In a Campbell County Key Informant Interview, Judge Karen Thomas, Campbell County District Court Judge, pointed out to Ronda Rex, Agent for Family & Consumer Sciences Education, the need for support for our youth living in substance use environments in Newport.  Judge Thomas was extremely concerned about youth having a safe place where the youth could go and learn skills that would help empower them to “say NO” to substance use and propel them forward in life.  She wanted something they could take ownership of and help them focus on something other than the difficult situations they have been given.  “Current indicators show that the Northern Kentucky community is in urgent need of comprehensive and effective services for its most high-risk youth.”  https://mentoringplus.org/  Mentoring Plus is an organization located in Newport that provides such services to youth and is a haven for them.  “Mentoring Plus youth face “challenges such as mental illness, violence, abuse. neglect and severe poverty.” https://mentoringplus.org/

“Some of the youth’s families need help with housing, putting food on the table or just a compassionate shoulder in which to lean.  Mentoring Plus provides evidence-based programs which provides opportunities to meet the emotional, social, physical, and spiritual needs of both teens and their family members or guardians.  Mentoring Plus’s mission is to empower disadvantaged youth and their families to fulfill their potential and to contribute to the well-being of the community by forming relationships based on mutual trust, compassion, and respect.” https://mentoringplus.org/      So when the Campbell County Cooperative Extension Service and Mentoring Plus formed a collaboration to educate the youth on necessary life skills, Judge Thomas’ request was answered.  

To introduce Mentoring Plus youth to music and art, Ronda Rex reached out to key people in both her community and the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.  First, she initiated a discussion with one of her leaders/volunteers, Julie Geiman, who is a Percussion & Rhythmic Studies Instructor at Immanuel School of Music in Northern Kentucky.  Julie is also a cardio drumming instructor as well.  She is extremely gifted musician who is a member of the Cincinnati Metropolitan Orchestra and a teacher of other musical instruments such as piano, drums, guitar, and violin.   Julie graciously agreed and taught the youth both drumming and how to use music and other musical instruments as a positive outlet. 

Ronda also contacted Melissa Bond, Community Economic Development Initiative Kentucky (CEDIK) Extension Specialist and Leader for Arts Extension.  “Kentucky Arts Extension from CEDIK provides high quality arts engagement on the county, regional, and state level through its team of eight arts professionals. By working closely with state and local leadership as well as citizens within a community, Arts Extension serves diverse needs of Kentucky residents and is quick to adapt to the interests of local populations.” https://cedik.ca.uky.edu/   

Melissa quickly introduced Ronda to Jessica Evans, Arts Extension Associate who teaches the MARK (Mind, Art, Recovery, KY) Program.  MARK is a 6 series program focused on creating an art journal, writing, drawing, painting, and charcoal exercises.  These elements all combine to encourage participants to reflect on their own wellness journey and boost self-esteem through developing an arts skillset.  Ronda, Jessica, and Amy Sammons, Coordinator at Mentoring Plus, then collaborated and completed the series with seven Mentoring Plus youth and the youth’s coaches. 

Ronda focused on two goals (as advised by CEDIK’s Jessica):  1) learning MARK along with the youth while being trained in the MARK Program, and 2) assisting Jessica by helping the youth to complete their art projects.  Ronda will receive more training when Jessica offers the MARK training to all FCS agents statewide.  For future programming, Ronda will be able to continue to teach MARK with Mentoring Plus and other groups in Campbell County.  

End of class evaluation demonstrated that 100% of the youth and their coaches (10 total) learned and practiced Cardio Drumming and various drumming exercises.  One hundred percent of the participants (youth and MP Program Director) completed comprehensive journals, a “Where I Am From” poem, a Blackout Poem, a Watercolor painting, and a Mosaic using Collagraph technique.   

Sources: 

Judge Karen Thomas, Campbell County Cooperative Extension Collaborator and Key Information Interview

https://mentoringplus.org/  Amy Sammons, Mentoring Plus Coordinator

https://cedik.ca.uky.edu/   Jessica Evans, CEDIK Arts Extension, MARK Program

Julie Geiman, Immanuel School of Music, Percussion & Rhythmic Instructor