BAM-WOW Initiatives Support At-Risk Chicago Students

BAM-WOW programs are City of Chicago school based enrichment initiatives that are rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, where students meet weekly at school to discuss issues they face at home or in school.
BAM-WOW programs are City of Chicago school based enrichment initiatives that are rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, where students meet weekly at school to discuss issues they face at home or in school.

BAM-WOW Initiatives Support At-Risk Chicago Students

By Safiyyah Muhammad

Teens in the Chicago Public School system are benefitting from mentoring initiatives that strive to keep students in a safe environment and protect them from negative influences. The BAM (Becoming A Man) and Working on Womanhood (WOW) enrichment programs are setting standards of excellence towards keeping at-risk teens on the right track, according to a City of Chicago press release.

“The BAM-WOW initiatives are geared towards working with students who live on the south and west sides of the city and come from high risk environments where there are high levels of crime and unemployment. We meet the kids where they are no matter what they are facing. We are there to give the students a safe space so they can have a better future,” said Jannie Kirby, director for marketing and communications for Youth Guidance.

Recently, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that he is expanding on the first phase of a three-year initiative to further the funding of Becoming A Man (BAM) youth mentoring initiative, which to date, has benefited more than 4,000 young high school males.

According to a City of Chicago press release, By the year 2018, the $36 million dollar youth initiative mentoring program’s goal is to reach 7,200 8th, 9th, and 10th grade boys in the 20 communities impacted by violence. Kirby stated that the BAM program was created more than 10 years ago and like its sister program, WOW, it is also rooted in Cognitive Behavior Therapy. According to PsychCentral website, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a psychotherapy treatment used to change patterns of thinking or behavior that people struggle with. The overall goal of CBT is to change the way people feel.

According to the City of Chicago Press release, several companies and philanthropic organizations including Exelon, People Gas, GET IN Chicago, Jimmy Johns and Bank of America have joined the Mayor in an effort to push the BAM mentoring initiative, bringing the total investment to $7 million dollars.

According to Kirby, the Working on Womanhood (WOW) program was founded five years ago and is focused on helping female youth in overcoming social and emotional issues. She further explained that WOW provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) counseling to improve the social-emotional competencies for young women in grades 7-12. Kirby also stated that WOW’s five core values are self-awareness,

emotional intelligence, healthy relationships, visionary goal setting, and leadership, as each value relates to personal and academic success.

“BAM-WOW programs are school-based enrichment programs that are rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, where students meet weekly at school to discuss issues they face at home or in school. Many of the students are referred by the school’s principal, the teacher and some of them are self-referred,” Kirby said.

Kirby also cited that BAM-WOW programs help student who sometimes face tough situations. She said, “Some of the students go through personal challenges such as loss and grief due to gun violence. Some of the girls struggle with depression due to the passing of a family member. Then, some of the boys might struggle with anger-management issues. Within the group circle, students choose to share what is going on with them on the home front, and from there, they receive reinforcement,” Kirby said.

According to the City of Chicago press release, CPS has supported BAM since its inception. The press release also stated that 19 schools will benefit from BAM program this school year, including Back of the Yards High School, Banner Academy West High School, Perkins Bass Elementary School, Brunson Elementary School, Burnside Scholastic Academy Elementary School, Cesar E. Chavez Elementary among others. According to Percy L. Julian's website, 32 local schools are actively involved in the WOW program.

Kirby also stated that the University of Chicago Crime Lab research study shows a 50% reduction in crime among high school males who participated in the BAM program. The research also revealed a 19-20% increase of on-time graduation for BAM participants.

“Ultimately, our goal is to increase BAM-WOW activity throughout city schools across the Chicago, but at the same time we want to continue to improve on these initiatives and stay on track with our goals,” Kirby said.

BAM’s Director is A.J. Watson, and Anthony Ramirez-Di Vittorio is its founder, according to information found in BAM’s Child Advocacy Policy.

To learn more about BAM Child Advocacy program, log on to: www. http://cap.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/ uploads/2015/12/Reading-Packet-12-FINAL.pdf

“To learn more about BAM and WOW, please visit http://www.youth-guidance.org.”

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