The Khepera Center Addresses Young Male Issues In Project Alpha Collaboration

The Khepera Center for Expression & Social Change (www.kheperacenter.org) is announcing a joint sponsorship with select Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (www.apa.net) chapters on their national Project Alpha initiative designed to provide education, motivation and skill-building on issues of responsibility, relationships, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases for 12 to 15 year-old males.

Mitchellville, MD (PRWEB) October 2, 2006 –- The Khepera Center for Expression & Social Change is announcing a joint sponsorship with select Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. chapters on their national Project Alpha initiative designed to provide education, motivation and skill-building on issues of responsibility, relationships, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases for 12 to 15 year-old males.

Project Alpha, which began to be implemented collaboratively with the March of Dimes in 1980, is usually held during the second week of October each year and has three primary goals: (1) sharing knowledge by combating ignorance and fear with factual information; (2) changing attitudes by providing motivation toward positive changes in sexual behavior; and lastly, (3) providing skills by creating a sense of empowerment and self-esteem.

“Alpha Phi Alpha has been at the forefront of confronting issues in the African American community from its campaigns on voters’ registration – A Voteless People Is A Hopeless People to its efforts to combat dropout rates with Go-To-High-School, Go-To-College,” said John C. Johnston, III , a member of the Center’s board of advisors, and a brother of the Alpha fraternity. “It’s a win-win situation for Khepera to partner with such an organization to share our experience, expertise and resources.”

The Khepera Center, which is a paradigm-shifting for-profit institution whose mission is to establish a community of creative problem-solvers and social change agents that capitalize on the transformative and healing powers of expression and the Arts, helps schools, community-based and non-profit organizations, government agencies and companies build capacity by addressing prevention and intervention issues among their staffs as well as the audiences and customers they serve.

The institution offers professional and personal development, youth development, social marketing, collaboration opportunities and resources that are engaging, culturally-competent and results-driven.

To date, one alumni chapter, Pi Upsilon Lambda, in Prince George’s County, MD and an undergraduate chapter, Nu, at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania are collaborating. The Khepera Center is encouraging more Alpha chapters, particularly those in the Washington Metropolitan area, as well as other organizations doing similar efforts to seek its support.

Khepera, which also receives support from the Maryland AIDS Administration, has recently held a AIDS Marathon fundraiser to benefit the Whitman-Walker Clinic and distributed HIV/AIDS prevention resources at the Juste Lounge, co-sponsored and hosted a homecoming art preview exhibition and reception at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts during the Three Rivers Arts Festival, taught summer creative writing classes to 5th & 6th grade classes at Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom School, evaluated community-based organization grant proposals addressing youth violence and other issues for the Untied Planning Organization as well as is offering a communication course at the Graduate School that not only focuses on effective writing, speaking and non-verbal communication, but also addresses how communication can prevent or contribute to domestic violence, child abuse, sexual harassment and racism.

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