When you think of the city of Chicago, what that usually comes to mind is the alarming rate of murder that has tarnish the city's reputation in the recent years. The city that was once known for its wild winds and deep dish pizza, is now mostly know for its increased number of shootings and murders. While major news media outlets are focusing on the problem in Chicago, a social learning program is working with it's youth to become a solution.
This program is called BAM (Becoming A Man). BAM is a program for at-risk male students that provided guidance with their social and emotional problems. This program teaches male teenage students to handle altercations in non-violent ways and to better express their emotions This program has been helping the youth of Chicago for 15 years and is looking to expand it.
The Bam program has decreased violent crimes by 50%, property crimes by 43%, and overall arrest by 39% in the city.
Listen to this interview with Program Manager, Phillip Cusic in the link below
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Very interesting and inspiring! I was able to identify with this kind of situation because Rio de Janeiro is a very violent city, with murder rates much higher than Chicago. There, many institutions fill the gap between the poor and the government, that don't seem too interested in investing in the poor regions, other than the use of police force. The institutions try to develop skills that could be used in careers, such as dance, art, mechanics, sports, theater, and much more. I bet Chicago could benchmark some ideas that Rio, and Brazil as a whole, applied. Hopefully, the situation in both Chicago and Rio will improve soon!
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