Families filled the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts on Friday night for a show put together by young people that featured artwork from teens and young adults across Gary and Northwest Indiana during Black History Month. Called Colors of Culture, the exhibition was created to give Black youth a place to show their […]
Youth
Posted inCommunity, Youth
How Two Gary Teens Are Growing Their Own Food and Changing Their Community
A chill fall breeze drifted through the Brothers’ Keepers garden as community members moved slowly between batches of kale, mint, and herbs, checking what was still thriving in the cool air. Among them were teenage sisters Anna and Juda Mosley, clipping leaves to take home after a long afternoon of work. At 13 and 16, […]
Posted inEducation, Youth
Pre-K Access Shrinks in Lake County and Gary as State Cuts Budget
Lake County families are bracing for the fallout of major cuts to Indiana’s On My Way Pre-K, the state’s first full-scale preschool program for low-income 4-year-olds, which advocates warn could severely limit access to early childhood education in communities already struggling with inequity. The program allows families to use state vouchers at participating public and […]
Posted inEducation, Youth
‘Good Guys Don’t Bully’: The Former Gary Teen Who’s Protecting Kids Online
At 13 years old, Terrence “TJ” Harvey has already learned how cruel the world can be. The taunts came first. Name-calling, teasing, the kind of juvenile insults meant to wound but possible to ignore. Then, the physical harassment. And then, the shame. One day, something private — something never meant to be shared — was […]
Posted inYouth
This Youth Basketball League Is Bringing Hoops and Hope to Gary
The sharp squeak of sneakers echoed through the gym, cutting through the blare of whistles and a buzzing scoreboard at Gary’s Boys and Girls Club. Wesley Danzy hustled up and down the court guiding the young players, their faces alight with wide-eyed determination. It was opening day for the At All Cost Youth Basketball League, […]
Posted inCommunity, Education, Youth
Gary ‘Canoemobile’ makes a splash at Marquette Park
Alongside a stunning sunset overlooking the water of Marquette Park, Gary residents ranging from 7 to 74 years old gathered on the trail behind Marquette Pavilion. Amid tea, snacks, and shimmering waters, curiosity and excitement surrounded the two light blue canoes tucked atop the Marquette lagoon. But these are no ordinary vessels: they’re 24-foot “Canoemobiles.” […]
Posted inHealth, Partner Content, Youth
Girls in Distress: Report Finds Uptick in Homelessness, Mental Health Issues
This story was originally published by the Indiana Capital Chronicle. The average Hoosier girl encounters more bullying and sexual dating violence than her male peers, meaning her caregivers — from parents and schools up to lawmakers — need to better address mental health access barriers and reduce violence in communities, as shared in a new […]
Posted inSports, Youth
USA Basketball Camp Comes to Gary, Builds on City’s Rich Hoop History
Jamie Walker settled into a front-row seat in the bleachers, her eyes locked onto her sons’ every dribble and jump shot. On this August afternoon, the West Side Leadership Academy gymnasium thrummed with the echoes of bouncing basketballs and youthful exuberance. “I feel like if you have kids, whether it’s a boy or a girl, […]