Central Arkansas' P.A.R.K. program for at-risk kids hosts graduation

Graduation (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen/The Republican via AP)
Graduation (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen/The Republican via AP)


Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids, an educational program for at-risk students in Central Arkansas, hosted its 28th annual graduation ceremony on Thursday.

It was the first in-person graduation the organization was able to host since the start of the the covid-19 pandemic.

Tamra Calamese, program director, said what she is most proud of is the fact that P.A.R.K was able to stay open "the entire time."

"That was one of the biggest tests and challenges of the mission that we do -- how do you stay open?" she said. "And so the fact that we were able to really rise to that occasion, and really commit to the mission and that way of saying, 'This is what we said we're going to do, so we're gonna figure out how we do it.'"

The program includes academics, Bible study, community service, college preparation, nutrition, mindfulness, physical fitness, conflict resolution and educational trips.

"It's just kind of, 'What do we feel like these kids need to be the best-equipped adults?'" Calamese said.

Keith Jackson, founder and president, said everything has come "full circle," as the organization starts its first alumni association.

"I often say, we'll change one student's life, but we don't know how many" lives that student will change, he said.

Jackson said 95% of the program's students are Black, but it is not exclusive to that population. A white student, Janet Carden, has performed "above the class," he said.

"If you live in Little Rock, Ark., and your kid's white, Hispanic, Native American, whatever it is, this program is for them," Jackson said.

Carden will graduate from Joe T. Robinson High School and attend Ouachita Baptist University on a full-ride scholarship from P.A.R.K.

"P.A.R.K. became that second parent/second family. That's why I stayed," she said. "Everything is a lot more personal. You come to get so close to everyone here. They're confidants, so everything that schools are trying to do is actually done here."

Calamese said the organization realizes it is trying to do "a whole life change" for students.

"As Mr. Jackson says, break generational curses," she said. "And so in order to do that, you've got to be able to address the whole needs of a student. So we're bringing them in, and we're doing the academics, but we're also bringing them in, we're doing life skills, we're doing career readiness, we're doing spiritual and just that whole soul-building piece for our kids to give them their best future life."

The program celebrated the graduation of 18 students and honored 53 others who achieved a 3.0 or better grade point average.


Upcoming Events