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Tuesday, Sep 08, 2009
Councilwoman Hahn Honors Participants and Leaders of Teen CPAB Program
September 8, 2009
Last week in City Council, I honored leaders from the LAPD’s Youth Leadership Retreat. This is a fantastic program that you may have read about in the LA Times a couple of weeks ago.
20 students from our Harbor area and East Los Angeles Teen Community Police Advisory Boards participated in the program, in partnership with the Museum of Tolerance’s “Tools for Tolerance” student leadership project.
During the week-long program, the group learned about the damage that racial and cultural prejudices can do. They learned how to prevent such discrimination, but were also able to gain greater cultural understanding of other cultures. Through a variety of exercises, they were able to learn what an important and powerful tool empathy can be. I know that they will be taking these valuable lessons back to their communities.
The teens were given violence prevention training, leadership training, and were exposed to different points of view. At one point during the program, they were able to hear the first-hand account of a Holocaust survivor -- a memorable experience that I’m sure will stay with them throughout their lives.
This program was a great way to expose our young people to various cultures and ways of life. We should be doing much more of this… it can only lead to more peace and a greater understanding among cultures.
None of this would have been possible without Captain Ann Young, who runs the LAPD’s detective support division, and who organized this innovative program. Officer Joe Buscaino created the Harbor Area Teen Community Police Advisory Board (CPAB), which helped cover the $250 cost of the program for each teen. The LAPD’s Harbor Boosters Association, led by Captain Billy Hayes, also contributed to the cost.
The Museum of Tolerance, particularly Beverly Lemay, also deserves a very hearty thank you for hosting this program and giving these students this opportunity.
Posted at 12:00 AM