Agency - Each One Reach One

Each One Reach One (EORO) believes that youth behind bars are kids, first and foremost; that one-on-one mentoring through the creative act of playwriting and academic tutoring provides the best way to positively influence the beliefs that incarcerated youth hold of themselves and that society holds of them.

EORO believes that young people have the right to learn from their mistakes, that they need to be given the opportunity and encouragement to take responsibility for building a better future for themselves, and that education is the tool that can transform their lives. We support their efforts through theatre arts experiences, academic tutoring, and life skills training; thereby reinforcing their ability to develop into productive community members

Description:
EORO currently serves incarcerated youth, 14 to 18 years of age, in six juvenile detention facilities in San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Francisco Counties. Over seventy-five percent of participants are low-income youth of color. Many reside in single parent households, are former or current foster youth, and a significant number have learning disabilities, school truancy records, and are failing academically within the traditional school setting.

EORO has reached more than 1,400 youth and has engaged over 3,500 community members to assist these youth to prepare and plan for better lives once released.

•A Dream and A Plan for Tomorrow (ADAPT) is the only after-school facilitated study hall program inside youth detention facilities in the Bay Area addressing the special academic needs of incarcerated youth. In ADAPT’s tutoring component, youth work one-on-one with academic tutors/mentors to pursue a General Education Diploma (GED). Additionally, we provide post-release links to community resources that assist them to identify job training and employment opportunities before they are released. Over 469 youth have participated with 337 youth receiving their GED or passing 1-5 of the necessary examines prior to their release. During the past year, eight of our graduates enrolled in community college upon their release. Youth Service Center Boys &Girls, JJC- Boys.

•Girl’s Healthy Choices: Teen Pregnancy Prevention is a 10 week health education and life skills program for detained girls. The program consists of classes and activities on topics that include teen pregnancy prevention, self-esteem and body image, exploitation, budgeting, relationships boundaries, and life planning. Youth Service Center (YSC) and Camp Kemp for Girls, San Mateo county

•Playwriting Workshops have served over 726 youth. The detained youth work one-on-one with a theater professional to write an original, one-act play. Through this creative process, youth examine their life choices as well as their attitudes, opinions and values. Each playwriting workshop concludes with a staged reading of the plays by professional actors before a live audience comprising the youth’s parents, peers, teachers, caseworkers, and invited members of the public. JJC- boys, YSC- girls, Camp Kemp- girls
•HIV/STD Prevention Program, Keeping It Safe (KIS) is an 8- week series program that offers youth the opportunity to learn how to recognize concepts that would have typically been provided by traditional familial role models. Our program focuses on defining healthy, respectful personal relationships, recognizing the importance of pursuing HIV prevention skills, and the identification and discussion of the effects of potential risks associated with sexual intimacy such as, HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases (STD). JJC, YSC, Muriel Wright Center- B&G, James Boys Ranch, Santa Clara County.

History:
Each One Reach One (EORO) programs provide transformative arts, educational, health and life skills training for incarcerated youth. Community activist, Robin Sohnen, founded EORO in 1997, as an advocacy organization to divert incarcerated youth from a life in prison. We believe that the youth behind bars are kids, first and foremost and that one-on-one mentoring through creative arts, academic tutoring, health and life skills programs provides the best way to positively promote self-respect and independence, thereby reinforcing their ability to develop into productive community members.

Over the past decade, EORO has evolved into a unique non-profit that organizes the community to participate in diversion programs serving incarcerated youth. Our mentor-based programs annually engage over 75 community members in the juvenile justice system as individual mentors, tutors, and actors, while promoting cooperation and collaboration among the systems various components.

EORO received the New American Community Award from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency in 1999 for our creative work to prevent violence in our communities. The San Francisco Foundation’s Impact Campaign chose our agency, as one of thirty-six extraordinary organizations that transform lives and strengthen communities for 2007. This year EORO was selected as one of the 35 national finalists for the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, Coming up Taller Award for 2010.

Contact people:

Harold Atkins, ADAPT Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email) Robin Sohnen, Founder/Executive Director, (phone), (email)

Address:

146 South Spruce South San Francisco, CA 94080 (See a map)

Directions:

Nearest Bus Stop: 133 Sam Trans, 5 minute walk