Needs Assessment
The influence of the music industry on the behaviors of our nation's youth has long been a focus of concern and media attention. In fact, music has been a factor identified as the second greatest influence on children ages 9 and above. The REACH Complex seeks to become a catalyst for personal growth among what could be categorized as the most impressionable age group in our society.
The terms "disadvantaged" and "at-risk" are generally used to describe a segment of the population that is primarily urban, poor, and, most often, related to members of ethnic minority groups. Nationally, public school systems have reported serious criminal incidents within city school systems. For every 100 children, there are 6 incidents of crime on the elementary school level, 35 on the middle school level, and 48 on the high school or secondary school level. Juvenile arrests, ranging from violent crimes such as murder, rape, and robbery to aggravated assault are on the rise, and substance abuse, including the sale and use of alcohol and illicit drugs, is at an all-time high, particularly among young, middle school children.
Images of "gangsta" mentality, welfare squalor, and drug-infested neighborhoods have become a fact of life for many of Atlanta's young people. Within Metro Atlanta, juvenile delinquency and truancy rates are alarming. Young lives are being wasted and the city's citizens have become increasingly concerned about issues of safety and security.
Metro Atlanta's "disadvantaged" youth are becoming increasingly at risk for aborting their destinies. U.S. Census figures indicate that these young people include many children of single-parent homes.
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16.5% of Fulton County households are female single-parent households
17.6% of DeKalb County households are female single-parent households
4% of total households in Fulton County are male single-parent households
5.1% of households in DeKalb County are male single-parent households
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Research indicates that young people who are involved in after school, evening, Saturday, and summer programs that reinforce self-discipline, self-esteem, and structural concepts are significantly more productive and successful members of their communities, and that incidents of alcohol and drug usage, teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, and depression are significantly reduced.
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Program Evaluation
The REACH Complex program guidelines, policies, and procedures will be evaluated on an ongoing basis by program management and the Board of Directors to assure the continuation of quality services and programs. In addition, the progress of program participants will be closely monitored and documented. Parents/guardians will be apprised of student performance goals through pre- and post-evaluation forms which are currently being developed. Parent-instructor meetings will also be conducted to ensure the timely and appropriate transfer of student information and to identify the adjustments that may be needed for the overall progress, success, and well-being of the participants.
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Summary
Rivers Productions, Inc. enjoys an established track record of excellent production support and service. Client expressions of satisfaction and encouragement are numerous, and we intend to continue our advances in the entertainment marketplace with the unique and instrumental services and programming to be offered at The REACH Complex. A vital barometer of our future success in this new focus is our demonstrated commitment to the community. RPI has donated its entertainment services to nonprofit organizations, including the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the National Council of Negro Women, The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, the United Negro College Fund, and the APEX Museum. Don Rivers currently serves on the boards of Simon Carter Musician’s Emergency Fund and the Hammonds House, and was a former member of Maynard Jackson’s Mayor’s Music Advisory Board.
The relationships formed in our community efforts and our development into a major player in the Atlanta entertainment industry provide RPI with the ingredients needed to achieve our mission of creating opportunities in and advancing the influence of Georgia’s entertainment industry nationwide.
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