PROJECT PNEUMA INC
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Mission Statement
The mission of Project Pneuma is to breathe new life holistically into the young men we serve by challenging them intellectually, strengthening the physically, nurturing them emotionally, and uplifting them spiritually.
About This Cause
Our programming combines social emotional learning for boys of color, in the early-stage adolescence – ages 10-14/grades 4-8 – with police engagement that results in police and community relationship reform. It was designed to respond to increasing media images of African American youth portrayed as impulsive and aggressive predators and to address the growing dissension between youth and communities of color and law enforcement. Why We Are (Still) Needed Project Pneuma collaborates with Black adolescent boys in Baltimore City, in grades 4-8 (ages 10-14). According to University of Chicago (2023), research shows that in FY21, 109 Baltimore City schools out of 162 met the criteria to be a Title I (low income) School. In this context, we have found Baltimore students struggle psychologically in schools that lack the means to address their mental health and behavioral needs. As a result, Black students spend less time in the classroom due to discipline and are nearly 2x as likely to be suspended without educational services as white students (U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 2019). Black boys bear the brunt of this practice, accounting for 2/3 of all school suspensions nationwide (ibid). Stereotypes of Black boys as disrespectful or threatening cause them to be disproportionately represented in programs for behavioral problems, emotional disturbances, and special education (National School Boards Association 2020). They are often introduced to law enforcement, who themselves have preconceived notions and implicit bias towards boys of color, and this is the foundation of the school-to-prison pipeline. What We Do Project Pneuma has been working with Baltimore City youth since 2014 to build bridges between youth of color and law enforcement. Since our founding, we have served over 2,000 youth and families. Project Pneuma works to disrupt this pattern. Our free programming provides an opportunity to create trust between law enforcement and these young men, inspire learning, keep them safe, all while giving parents a break from expensive fees. Students in #BreathingNewLife Social Emotional Learning Program participate in mediated small groups and are taught soft skills, such as critical thinking and problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and effective communication. The program incorporates small group social-emotional check-ins and topical discussions, Yoga and Mindfulness, Deep Breathing Exercises and Focus Drills, Sound Therapy, Martial Arts, Physical Fitness and Wellness, and Exposure programs. Through our age-appropriate social and emotional learning practices, our activities help students in the Early Adolescence phase (ages 10-14) with their emotional and intellectual development. Specifically, it equips them with the attributes of integrity, respect, perseverance, honor and resilience, in addition to the soft skills of critical thinking and problem-solving, increased emotional intelligence, and effective communication. In addition to assisting students with their social emotional intelligence, the longitudinal programming is also designed to reduce school suspensions. With our help, the young men develop the ability to focus and remain calm, which contributes to them spending more time in the classroom, improving their academic achievement. What Makes Us Unique Project Pneuma is the only nonprofit organization in the country that is written into a federal consent decree (Baltimore City) on police reform with boys of color and law enforcement. One of the strategies we use to strengthen this relationship and build trust is by utilizing Police Officer Trainees or POT’s (individuals currently enrolled in the Baltimore City Police Academy) to serve as tutors and mentors during programming sessions. We see this as a way to build a relationship with law enforcement and the city, in order to help enact long-term change. Additionally, after years of advocating for the Baltimore Police Department to draft a standardized curriculum and community policing plan – as recommended by the Consent Decree – Project Pneuma now serves on the Community Policing Collaboration Team and assists in the rewriting of a community policing plan to facilitate training for over 2000 tenured officers on Formal and Informal Engagement. Our Executive Director serves as the Vice Chair of the Core Committee which oversees all aspects (Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) of the Community Policing Collaboration Team. He also serves on the Behavioral Health and Youth Training Committee for the Consent Decree. In this capacity he is charged with writing a federal module on “The Impact of Law Enforcement on Youth.” Finally, he teaches a class on Adolescent Brain Behavior and Youth Interactions at the Baltimore Police Academy. Why this Work is Important Interactions between boys of color and law enforcement can lead to the criminalization of Black youth and build the foundation of the school-to-prison pipeline – a vicious and inefficient cycle. A report produced by Baltimore City as it relates to incarceration and reactive approaches to our young men revealed: • Over half of Baltimore City’s juveniles placed in a placement facility are rearrested within just 12 months after being released as of FY 2019. • It costs $25 million to fully operate and staff the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center (BCJJC) – a state-sponsored detention facility. There are 120 beds, all reserved for young men. • The average annual cost per youth at BCJJC is $399,000. On the other hand, it has been demonstrated that proactive engagement – like that offered by Project Pneuma – yields much better results when compared to reactive measures like those named above. For example, ROCA’s 2019 Performance Report showed a yearly cost per participant of $16,240 ($64,960 over four years) and was able to serve 904 participants in 2019 for $14,680,960. While this figure is far below that of BCJJC, Project Pneuma has been shown to provide an even greater return. A $5,500 per student/year investment in Project Pneuma results in these young men staying in school and contributing to the betterment of their community – far less than the $399,000 per youth cost of BCJCC, where the rate of rearrest is over 50%. Project Pneuma collaborates with its partners to reduce suspension rates, increase attendance rates, enhance the academic and social emotional learning activities for young males of color, and usher in Police/Trauma Reform by building bridges between youth of color and law enforcement. We collaborate with a variety of organizations that provide our youth with diverse experiences, grow them in a holistic way and distinguish Project Pneuma from other programs.