NEVER GIVE UP

The African Connection "Never Give Up” program provides a traveling hands-on field trip that has been presented at schools in Miami and Shelby counties for the past two years. The program is also available to interested community groups and organizations. The mission of The African Connection is to build strong character in school-age young people by examining character development through the lens of African culture and challenging these young people to become morally and ethically-grounded persons of outstanding character and personal integrity.

Abigail Pooe-Jordan, executive director of The African Connection, explains that the program provides culturally-based character education and training designed to appeal to the natural curiosity of young people about foreign and particularly African cultures to teach positive character traits in a way that is informative, exciting and fun. In addition to teaching positive character traits such as honesty, courage, loyalty, generosity, etc., it exposes the children to the diversity of African cultures and teaches respect for the values and beliefs of other cultures -- things that Mrs. Jordan says she herself learned growing up as a schoolgirl under the tutelage of both British and Indian instructors in South Africa.

“As the decline in American moral, cultural and social values of the past forty years attests, there is a dire need for reform in the ways that parents, teachers and other mentors to young people think about and teach the positive character traits that are so essential to future success in life,” Mrs. Pooe-Jordan comments. “The African Connection program strives to meet that need. We extend our thanks to the Piqua Community Foundation for providing support to help defray the cost of much-needed supplies and equipment as well as upgrading and improving the props and other items used to present the African Connection program.”

"Providing your opportunity to enrich our community"