Operation Transformation Aimed At African American Males
By: Vanessa Herring
Updated: January 30, 2013
Rochester has a 9% graduation rate for African American males. The new program is called, "Operation Transformation."
The program is free for African American males between the ages of 18 and 30 thanks to a partnership with the Rochester Educational Opportunity Center. They'll get help earning their G.E.D. and get training to become chefs, security guards, medical technicians ad barbers.
Master barber George Adams owns Mo Betta barber shop on Lyell avenue.
He says the program is a great way to help the high number of African-American drop outs.
In his 22 years in the trade he says he has seen a lot of men turn their lives around through barbering, "I have experienced taking people off the street who were doing illegal activities that wanted to change their life and they were getting tired of going to other different places of business and getting turned down," explained Adams, "and I was able to give people opportunities and to this day right now I can say three of them have opened up their shop."
Orientation and enrollment for Operation Transformation will take place at the following times and locations:
Saturday, February 2, 2013 at Church of Love Faith Center (700 Exchange St., Rochester, NY 14608) from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 2, 2013 at the Avenue D Community Center (200 Avenue D, Rochester, NY 14621) from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 9, 2013 at REOC Downtown (161 Chestnut Street, Rochester, NY 14604) from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
For more information call (585) 428-6684 or visit the Operation Transformation website by clicking here.
