By Anita Weier
Northside News
Director Patrina White has aimed to build a staff at the Kennedy Heights Community Center that has heart — plenty of heart.
Her success in that regard was clear during a warm summer evening when students, their families and staff gathered to celebrate graduation from the Forward Learning Youth and Young Adults (FLYY) program.
It had been a long path of weekly meetings beginning last October as young people met to share experiences and knowledge. Now they would receive their diplomas.
The 10-month FLYY program was headed by co-leaders Jessie Kushner and Anthony Jack, who led the graduation ceremony.
Favor Olubi, 15, a sophomore at East High School, said she liked the program a lot. “It taught me ways to show leadership and how to talk to people. I learned how to get people to help with things.”
Lucy White, 16, a junior at Shabazz Alternative High School, agreed that she gained leadership skills. “I learned about nonviolent communication,” she said. “This opened up a world of empathizing with myself and others and making connections.”
The class started with 23 participants but ended with 13 — nine youth and four young adult leaders/participants.
“We do not mark by how many are here. This is small but mighty,” Kushner said. She thanked the City of Madison for sponsoring the FLYY pilot program, a Northside Peace Program. She noted that it was unusual to offer a peace program of such length. She also thanked the families of the students for completing “a ridiculous amount of paperwork.”
Participants learned how to lead Peace Circles so they can lead them at Kennedy Heights and in the community if asked to do so.
Jack added, “You are facing the world — to make it better or make it worse.”
White was immensely pleased with the success of the program. When she took over as director at the beginning of January 2018, “There had been somewhat of a revolving door at Kennedy Heights. So, I focused on the community. I needed to find out what the community truly wanted. They needed people who cared,” she said.
White, who graduated in business administration from the University of Phoenix, was familiar with many of the center’s programs from serving on the board before becoming director. White, 55, previously worked at WHEDA and United Way. She lives in Waunakee with her husband of 28 years. They have two children.
Programs at Kennedy Heights include an Early Childhood Program, Elementary After School Program, Youth After School Program, Girls Inc. and Boys Group.