MGB INC. is pleased to announce that it was successful in cultivating a partnership with Cox Communications that culminated in the development of a Cox Innovation Lab/workspace in the Kings Park Community for youth in Out-Of-School Programming or those who lack access to technology. The innovation lab is located in the Kings Park Community Center, in East Macon, 3283 Kingston Court, Macon, GA 31217.
For several months, Kelvin Middleton and MGB Inc. advocated, on behalf of the initial incorporators of the Kings Park Community neighborhood association, its families and children who were impacted greatly by lack of access to digital technology. Cox agreed to provide an in-kind donation of laptops, chairs, 50″ flat screen and workstation/conference table. The lab is located in the Kings Park Community Center which was built in 2017 with Blight Remediation Program funds allocated for Commission District 3 for the purpose of providing a community meeting space for the Kings Park neighborhood association (501 (c)(3) and its residents. The generous donation from Cox was made to the Kings Park community from MGB INC.
Kelvin Middleton leveraged the Cox Communications partnership and technology donation to develop additional corporate/community partnerships that helped the Kings Park families & children:
Mercer University/MerServe Partnership. Developed a Pilot Literacy Program with student academic tutors, 3 days/week. Also, developed arts, crafts and special events.
Bibb County Board of Education. Provided Kings Park Community youth remote access to Tutor.Com from the Cox Technology Lab, 24/7
Mr. Middleton also states that Cox usually develops its Cox Innovation Labs in large non-profit networks such as the Boys & Girls Clubs; therefore, the Kings Park Community has truly been blessed with their generosity and investment in their youth.
Providing Technology Access to Young People
Support from Cox bridges the digital divide for many disadvantaged young people. Cox generously provides contributions to fund technology centers in key Cox markets. In total, Cox has distributed nearly $25 million in cash and in-kind internet, cable and advertising support. Providing low-cost internet service through its Connect2Compete program, Cox and its local affiliates have also established significant advances in digital literacy for many Boys & GirlsClubs across the nation.
Through its partnerships, Cox is committed to creating meaningful moments of human connection through its technology grant program. Since 2003, Cox has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to provide more that 100 state-of-the-art innovation labs across the nation. The $20,000 grant from Cox allows the individual Clubs to install these labs that provide students with computer literacy skills and help bridge the digital divise for those without access to a computer or internel at home. Labs are a safe place for youth to explore their interest in STEAM fields and give youth access to vital technology, tools and high-speed technology.
About Cox Communications
Cox Communications is committed to creating meaningful moments of human connection through technology. The largest private broadband company in America, we proudly serve six and a half million homes and businesses across 18 states. We’re dedicated to empowering others to build a better future and celebrate diverse products, people, suppliers, communities and the characteristics that make each one unique. Cox Communications is the largest division of Cox Enterprises, a family-owned business founded in 1898 by Governor James M. Cox.
Cheryl Johnson-Knight at Kings Park Community Center, East Macon
Ms. Cheryl Johnson-Knight , prominent local Educator, Entrepreneur, and daughter of the late community activist, Frank Johnson, volunteered to be a “celebrity” reader at the Kings Park Community Center in East Macon during the National Education Association’s annual Read Across America Week on March 2nd.
Ms. Johnson-Knight is the daughter of the ironic Frank Johnson who is well known for his countless achievements in the Macon community and the national Civil Rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s. Mr. Johnson became a powerful force in the Civil Rights Movement and participated in several non-violent protests, led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., throughout the South and in Washington, DC. Johnson organized Macon’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. march until his health did not allow him to do so; but, he continued to be a reference for those who wanted to carry on his civil rights legacy.
Mr. Johnson also was a profound community activist for the vulnerable in Macon; and, was often referred to as the “Mayor of Unionville“. His courage, commitment and immeasurable contributions opened many doors for countless people in Macon, across the state of Georgia, as well as, throughout the southeastern United States.
The former City of Macon, Parks & Recreation Center, in the Unionville Community was renamed the “Frank J. Johnson Recreation Center” in 2002 in honor of Mr. Johnson’s achievements and vested interest his ‘beloved’ Unionville community. Johnson was also the Co-Founder, of the Unionville Improvement Association, a community-based initiative that advocated for racial and equitable parity for the vulnerable residents of Unionville.
Kelvin Middleton, who was the former Center Director at the Unionville-Frank J. Johnson Recreation Center for 17.5 years, states that Mr. and Mrs. Frank Johnson were pillars in the community, “Their doors were always open to all without judgement and without fear; and, they instilled hope, value, purpose and the ability to love others in Unionville”, states Middleton.
The Kings Park Community Center staff and parents of the After School Program youth were honored to have the phenomenal, Ms. Cheryl Johnson-Knight as a volunteer guest reader for this event.
Frank Johnson’s wife, daughter remember his legacy as ‘Mayor of Unionvil…Dorothy Johnson, Frank Johnson’s wife, and her daughter Cheryl Johnson Knight talk about Johnson’s impact in the…
Read Across America Day, also known as Dr Seuss Day, is a yearly observance in the USA inaugurated by the NEA (National Education Association). It is held on the school day that is nearest to 2 March, Dr Seuss birthday. Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American artist, book publisher, animator, poet, a political cartoonist as well as an author. He is best known for authoring over 60 children’s books.
NEA is an American professional interest organization as well as a labor union headquartered in Washington, D.C. The organization represents public school teachers plus other support personnel, staffers and faculty at universities and colleges, educators that have retired as well as college students who are preparing to become teachers.
NEA launched Read Across America, which is an initiative on reading that began in 1997, to encourage children in reading more books and also getting them excited about reading. On 2 March 1998, the first Read Across America Day was celebrated; since then, it has been held annually.
The holiday mainly focuses on motivating children to read as it improves their performance in school. On this day, hospitals, bookstores, community centres, churches, libraries as well as schools host many events. National Education Association members and a total of 50 national associations as well as organizations support the Read Across America Day. National Education Association provides various resource materials for people who want to celebrate the holiday in their unique way. The official website for NEA has many ideas that can be helpful.
The community-based initiative partnered with the Kings Park Community Center staff to provide decorations, educational materials, games and programming to commemorate Black History Month.
Kings Park Community Center – Black History Month is Every Month in Kings Park DeSean Jackson, Las Vegas Raiders, All Pro Wide Receiver & Punt Return Specialist
DeSean Jackson, of the Las Vegas Raiders, and his foundation donated another shipment of culturally-diverse, age appropriate books to the Kings Park Community Center for Black History Month; and, the Kings Park Community Center staff have scheduled a field trip to the historical Tubman Museum in Macon, GA for the after school program youth on February 22nd.
Kings Park Community Center – After School Program Literacy Group Kings Park Community Development Corporation – Founders and Initial Incorporators
Another activity planned for the month is for the youth to learn about the rich cultural, historical history of the Kings Park neighborhood that includes learning about the initial founders and incorporators of the Kings Park Community Development Corporation; and, to respect their elders upon whose shoulders our history, adversity and daily struggles in Kings Park rest.
MGB INC. (Men Giving Back), a community-based initiative, in Macon, GA reached out to NFL All Pro, DeSean Jackson, of the Las Vegas Raiders, to support the Kings Park Community Center after school program, that was in dire need of brand new, culturally-diverse and gender-specific books for academic and cultural enrichment. The Kings Park Community Center coordinators said that Mr. Jackson’s donation will meet a critical gap in the academic inequity of disadvantaged youth in the marginalized community that the Kings Park Community Center serves through the after school program, proposed summer academic programs; and, preparing the program participants for college and life.
DeSean Jackson, Las Vegas Raiders, Wide Receiver and DeSean Jackson Foundation, CEO/Founder
The DeSean Jackson Foundation (“DJF”) was founded by DeSean Jackson and his mother, Gayle Jackson, in memory of his father, Bill, who died from Pancreatic Cancer in 2009 during DeSean’s rookie season with the Philadelphia Eagles, for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness and advocacy for inequity in access to quality healthcare and education in the predominantly Black and other marginalized communities. During Jackson’s 14-year career in the NFL, the Jacksons have been successful in expanding the reach of DJF in all of the NFL franchise markets where DeSean has played (Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Football Team, Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders) and his home town of Los Angeles. In addition, DeSean embraces opportunities to collaborate with present and former NFL players who desire to Inspire Change in their communities.
Our Vision: One Team, One Purpose
“Building a path out of poverty through educational equity”, states DeSean Jackson, “is a pillar of our non-profit focus on Education Equity for Kids in Need. Our purpose is as bold as my career moves on the field as it is urgent: To create systematic change, To ensure equal access to quality education and To empower all the children in need who we are privileged to serve.” It is imperative that we foster an ongoing love of reading-because reading is foundational and fundamental to everything we do; and, it is unconscionable that millions of children are growing up in book deserts without access to books and the opportunity to open up a world of possibilities, enabling more children to explore places far beyond their neighborhoods.
We have lots of help developing the new Kings Park Community Center Resource Center
For the past several months our CEO/Founder, Kelvin Middleton, has been meeting with representative from Mercer University to advocate for academic student tutors for the Kings Park Community After School Program that serves disadvantaged youth in a marginalized community in East Macon. Middleton cultivated a partnership between Macon-Bibb County Parks Department, Kings Park Community Development Corporation, Bibb County Public Schools in an effort to launch a pilot literacy program at the Kings Park Community Center where he is a Center Coordinator.
Subsequent meetings and communications between Mr. Middleton and Lauren Shinholster, Mercer University, Coordinator of Community Engagement, Carrie Ingoldsby, Mercer University, Director-Campus Life & Student Engagement, Emily Ogdobo, Mercer University, Mercer Me Serve and Robert Walker, Macon-Bibb County, Director-Parks Department culminated with the approval of the Kings Park Community Center as a site for the 2022-2023 Mercer University Pilot Program. The pilot program will begin in November 2022. Mercer University eventually hopes to replicate this model.
Furthermore, Mr. Middleton assisted Mercer University staff with the research and writing of a 2022 Dollar General Youth Literacy Grant to fund the Kings Park Community-East Macon literacy pilot program. On October 10, Mercer University advised Middleton they were awarded a $3,839 grant from Dollar General to purchase the literacy curriculum; and, Dr. Luther, of their Education Department has agreed to assist with training the Mercer volunteers once the curriculum arrives.
Our sincere thanks to Ms. Lauren Shinholster!
Kelvin Middleton and Lauren Shinholster, Mercer University, Site Visit
For More Information About Mercer University’s Center for Community Engagement and Ms. Shinholser, please read the follow article:
Lauren Shinholster connects students, faculty with service opportunities
Lauren Shinholster is the coordinator of community engagement at Mercer.
It’s no secret that service is one of the pillars of Mercer. At a University where “everyone majors in changing the world,” students are encouraged to get involved in the community early and regularly, and there are many ways that they achieve that.
Mercer’s Center for Community Engagement connects Macon students with volunteer opportunities, and Lauren Shinholster is the coordinator who works behind the scenes to make that happen. The Center served more than 2,800 students through its programs and events during the 2020-21 academic year.
“Service has always been something I’ve been passionate about. I believe deeply that we have to use our gifts and talents to serve the community. I’ve always been called to serve,” she said.
In Florida, Shinholster worked with elementary and middle school students as a community educator for the bicycle and pedestrian safety program at All Children’s Hospital. Two weeks after her husband’s job with Geico brought them to Macon, Shinholster saw the listing for the coordinator of community engagement position at Mercer. She liked the idea of taking on a community educator role in which she would be working with college students.
“When I read the job description, I was like ‘This is me.’ It really spoke to my interests in public service. It was the perfect position at the perfect time,” she said.
Having served in this role for four years now, Shinholster is in charge of a number of service initiatives. She oversees volunteer efforts hosted by MerServe, the University’s student service leadership board, including events like Service Saturdays, Be a Good NeighBear, Spring Break for Service, MLK Day of Service, Lights on Afterschool and Hunger Week. Last year, MerServe hosted 32 events that attracted 1,500 attendees and resulted in nearly 1,600 volunteer hours.
Mercer students prepared and served breakfast for families at the Ronald McDonald House as part of MerServe’s 2019 Spring Break for Service.
MerServe members set the stage for what they want to do, and Shinholster identifies partners and ensures that work sites are safe and job tasks are appropriate.
“Ms. Shinholster and the Center for Community Engagement are the driving force behind the significant service opportunities available to Macon students,” said Dr. Kathy Kloepper, vice provost of engaged learning and director of Research that Reaches Out. “Ms. Shinholster’s passion for bringing together Mercerians and community partners for productive collaboration is clear in the incredible service contributions made throughout the year through such initiatives as Be a Good NeighBear and virtual and in-person tutoring through Read2Succeed.”
Shinholster does a lot of “matchmaking” between Mercerians and local organizations. She seeks out opportunities that are going to be meaningful to students while fitting their schedules.
Many Mercer professors incorporate service-learning into their classes, and they often consult Dr. Kloepper; Hannah Vann Nabi, associate director of the Quality Enhancement Plan; or Shinholster for advice and direction.
“I’ll get the random student that comes in saying, ‘I really want to do some volunteer work, but I don’t know where to start,’” Shinholster said. “Sometimes it’s driven by a class, so they may have some research they want to do or a project and need guidance on how to set a plan in motion. But on the other side, a lot of the (service opportunities) are coming from our community partners. They may have needs but may not have the human capital to get it done.”
Mercer’s longtime community partners include the Fuller Center for Housing in Macon, Campus Clubs after-school program, Daybreak Center, Macon Area Habitat for Humanity, Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful, the United Way and the Bibb County School District.
“For any business, you have to show off all the good that you’re doing. For Mercer, it’s authentic, genuine care for the community and our students,” she said. “They really buy into changing the world. The opportunity to do it through all the service events really allows students to walk the walk. I don’t think you get that everywhere.”
Shinholster is also involved in campus voter engagement initiatives. She has advised Mobilize Mercer for the past four years, helping members as they competed in voter participation contests, registered students to vote, and hosted debate watch parties and election night parties. Last year, the group hosted 13 voter engagement events and co-sponsored an early voting pep rally.
In 2020, Mercer was recognized for its high student voter participation during the SoCon Votes competition and ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. The University was also named an Ask Every Student Commitment Campus.
Political science students set up on Cruz Plaza for National Voter Registration Day in 2020.
Tutoring initiatives are a big chunk of Shinholster’s responsibilities, as she coordinates the paperwork involved, gets students hired and trained, and helps arrange transportation to tutoring sites. Each year, at least 200 Mercer students tutor Bibb County children in math and/or reading for the United Way’s Read2Succeed program and the America Reads/America Counts (ARAC) federal work-study program.
Tutors worked with students in 12 elementary schools and Campus Clubs this past year, and three additional schools will participate during the upcoming school year.
Some Mercer professors — including those teaching integrated curriculum (INT) 101, INT 201, life skills for first-year student-athletes, psychology, and law and public policy — have their students become Read2Succeed tutors as a service-learning aspect of their courses.
“It’s so easy to take for granted things that are part of your job, but when I hear from students how transformative an experience was for them, it makes me so grateful to play a small part in that,” Shinholster said.
Due to the pandemic, participation in Read2Succeed last year was restricted to the ARAC work-study tutors, who piloted virtual tutoring through the Microsoft Teams platform, and service-learning classes and other student volunteers, who created read-aloud videos instead.
Rebuilding and expanding tutoring services will be a major priority for the upcoming year, Shinhoster said. Service-learning tutoring will resume through virtual methods. The Center for Community Engagement hopes to hire 150 ARAC work-study tutors, and the United Way will hire a limited number of non-work-study tutors.
Another of Shinholster’s goals for the 2021-22 year is to work on changing the way the community and its needs are framed. Students often hear about the negative aspects of Macon, which doesn’t paint a fair picture.
“I’m hoping to grow our non-service community engagement and have our students go out to all the amazing events that are going on in our community. I want our students to see themselves and the community as tremendous assets,” she said.
MGB INC. - Men Giving Back 