Little Rock nonprofit looks to help youth steer away from violence

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – With the new year underway ‘Bridge 2 Success’ in Little Rock is already looking at ways they can further help youth stay away from negative influences that could lead to violence.

Ronald Wilkerson founded ‘Bridge 2 Success,’ a youth outreach program almost a decade ago.

“Our mission is to give all of our young people in this area an opportunity to be successful,” Wilkerson said.

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He said they have around 70 students that are in the K-12 grade in their after school program. They work on academics, sports, and social skills, all in an effort to deter them away from violence.

“We’re going to help them laugh rather than frown, we are going to teach them how to resolve their conflicts with one another without fighting,” Wilkerson said.

This year, Wilkerson said they’re already thinking of ways to further help youth away from bad choices.

“We want to be more visible in the community, to work with the neighborhood association, work with the school’s behavior interventionist, and work with the community people,” Wilkerson said.

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While some staff are inside the schools to find children in need, he said they’re also looking at different avenues.

“Our staff now are being trained on how to interact with students on the street,” Wilkerson said.

Their program is free, Wilkerson says, thanks to funding from the city and donations, which also allows them to feed the students in their program.

“When kids come here, they know they’re in a safe environment and the parents know they’re in a safe environment,” Wilkerson said.

If you would like to get in contact and learn more about ‘Bridge 2 Success you can go to B2SYouthCenter.org.

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