1. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Maria Pisano
April 12, 2016 412-586-6300 x5
maria@slbradio.org
WOODLAND HILLS ACADEMY EIGHTH GRADERS TO COORDINATE AND HOST
WOLVERINE CREED: GUNS AND VIOLENCE WILL NOT DEFINE US! MARCH ON APRIL 23rd
AT 10 AM
WHO: The Youth Media Advocacy Project (YMAP), along with The Borough of Turtle Creek, Turtle Creek City
Council, and Woodland Hills School District are working to support eighth grade students at Woodland Hills Academy.
WHAT: As a result of their work in YMAP, eighth grade students of Mr. Adam Forgie at Woodland Hills Academy
conceived and developed the Wolverine Creed: Guns and Violence Will Not Define Us! MARCH as a way to show the
community that youth can play a role in addressing violence in their community.
The MARCH will take place in Turtle Creek beginning at the Wolvarena and conclude in the auditorium of Woodland
Hills Academy. The students will read brief statements and be joined by: Kelley Kelley, Mayor of Turtle Creek; Alan N.
Johnson, Superintendent of Woodland Hills School District; Tara Reis, President of Woodland Hills School Board; Wes
Lyons, Jr., Woodland Hills High School Alumnus, author, and former Pittsburgh Steeler; and Rob Conroy, Director of
Organizing and Shanon Williams, TrackBack™ Coordinator for CeaseFirePA. Students in attendance will be asked to
sign a pledge to commit to peace.
T-shirts with the Wolverine Creed: Guns and Violence Will Not Define Us! logo will be available one-hour in advance of
the MARCH and one-hour after in the Woodland Hills Academy Auditorium for $10.00. Audio clips of the students
discussing violence in their community and recorded by SLB will be paired with footage from the MARCH and lyrics
written by the students to create a rap music video to be produced by Pierina Morelli Productions. The music video will be
unveiled at the eighth graders end-of-year celebration.
WHEN: Saturday, April 23, 2016 at 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
WHERE:
BEGINS: The Wolvarena, 1200 Lynn Avenue, Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, 15145.
CONTINUES: Down Lynn Avenue; left onto Airbrake Avenue; left onto Ninth Street; and down Sycamore Street.
ENDS: Woodland Hills Academy, 126 Monroeville Avenue, Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, 15145.
WHY: YMAP is a program that encourages students to seek ways to positively engage in developing and implementing
ideas to improve their school or community. Now in its sixth year, YMAP is a collaboration of Carlow University, SLB
Radio Productions and the Consortium for Public Education. The program allows Carlow University undergraduates to
serve as near-peer mentors to high school students as they work to develop and evaluate ideas to improve their school or
community.
Students also learn about messaging, media and the politics of education through their work with SLB and CPE. YMAP
programs for the 2015-16 school year also are underway at Pittsburgh Obama, Pittsburgh Perry, Pittsburgh Brashear, and
Wilkinsburg High School. The YMAP program will culminate in an April 28th event at Carlow University during which
students from all five participating schools will come together to present their ideas to community leaders and each other
for feedback and evaluation.
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