April Jordan

Many of the over 700 students from Forest Park Middle school live in the midst of gang violence, drugs and peer pressure. Inspired by a popular Tupac Shakur poem, " the Rose that Grew from the Concrete," Jordan created the "Concrete Rose" program to serve as a platform of self-expression for the student population. Concrete Rose will be the school's first literary magazine and the first publication in the county to be written by and for students. A staff of students will write all of the content and each issue will be targeted to the unique interests of the student body. Staff members will take ownership over their contributions, enhance language skills and provide an opportunity for students to articulate thoughts that many feel uncomfortable sharing in the classroom. The grant money will go towards the development and implementation of the newsletter. The program will help to bridge the divide between students, teachers and parents and build a student support network through literature. Jordan lives in Stockbridge.