Kentucky State University has received a $900,000 federal grant to open a center for at-risk African American and Hispanic youths by early December.
The center will serve 90 Franklin County children, said Dr. Herman Walston, the KSU professor who wrote the grant.
The project is designed to address unhealthy behaviors in children between 8 and 15 – poor eating, exercise, hygiene and risky sexual activity – and teach them to make better life choices, he said. The goal is to decrease the number of behavioral incidents, and improve academic performance.
“If we can make a difference in one child’s life, then we will have done something,” Walston said.
“But we are hoping to make a difference in many children’s lives so that they can make healthy life choices and become productive, responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to their communities.”
The grant is provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health Services.
Walston said the $900,000 sum will pay for three years of the program, and the university will look for additional funding after that.
The Youth Center for Excellence will be housed at the Chappell Building on campus. KSU will also use the Kings Center in downtown Frankfort as a satellite location for children already attending after school programs there.
One Saturday per month, the children’s parents will be invited to a breakfast where they will have workshops about meal planning, etiquette, financial budgeting, job interview skills and other life skills while their children attend separate workshops.
In the summer, the students will attend a three-week day camp where they will take field trips to career sites and local colleges.
A program director and mentor coaches will staff the center. KSU students also will assist in the center to earn service-learning hours. An advisory board will provide advice and guidance to the program.
The center will partner with other departments on campus and community organizations.
Students will be exposed to careers, and some may shadow professionals on campus or in the community to learn about different jobs and careers.