Operation Save Our Sons greets kids at Westside and Andrew Jackson high schools
On Monday, more than 1,500 kids went back to the classroom at Westside High School, and there to greet them were leaders with a youth empowerment organization which has set out to curb violence and help them succeed.
This is the first year Operation Save Our Sons is partnering with Westside High School and Andrew Jackson High School to build trust with students with the goal of preventing violence, and improving school performance.
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Dr. John Guns, Founder of Operation Save Our Sons, said Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene asked them to partner with these high schools, so they immediately agreed to collaborate to help these students succeed.
“I’m just excited to see how school is gonna go,” said Westside High School Senior Gary Winthorp.
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And, so are leaders with Operation Save Our Sons, a nonprofit that’s been in Jacksonville for the past decade. It aims to empower young African American men ages 10 to 18 to succeed.
“We will be going in throughout the course of the school year, working with young men,” Guns said. “The exciting part is that we get to do some really hands-on work”
In May, Action News Jax told you about a student at Andrew Jackson High School who was wounded in a drive-by shooting. It’s the type of scenario Guns wants to prevent with these kids.
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“[We want to help] them see the value of their lives,” Guns said. “Helping them understand the importance of decisions and then inspiring them to do the things that are necessary.”
That means encouraging better attendance, less referrals, and higher grades.
But it starts with building trust. So, leaders introduced themselves to kids as they made their way to class letting them know, “We are committed to their well-being and we are not letting up no matter what,” Guns said.
Plus, they are here to help these students accomplish an important rite of passage.
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“Walking across the stage, you know,” Winthrop said of what he’s looking forward to the most this year. “I’ve got a lot of people counting on me.”
“At the end of the day, if a young man believes in himself, he will be less likely to engage in certain behaviors,” Guns said.
Operation Save Our Sons has also partnered with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) to work on how to prevent violence in these communities.
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