May 8th Youth Awards Program CANCELLED/POSTPONED

Date: Saturday, May 8, 2010 HAS BEEN CANCELLED/POSTPONED
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Mount Rainier Nature/Recreation Center 4701 31st Place, Mount Rainier, MD 20712

This is an announcement that the previously scheduled Saturday, May 8th "Youth Awards Program" has been cancelled/postponed till a later date.

Updates will follow shortly on other upcoming events.

Thanks!

J. Boyce
Executive Director, Generation CrossFire

Positive Expressions Youth Rally

Date: Saturday, April 10, 2010
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Mount Rainier Nature/Recreation Center 4701 31st Place, Mount Rainier, MD 20712

Generation CrossFire is sponsoring a monthly "Positive Expressions Youth Rally" -Motivating our youth through positive "Music, Dance, Spoken Word Poetry and Dynamic Youth Motivational Speakers. This is a community event to be held in "Prince George's County, MD every 2nd Saturday. 5:00PM-7:00PM.

We are looking for the most artistic/talented dancers, step teams, spoken word individuals and youth groups. Come experience great music, dance, spoken word performances and dynamic motivational speakers and more every 2nd Saturday of each month.

We need your support of this community event by coming out and performing for us, representing your organization/ministry or by helping out in any way. YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS EVENT!!!! TELL EVERYONE!!!!!

*For more information about Generation CrossFire please feel free to visit us on-line at www.GenCrossFire.ning.com or http://generationcrossfire.blogspot.com/. Email: crossfiregeneration@gmail.com

Can Music Make Your Kids Smarter?

Can Music Make Your Kids Smarter?

Yes, apparently so. Did you know that a new study in the journal Social Science Quarterly reveals that music participation, defined as music lessons taken in or out of school and parents attending concerts with their children, has a positive effect on reading and mathematic achievement in early childhood and adolescence. Research also shows that kids who are actively involved in music (who play it or sing it regularly):

-do better in reading

-learn coordination, goal-setting, concentration, and cooperation

-are more likely to do better in math and science because music helps build reasoning skills and cognitive development, which are important to both

-get along better with their peers and have higher self-esteem

-are more likely to go to college

Also, students who have been involved in public school music programs score higher on their SATs than those who don't. Darby E. Southgate, MA, and Vincent Roscigno, Ph.D., of The Ohio State University reviewed two nationally representative data sources to analyze patterns of music involvement and possible effects on math and reading performance for both elementary and high school students. The research conclusion was” “Music is positively associated with academic achievement, especially during the high school years.”

The studies did show however, that not all adolescents participate in music equally, and certain groups are disadvantaged in access to music education. Apparently, it would appear that families with high socioeconomic status participate more in music than do families with lower socioeconomic status. In addition to social class as a predictor of music participation, ethnicity is also a factor. Asians and Whites are more likely to participate in music than are Hispanics. While young Black children attended concerts with their parents, they were less likely to take music lessons according to data sources.

There was even an earlier nationwide survey taken in 2003 by the Gallup organization, that showed that 95% of Americans believe that music is a key component in a child's well-rounded education. Eighty percent of respondents agreed that music makes the participants smarter; 78% believe that learning a musical instrument helps students perform better in other subject areas; and 88% believe participation in music helps teach children discipline.

Additional evidence found by the College Entrance Examination Board showed students in an arts appreciation class scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on math than students with no arts participation. Researchers Frances Rauscher of the University of Wisconsin, and Gordon Shaw of the University of California-Irvine, found that music lessons have been shown to improve a child's performance in school. After eight months of lessons, children showed a 46% boost in their spatial IQ, which is crucial for higher brain function learning in complex mathematics, science and engineering.

Reference:
Wiley-Blackwell (2009, February 11). Adolescents Involved With Music Do Better In School. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2009/02/090210110043.htm

Generation CrossFire Presents...Two Positive Community Youth Events

For_Immediate_Release:


A new community youth non-profit launches in the DC metro area called Generation CrossFire. Generation CrossFire, is a Nonprofit Organization dedicated to radically impacting the lives of youth. Generation CrossFire's goal is to inspire inner-city youth to find and walk in their pre-designed purpose and destiny in society by helping them to identify their gifts and talents and by promoting discipline, diligence and determination to achieve greatness. With a mission to motivate, encourage and inspire inner-city youth to channel stress, pressures and fears into more positive attributes of strength, self-confidence and self-discipline Generation CrossFire is poised to make an enormous impact in the DC metropolitan area and the world.

Generation CrossFire’s founder and Executive Director, James Boyce is a native of Charlotte, NC. As a young boy James experienced much hardship by having lost his Father who was only 29 to brutal violence and by being pulled from his Mother who was unable to care for him at age 6 years old due to her mental disability. Throughout his adolescence young James would be forced to experience the constant moving from foster home to foster home. James felt early in life the cold reality of rejection, loneliness, as well as the lack of identity and a sense of belonging. “My Father was murdered on the streets of Charlotte. I have always regretted growing up without a Father but as I got older I started to realize that there must have been a greater purpose for it all.”

James lived much of his early childhood in the Double Oaks community of Charlotte, NC. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, Double Oaks was ranked as the number one violent crime neighborhood in Charlotte. It was widely known as an open drug market and was even named by the New York Times as one of the most violent neighborhoods in all of America. Gangs would openly fight for turf and syringes littered forgotten parks where children once played. Needless to say, the odds against James were very slim. Statistically, he was destined for destruction. Positive role models were scarce and the males that were around him were mostly uneducated, drug users, dealers, alcoholics, abusers or literal criminals.

With the official launch of Generation CrossFire, James hopes to truly make a positive impact in the lives of inner-city youth who are faced with many of the obstacles he had to face as a youth. Two events officially kickoff 2010 with a blast and continuing on every 2nd Saturday at the Mount Rainier Nature/Recreation Center at 4701 31st Place, Mount Rainier, MD 20712 just next door to DC.

1) Saturday, March 13, 2010-“A Call To Arms”- Community and Youth Leaders Forum
With youth workers, youth lay leaders, youth mentors, youth speakers, youth Pastors, parents of youth, teachers, youth community service workers, youth activists and youth council leaders discussing the state of our youth from 5:30-7:30PM.

2) Saturday, April 10, 2010- Positive Expressions Youth Rally
Motivating youth through positive Music, Dance, Spoken Word Poetry and Dynamic Youth Motivational Speakers. They are looking for the most artistic/talented dancers, step teams, spoken word individuals and youth groups for participation in the events from 5:00-7:00PM.

For more information please feel free to visit on-line at http://generationcrossfire.blogspot.com/ or send an email to crossfiregeneration@gmail.com .

May 8th 2010- Youth Awards 2010-CANCELLED

Date: Saturday, May 8, 2010 CANCELLED
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Mount Rainier Nature/Recreation Center 4701 31st Place, Mount Rainier, MD 20712

This is an announcement that the previously scheduled Saturday, May 8th "Youth Awards Program" has been cancelled/postponed till a later date.

Updates will follow shortly on other upcoming events.

Thanks!

J. Boyce
Executive Director, Generation CrossFire
===================================================================
Generation CrossFire's MISSION & ACTION STATEMENT

ENCOURAGE, EQUIP, AND EMPOWER:
Our Mission is to Encourage, Equip and Empower inner-city youth by providing positive mentors, and through the expression and utilization of the arts, crusades, community youth rallies, youth group forums and through other creative and exciting recreational functions and activities.

*For more information about Generation CrossFire please feel free to visit us on-line at http://generationcrossfire.blogspot.com/ or www.GenCrossFire.ning.com.

For participation send an email to: generationcrossfire@gmail.com


Nominate an outstanding youth! Generation CrossFire is asking for your help in identifying middle and high school aged teens in the PG county MD and DC Metro area between the ages of 13 and 18 who are making outstanding strides in the areas of academics, volunteerism, community service, and/or leadership. An awards show will be given in honor of the outstanding youth that you, the community, nominate recognizing their outstanding achievements and leadership.

If you have a teenager you'd like to nominate from the age of 13-18 who you feel should be recognized for their outstanding achievements and/or leadership in their homes, churches, schools and community please submit a minimum 1 page essay explaining the youth's outstanding achievements and demonstrations of great leadership expounding on why they should be recognized.

Three major awards will be given: 1) Leadership, 2) Academic Achievement and 3) Youth of the Year.

Please submit your submissions by email to crossfiregeneration@gmail.com . All nominations must be received by Friday, April 16, 2010 for consideration.

March 13th 2010 A Call To Arms- A Community and Youth Leaders Forum

Date: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Location: Mount Rainier Nature/Recreation Center 4701 31st Place, Mount Rainier, MD 20712

Calling all youth workers, youth lay leaders, youth mentors, youth speakers, youth Pastors, parents of youth, teachers, youth community service workers, youth activists and youth council leaders. Come join in on a two hour discussion on the state of our youth and the start of a new DC metropolitan area movement. 03/13/10 5:30-7:30PM. Email us at: crossfiregeneration@gmail.com ... MORE INFO TO COME!

April 10, 2010 Positive Expressions Youth Rally

Date: Saturday, April 10, 2010
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Mount Rainier Nature/Recreation Center 4701 31st Place, Mount Rainier, MD 20712

Generation CrossFire is sponsoring a monthly "Positive Expressions Youth Rally" -Motivating our youth through positive "Music, Dance, Spoken Word Poetry and Dynamic Youth Motivational Speakers. This is a community event to be held in "Prince George's County, MD every 2nd Saturday. 5:00PM-7:00PM.

We are looking for the most artistic/talented dancers, step teams, spoken word individuals and youth groups. Come experience great music, dance, spoken word performances and dynamic motivational speakers and more every 2nd Saturday of each month.

We need your support of this community event by coming out and performing for us, representing your organization/ministry or by helping out in any way.

*For more information about Generation CrossFire please feel free to visit us on-line at www.GenCrossFire.ning.com or http://generationcrossfire.blogspot.com/. Email: crossfiregeneration@gmail.com

About Generation CrossFire

WHAT IS GENERATION CROSSFIRE?

Generation CrossFire is a community-based, non-profit, cross-cultural youth outreach organization. Our greatest desire and intent is to help unify the local church and the local community addressing the needs of every young person Spirit, Soul and Body!

PURPOSE

Our purpose is to radically impact the lives of inner-city youth by providing youth mentors and positive and constructive activities for youth through our partnering with local county government, churches, schools, recreational facilities, local businesses and individuals.

MISSION

To IGNITE! To ILLUMINATE! To IMPACT! - Motivating, encouraging and inspiring inner-city youth to channel stress, pressures and fears into more positive attributes of strength, self-confidence and self-discipline.


MISSION & ACTION STATEMENT

ENCOURAGE, EQUIP, AND EMPOWER:
Our Mission is to Encourage, Equip and Empower inner-city youth by providing positive mentors, and through the expression and utilization of the arts (Music, Dance, Drama), crusades, community youth rallies, youth group forums and through other creative and exciting recreational functions and activities.


Youth Master Keys To Success:
Discipline + Diligence + Determination = DESTINY!

Our goal is to inspire inner-city youth to find and walk in their pre-designed purpose and destiny in society, by helping to identifying their gifts and talents and by promoting discipline, diligence and determination to achieve excellence in all that they do.


Ning Community Website: http://gencrossfire.ning.com
Blogspot: http://generationcrossfire.blogspot.com
Email: crossfiregeneration@gmail.com


CrossFire- Definition (krôsfr, krs-)

1. CrossFire - Lines of fire from two or more positions crossing each other at a single point: soldiers caught in crossfire.

2. CrossFire - A confrontational situation in which opposing factions, forces, views, or opinions converge.

3. CrossFire – A lively or heated interchange of ideas and opinions conversation –
the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.

4. CrossFire - Fire from two or more points so that the lines of fire cross firing,

Fire - the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy; "hold your fire until you can see the whites of their eyes"; "they retreated in the face of withering enemy fire".

It's Going To Take All of Us

Our youth today are faced with all sorts of distractions, temptations, discouragements and emotional stress. As much as we try to identify with them and as much as we think we understand their struggles we must be honest with ourselves and admit that this generation is faced with much more than what we had to contend with as kids.

Understanding that it most definitely takes a village to raise a child, Generation CrossFire is poised and positioned to assist our community and parents with teenage and adolescent children by encouraging, motivating and mentoring our youth. For several years now, I have been driven with a passion to reach out to hurting and misguided youth and have worked with the local church and within the local community to attempt to make a difference in the lives of youth.

Yes, it does take a village and then some to raise a child. It's totally understandable that parents are at times overwhelmed with their responsibilities of their households and their lives in general. Often times the best they can do is go to work everyday, come home, prepare dinner and then send the kids on their way the next day for school. With talking to single Mom's especially, just trying to make ends meet from day to day is enough to take time, energy and attention away from their children. Furthermore, kids in most cases don't feel they even relate to their parents or that their parents can understand what they may be going through or even where they are coming from. There are tremendous barriers that must be broken concerning communication within the household that seems easier at times to just ignore than to address.

It's time for the church to come together and it's time for the community to come together for the sake of our youth. I believe that the resources and tools are available to meet the challenges concerning our youth and children and our community. The first step in making any type of progress is to realize that the task is too big to conquer alone. Yes, it's going to take all of us. Let's pull up our sleeves and take them on together.

James Boyce

Our Battle Cry

OUR BATTLE CRY! …from the Director
We live in a time of wars, and rumors of wars, a place where violence is steadily increasing from day to day.

In a world where an ever-diminishing sense of compassion and morals seem to plague our very existence, leaving us more and more with little optimism for a bright future. A cold and heartless world, where in the US alone over 3 million living babies are aborted, life being snuffed from them as if they were nothing. If that’s not enough, the children that are born are being forced to grow and live in a society and world that’s seemingly unfit to care for innocent children. Along with that, suicide rates for teenagers are steadily and rapidly on the rise.

Where do we turn for the answers? Is there Hope for our youth? I answer you, "YES, there is Hope!" The Bible says, "Now faith is the "substance" of things "hoped" for and the evidence of things "not seen." Though the answer is seemingly hidden, we can rest assured that a bright future is more than possible if we only have faith! Just believe, and take action! Though there are many obstacles and traps that have been set before our youth to ultimately destroy them, we can be encouraged that God is raising up an army of believers equipped to do battle against Satan, our enemy. We are reclaiming our youth back to God! The harvest is plenteous but the laborers are few. This is war! The Kingdom suffereth violence and the violent take it by force!

Who will be bold enough to be caught in the CrossFire? This "Millennial Generation" of youth is an endangered species and is on the top of the enemy’s agenda for total annihilation. It’s time to take the "Cross" to the "Fire, (the heat of the battle)" and let the Fire of the Cross burn everything that’s not like God! The Cross alone is sufficient to spark a Fire within the youth of this world and to cause a worldwide revival of a Godly generation of youth. Come and join us as we endeavor to face head-on the forces aimed to destroy our youth! Let’s raise up an army! This is a new Generation! Generation CrossFire is ready for battle and on the move! Sound the alarm! This is our battle cry!

In His Service,

James Boyce, Executive Director, Generation CrossFire