community and introduce them to a possible career.
What are classmates talking about in school or neighbors on your street? What’s new in the community? What matters to you?
These are questions we present to teens wondering what to write about. We usually wind up getting answers like college and careers, violence, new activities or restaurants and people.
This time around most of our teen writers share why they want to enter certain professions and who or what has influenced their lives.
Good subjects for a community-building publication.
Like any good team, we have a mix of youth and maturity. There are rookies and veterans.
The “vets” on this team, helping as they do each semester, are our college students. And although they come from all over the country, as area residents for the duration of their colleges careers, they still have a stake in this community.
When our younger players stumble, they step in and lend a hand up.
SCORE! Mentor Dylan Howlett of UNC gives Natasha Graham a fist-pump for her re-write. (Staff photo by Gwen Payne)
Recently NCCU and UNC students have continued to visit the newsroom and share past experiences along with general street know-how they’ve picked up over the years. They give advice on how to make stories stronger, tracking down sources and information and how to frame a “money shot.”
They talk about building relationships with each other and the community. This time together translates into cohesiveness that in turn translates into a stronger squad and a reinforced publication.
Even though technically, there is no competition – except our own prejudices and hindrances– in this sport, when a story is completed and published, that’s a score, goal or points.
And our cheering crowd, with its comments, letters and encouragement, is our loyal readers.
Time to get the season started.
Onward and upward.