History Vision Need Philosophy Board of Directors Administrative Team Future

About Street Beat

History

A brief summary describing the history of Street Beat, Inc. by Executive Director and Founder, Kenneth K. Jackson, Jr.

Street Beat provides a fresh perspective to the concept of learning that I didn't find, while I was a public school teacher. I taught school for 11 years at Lake Shore Middle School in Belle Glade, Florida, and I noticed that every year it became increasingly more difficult to get students to the place where they were ready to learn. It was revealed to me that children needed more than just school in order to be successful; they needed more than just academics; they needed a new culture. It was also revealed to me that this could be done via the arts -- something that most youngsters love. So I left my job as middle school teacher, not knowing fully what I was going to do. One day as my wife, Nerissa and I were sitting at the table wandering who, what, how, when and why, the vision and the name Street Beat was revealed. We realized that as a middle school band director I was providing rehabilitation services. These students were not learning because many of them were not being taught the way they learned best. Many of the children, in particular boys, were very creative in their approach to learning. They were primarily "right brain learners". This learning style was not addressed for many students, attending most schools. Instead most schools used an approach that benefits left brain learners (wrote learners, individuals who learn by using recall, remembering what the teacher has explained). Instead of continuing to rehabilitate middle schoolers why not approach them according to their true learning style and at an earlier age? Why not start with kindergarteners? Hence, we have worked since 1996 in obedience to this incredible revelation.

SBI has had tremendous impact on the lives of the young people and their families. In 1997 we began to offer after-school arts programming for elementary school age children, ages 5 to 12. During the following year, we expanded to serve elementary and teen populations and were very successful at engaging our participants in activities that were both exciting and meaningful. Also during 2000, we were able to take our teen participants to Jamaica for an 8 day performance tour, where they were featured in 6 performances. The most amazing thing about that year was not the international trip but of our 13 graduating seniors, 12 of them received full scholarships in arts-related disciplines. However, only a few accepted the arts scholarship because other scholarships were also available to them (academic and athletic).

Our Vision

At SBI we have established a culture for high performance, where the program participants are exposed to professional artists' instruction and our ongoing local, national and international trips to visit people, places and things causing them to see their world more clearly and to establish worthwhile personal goals. At SBI we have high expectations, because our standards must surpass the minimum requirements necessary to simply graduate from high school. As a consistent matter of course, we inspect our participants' school assignments, to assure that they understand and follow through on all aspects of their learning. SBI also recognizes more than ever that this special group of youngsters desperately needs our help, as we have answers for some of their most pressing issues. Again, via the arts, with wisdom, we provide for young people a sense of belonging, helping them to establish internal motivation that leads to making good choices in every facet of life.

The Need

Palm Beach County is the largest of Florida's sixty-seven counties. South Bay is one of three small communities located in the Western Corridor of the County and is the central operational point for Street Beat, Inc. These small municipalities are rural in nature and are fifty miles due west of the high-income communities located on the east coast of Palm Beach County. The communities are located at the southern tip of Lake Okeechobee and share the name "the Glades". The Glades area is isolated from the coastal areas by miles of sugarcane fields. South Bay, Belle Glade and Pahokee continue to be communities in crisis. They experience high rates of alcohol and drug addition, high unemployment (29%) and underemployment, poor health practices, and families caught in generational poverty. 21% of families earn no taxable income, 32% have less than a 9th grade education. Homeownership is 23% less than the national average. Recent year statistics showed 32.2% of births were to teenage mothers and 44% of the population is under the age of 16. Student achievement remains a severe problem. Florida has instituted FCAT testing that means an end to social promotion and automatic graduation. Glades students fare poorly on these tests and demonstrate low skill levels in literacy and numbers. Low expectations on the part of students, their parents and often school faculty members contribute to this situation. (Sub) cultures that promote low motivation to success in school are dominant in Glades neighborhoods. These popular cultures, aided by images on television, are powerful in attracting youth to be almost anti-learning. Many parents, having been poor students themselves, pass on attitudes that support feelings of hopelessness upon students as to their abilities to become successful. A cycle of failure is passed on from generation to generation. How to break this cycle is more difficult than any of us are willing to admit. This is not a walk in the park. A band aid approach will not suffice. It will require new and substantial tactics and strategies. We believe that the arts can and will play a vital role in this process. By focusing program participants on high performance through the arts, we will then ask them to transfer learning processes attained while studying the various disciplines of the arts to other areas of their lives.

Philosophy

Every child has a genius, it needs only to be discovered.
Every child can succeed and has the potential for greatness.
No two children are exactly alike, learn in exactly the same manner, or at the same pace.
Every child has a purpose. When that purpose is identified, understanding and attaining it becomes a process. We are committed to that process.
The community will be directly enhanced by the development of quality future citizens that occurs through the integral part the programs of Street Beat play in the life of the community and its connectedness to the local schools.
Every child is a diamond in the rough; we must be able to see through the exterior to the core.
Every child should be loved, regardless of race or beliefs.

Street Beat Executive Board of Directors:

Mr. Percy Napier, President
Mr. Desmond Harriott, Vice President
Mrs. Matilda Edwards, Treasurer
Ms. Sandra Gerber, Secretary
Mrs. Vivian Mullins
Mrs. Marjorie Dowdell
Ms. Linda Johnson
Mr. Andrew Neita

Street Beat Administrative Team:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & FOUNDER
Kenneth K. Jackson, Jr.

Kenneth K. Jackson Jr., is an educator, musician, community activist and the Executive Director/Founder of Street Beat, Incorporated. He worked for the Palm Beach County School District as Director of Bands at Lake Shore Middle School, in Belle Glade, Florida for 11 years. Mr. Jackson continues to pioneer community involvement activities that engage the efforts of its people to bear on restoration and rejuvenation.

Mr. Jackson began Street Beat in 1996 and holds a Bachelors of Arts and Sciences Degree in Music from Florida Agricultural Mechanical University. In 2001, he became a graduate of the Executive Level Program, Institute for Not-For-Profit Management from Columbia University Graduate School of Business. In June 2007, he participated in the Senior Executive Leadership Initiative that was held at the University of Miami School of Business Executive Education Center.

What's next? The next step is to use Media and the Internet to expand services presently provided by Street Beat to other students/programs from other cities and nations who may not have been able to afford or access arts training. To expose existing SBI students to instruction from the brightest and best artists/experts from around the world.

CO-FOUNDER
Nerissa Jackson

Nerissa Jackson is Co-Founder along with her husband Kenneth of Street Beat, Incorporated. She is a graduate of Excelsior School of Education, Kingston, Jamaica where she majored in English and Religious Education. Nerissa currently teaches at Glades Day School as a Middle School English Teacher and co-pastors along with her husband at Glades Covenant Community Church. She is a visionary leader committed to the mission of community transformation through changed lives. "I believe the programs and vision of Street Beat should go international. Having traveled extensively, I have observed that youth all over the world face many of the same challenges and are in need of the same positive life changing experiences that have made a difference in the lives of our participants.

What's Next? I am excited about the prospects of seeing Street Beat go international. I believe we can make a world of difference.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/ CHOREOGRAPHER
Shanique Scott

Shanique has studied and worked as a choreographer since 2001. She began as a dancer / apprentice choreographer for the Phlava Dance Company, later working for Street Beat, Inc. and Prime Time, Inc. as a choreographer and module developer. She had the opportunity during her studies to intern at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in California. She began with Street Beat as a participant in the teen group, volunteered and has worked off and on while on break from school. She came to Street Beat full time in August 2007 and holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Management from Florida Agricultural Mechanical University and recently obtained a Masters in Performing Arts Management from Florida International University.

What's Next? My goal is to help fulfill Street Beat's mission by reclaiming our city through the arts. My desire is to continue to pour all of my heart's talents into an organization I believe could change the world. With my expertise (knowledge) and determination, I will strive to help Street Beat reach the next level of excellence.

PROGRAM MANAGER
Waquita Nelson-Pearson

Waquita Pearson has studied and worked in the Jacksonville area since 1997, seven of which were with the Duval County School District starting as a Teacher's Assistant/Treatment Coordinator and later as an ESE Teacher. Mrs. Pearson came to Street Beat in the summer of 2006 and holds a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Edward Waters College with 2 years at Nova University in Special Education.

What’s Next? As a native of the Glades, it is my desire to instill the importance of higher education while grooming the hidden talents of the arts. With this in mind, my goal is to continue to cultivate leadership that will transform not just families but future generations. Through mentoring self esteem, building character and developing life skills, my vision for the young ladies and young men is to enrich our communities with their positive impact.

OFFICE MANAGER
Rita Marie Reyes

Rita Marie Reyes has studied and worked 24 years in various business offices, 15 of which were with United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney's Mechanics of Materials & Structures Engineering Division and Senior Executive Offices. While working for Pratt & Whitney, she began volunteering at Street Beat in her off hours. Ms. Reyes came to Street Beat in 2000 and holds a Bachelors of Arts in Organizational Management from Palm Beach Atlantic University.

What’s Next? My desire for Street Beat is to see this organization continue to grow by networking with other professionals. Through these collaborations this will continue to fine tune Street Beat’s programs/offerings in the arts and life skills applications. It’s a great testimony to see participants graduate from the program, continue their education, become successful adults, and come back to Street Beat. As Street Beat has sown into the lives of these participants, we are now reaping a great harvest. My desire is that this cycle continues and we will see its impact on children, families, cities and even nations.

In Memory of "the late" Barbara Ann Williams-Webb

Mrs. Barbara Webb worked in the Palm Beach County School District for many years. She started in 1975 as a teachers' assistant and went on to become a migrant pre-kindergarten teacher, resource teacher, and ESOL coordinator. She also served twenty eight years as a teacher serving the Glades area and five years as an After School Director for the Boys & Girls Club in Belle Glade. Mrs. Webb came to Street Beat in 1997 and later served as Program Manager from 2003-2007. Mrs. Webb held a Bachelors of Arts in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University.

Future of Street Beat

Long term goals (three years plus)

To change the academic culture of low income and economically depressed communities by teaching according to the different learning style
Build an Arts Integration School
Develop umbrella organization to oversee the long term success of the school