Darton College hosts Stop the Violence art workshop

ALBANY, Ga. — Friday marked the beginning of Albany’s Stop the Violence “Youth Summit”, an effort which seeks to give young people in Albany alternatives to lives of crime and violence.

Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office Chaplain Vinson Hill said that the workshops seek to identify talent and encourage kids to be successful.

Coordinator Anne Johnson Milledge said the weekend event started “in a good fashion.”

Bobby Miles, special assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs at Darton College, said Darton “truly cares about the community” and that this art workshop encourages local children to focus on something besides the violence in the community.

“The theme is ‘Collages Against Violence’, ” Miles said, and volunteers, as well as Darton professors and art students, assisted attendees in creating collages that “focus on family, education, sports, even fashion. Anything anti-violence.”

Miles said about 30 children attended Friday’s workshop. Activities included “a step show done by local fraternities and sororities, skits and monologues, educational workshops about HIV/AIDS, peer pressure, conflict resolution, and even etiquette.”

Thursday at the Civic Center activities will begin at 7 p.m.with a step show and skits while 9 a.m.-4 p.m on Friday will be the educational workshops. During these workshops, attendees will also get an opportunity to visit the Civil Rights Institute for a comprehensive tour.

The Youth Summit will conclude with a talent show, followed by the final event, a fashion show at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Milledge also explained that some of the educational workshops will include martial arts that educate children about “peaceful ways to walk away from violence”. She also explains that there will be a “re-enactment of a violent crime from start to finish” to show attendees how negatively violence affects their community.

The entire Youth Summit is free, explains Milledge, and “community members are welcome to attend” all of the events.

For pre-registration or more information, call (229) 436-0009.