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South Shore Drill Teamwww.southshoredrillteam.org
The enthusiasm and precision are hard to miss. At parades and events in the Midwest and beyond, the South Shore Drill Team has showcased the talents of more than 7,000 students from various underserved, predominately African-American communities. The Team's imaginative choreographed performances have been delivered to acclaim since the organization was founded in 1980; the Drill Team has performed from Soldier Field to the Kentucky Derby to Walt Disney World. |
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It is not just these performances, though, that distinguish the South Shore Drill Team—but what members have overcome in their lives. Every student who joins the Team has been affected by violence or knows someone who has been affected by it in their family or neighborhood, according to the organization. Their communities are often besieged by drugs and gangs. Research shows that young people in these neighborhoods often struggle in school. A study released in August 2010 revealed that just 44 percent of Chicago's African-American males graduate high school. The South Shore Drill Team offers an alternative that links participation in the program to academic responsibilities at school. The program tutors students, or connects them to a tutoring program near their own school. "Our program is not just about rehearsing and performing, but talking to the kids and working with them to do well in school," says administrative director Sara Vlajcic. "We also might be talking to them about staying safe or dealing with peer pressure."
One measure of the program's success: the graduation rate of students who participate in the program is 99 percent. "Before I joined the Drill Team, I was a low-life: a person who didn't think about the future," says Khalif Toler. "The Drill Team encouraged me to strive for greatness, and the outcome was my graduating high school and going to college." One of the organization's current challenges lies behind the scenes. At a time when many nonprofits face major economic challenges, the Drill Team is striving to strengthen its financial management and information systems. The Chicago Community Trust’s Smart Growth program supports the organization's efforts to build capacity. Growing stronger as an organization, Vlajcic says, will help the Drill Team keep inspiring young people to overcome daunting challenges.
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