“Learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable so change can happen”
Project A.W.A.R.E. stands for: Attitude When Angry and Resolving Emotional issues non-violently. Project A.W.A.R.E. aims to educate at-risk youth and prepare them to take responsibility for their thoughts and actions. By becoming emotionally literate, learning/developing basic social skills, and through self-examination, these young students will not only better themselves and their school environment, but also become productive members of society and establish themselves as community leaders. Project A.W.A.R.E. teaches youth about different forms of trauma and the way our childhood plays a part in us being emotionally illiterate. Reginald Washington is the CEO/Founder of Project A.W.A.R.E.
#1 I grew up in Southeast San Diego (Skyline Hills).
#2 My favorite destination is Jamaica. There are a lot of places I wish I could visit starting with Africa, Dubai and the Bahamas.
#3 I really have a lot of nerdy things about me – I collect comic books, and I have read every comic book that I own which is in the hundreds!
#4 One of my favorite artists is a Reggae artist named Barrington Levy.
#5 My favorite books are anything by Donald Goines.
#6 I give back to our community because for some marginalized communities, there is no love invested into them. A bigger reason is that as a former gang member, I did harm and it is my responsibility to give back.
#7 Anthony Ceja who works for The San Diego County Office of Education, gave me an opportunity to build Project A.W.A.R.E. and showed me what it means to be humble and strong at the same time.
#8 I created Project A.W.A.R.E. in prison because I wanted my legacy to be one of forgiveness and change. I wanted to show that at the lowest part of your life you can still be a champion for another person.
#9 Project A.W.A.R.E. focuses on social development, problem solving skills and emotional literacy skills. Students learn how the lack of emotional control can lead to violence and abuse.
#10 Our vision at Project A.W.A.R.E. is to create a healthy environment where young people can safely process their feelings, learn to communicate and contribute to the overall well-being of their own lives and those in their community.
Project A.W.A.R.E.
www.projectawareenterprises.org
