Sankofa's goal is to find and support programs at the neighborhood level that are reaching out to children and youth. Often, it is a core team of volunteers which keeps the program running from year to year. I've always felt the program should impact the teens just as much as the younger children. In the process, she helped Teen Approach, the program, become Teen Approach, Inc., a nonprofit organization. With the guidance of her board, she is now managing the gradual expansion of the program.
Individual attention is important.
Various north side churches have been willing to donate the space Teen Approach needs to hold activities emphasizing fitness, health, and moral judgment. Most parents and children learn about Teen Approach simply through word of mouth, and they are attracted by its emphasis on community service and positive values. Teen Approach has been challenged by its own success. The program fills rather quickly, so some interested children must be turned away. In response, the Foundation grant is helping Teen Approach gradually increase the number of children in its summer session from 12 to 30.