Helping Kids Sidestep Trouble

Ramy Ibrahim’s arm repeatedly flies into the air the second a question is asked. He has learned his lessons so well that leaders of Orange County On Track, a group dedicated to celebrating cultural diversity and reducing crime and violence, eventually have to bypass the youngster and call on others.

“You learn a lot of ways to deal with problems and a lot about getting along with people and making sure no one takes you over like with drugs,” the ebullient 10-year-old explained later. “We learn to say no.”

Ramy was among two dozen students participating in this week’s meeting at College Park Elementary School in Irvine, during which younger students were teamed with high school mentors for an afternoon of conflict resolution training, tutoring and sports activities.

The 3-year-old program has proved so effective that it recently received an $800,000 grant from the state attorney general’s office to expand from Irvine and Westminster into Orange. That will allow the program to expand on its current 200-student enrollment.

“We’re not dealing with youth who have already crossed the line,” said Claire Braeburn, executive director. “Our goal is to prevent students from getting involved in gangs and violence in the first place, while also developing self-esteem and resilience.”

The fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade participants are referred to the yearlong program by teachers who believe they would benefit from gaining more confidence and making new friends.

“Those are the kids that are still in their formative years and can be positively influenced and haven’t gotten too far into negative behavior,” Braeburn said. “They are just at that ripe age where they are old enough to comprehend the training and young enough to make a difference.”

The teen mentors are recruited from local high schools.

“They are high achievers who really don’t have the time but they make the time,” said co-founder Terry Thompson. “These teens are becoming our future leaders.”

Irvine High School sophomore Lauren Kramer got involved in On Track after her older sister participated last year. She is mentor to 10-year-old Kwon Pan, who describes her as “very kind” and looks forward to their time together.

As the pair watched a handball game on the playground of College Park earlier this week, Lauren remarked, “This is a great opportunity to work with kids who need someone special in their lives, and it’s a great way to get involved in the community. Everyone accepts everyone as they are, regardless of race.”

Thompson said she has received excellent feedback from parents.

“They’re seeing that the kids are more confident, express themselves better and get along better in the classroom,” she said. “They’ve really come a long way. We’re not only helping kids but their families.”

The program has gained many supporters in law enforcement circles, including Irvine Police Chief Charles Brobeck, who occasionally speaks at meetings.

“This program is unique,” Brobeck said. “It provides these children mentors, other kids who can be a role model for the younger ones. I think that’s a real positive.”

Brobeck said he has been impressed with the commitment of co-founders Thompson and Braeburn, who are mother and daughter. Looking to make a difference, the former business consultants did extensive research interviewing judges, prosecutors, police officers and educators before beginning their organization in 1995. They’ve supported it with their own money, private donations and fund-raisers.

“They were passionate about coming up with some mechanism to address our youth in our county,” Brobeck said. “I found that these people were not just here looking for money but were enormously dedicated to the betterment of our community.”

On Track was one of only 15 programs that received four-year funding out of a field of 135 applicants. The organization will receive $200,000 annually, said Olin Jones, spokesman for the attorney general’s Crime and Violence Prevention Center.

“On Track’s proposal was very impressive and comprehensive,” Jones said. “There were several key areas in the state’s request for proposals: mentoring, economic development, counseling and recreational opportunities. On Track’s proposal seemed to hit all the areas.”

The grant money will fund a program in central Orange, which has a higher crime rate and greater density than the rest of the city. Among the agencies involved in the newest chapter are the Orange Police Department, El Modena High School and West Orange Elementary School.

The grant will also enable the program to increase the frequency of its meetings and expand its counseling services, seminars and circulation of On Track magazine, which publishes profiles about everyday heroes and information on teens, adults and organizations.

Thompson said the best part of the state funding is that it will give the organization a wider-ranging opportunity “to dispel the myth that good is boring.”

Added Braeburn: “We teach kids they don’t need to be wild, extravagant or obnoxious to get attention.”