John Willoughby: Greene Publishing, Inc.
On Wednesday, Oct. 30, Marvin “Merv” Mattair, his family and members of his community group Boyz to Kings attended the Department of Juvenile Justice's first-ever “Restore Hope” Training Summit in Orlando and received outstanding results after presenting a Boyz to Kings “Engaging Parents” workshop to those in attendance.
The conference, which began on Monday, Oct. 29, and ended on Wednesday, Oct. 31, sought to bring together concerned citizens and professionals from law enforcement, juvenile justice, corrections, victim services, educational institutions, local governments, religious and social services in order to better equip community partners to engage youth in their communities. According to eventbrite.com, the training provided educational information on the continuum of services and resources, highlighted effective prevention, intervention strategies and encouraging capacity building amongst juvenile justice service providers.
The workshops helped enhance faith and community-based programs while raising awareness about the many obstacles that stand in front of Florida's children and their families.
Out of 57 evaluators, on a scale of one to five (five being considered as “excellent”), the results are as follows: the description of the workshop accurately conveyed its content – 56 excellent reviews; the content of the workshop was useful – 53 excellent reviews; the program was effective in providing relevant information – 54 excellent reviews; the presenter was prepared and knowledgeable – 56 excellent reviews; subject was presented in a clear and understanding manner – 56 excellent reviews.
The following comments were also added to the evaluation results: “The instructor was very passionate about his services to the families he serves,” “Bring them back next year,” “They keep the whole family involved; it's not just about the youth,” as well as “Very inspiring; best workshop all day.”
“We started in the man cave in my backyard nine years ago,” said Mattair. “We have never received a grant, but we are changing lives through passion, not profit. These parents volunteered to travel with me and that's major. We are changing not only youth, but parents as well.”
For more information about Marvin “Merv” Mattair, his family and Boyz to Kings, log onto kingsqueens.com.