COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — School is out for the summer, and programs are starting for kids and teens. The City of Columbus invested more than $28 million in programming for youth to help keep them off the streets.
Monday evening kicked off the start of the summer program, Ravage, at the J.C. Broadus Center in Columbus. Seventy kids and teens are enrolled. The program focuses on literacy skills, and kids learn how to play the drums and dance. It takes place during the evening until 8:30 p.m.
“Normally, throughout the summer, I lose a lot of information that I normally get due to gaming and stuff like that, but now my head is basically focused on drum line,” said Shawn Saunders, an incoming high school freshman who is in the Ravage program.
Shawn said the program helps him make smart decisions to support his future goal of getting a college scholarship.
“It’s a lot going on throughout Columbus, so being home and being here is a lot better than being on the streets and people getting hurt and all that other stuff,” he said.
The program director, Amber Broadus, said they teach and show kids how to make wise decisions and stay away from crime and violence.
“That’s where the social emotional learning piece comes in, that’s where the behavioral and the mental health piece comes in, teaching them how to make better decisions for themselves, for their communities and for their families,” Broadus said.
She said the City of Columbus supports their efforts and awarded the center $75,000 to fund the summer program.
“Seeing how many kids were dying from gun violence, the stealing of the cars, children not eating because parents are unemployed or whatever the case may be, it’s important that we continue to create these spaces not just for the children but families to be able to come and be a part of something,” Broadus said.
So far this year in Columbus, police have reported 11 homicide suspects and 76 felony assault suspects who are under 18. Mayor Andrew Ginther said investing in programs like Ravage helps decrease those numbers.
“This is really a comprehensive approach, a way for us to celebrate, lift up, and invest in our young people to make us all safer and to make them more successful in the future,” Mayor Ginther said.
Mayor Ginther also visited with the kids and watched them perform. He told them they are the city’s future and wished them a safe and happy summer.
The program is still accepting more students for the summer.
