Walking up and down the winding streets of Butchertown, a postman whistles a friendly tune and strikes up conversations with the neighborhood folk. Most days, Kevin Wooden is a friendly neighborhood mail carrier for the United States Postal Service. But at least one day per week, he is a voice of violence prevention and a role model for hundreds of Jefferson County students. He serves as a mentor with the Society for the Prevention of Aggressiveness and Violence among Adolescents, or SPAVA.
“I work with these students because the program asks me to use my life experience to teach,” said Wooden. “So this is just a part of my community give-back.”
Facilitated by Jefferson County Public Schools, SPAVA connects community volunteer mentors like Wooden with youth from all across Louisville for a series of 10 weekly 45-minute classroom sessions.
A glimpse into Wooden’s classroom experience demonstrates how the SPAVA program engages students on a variety of issues, from anger management and bullying to recognizing and understanding feelings.
“These kids, when I talk to them, they know I’m not just reading out of a book,” said Wooden. “I’m telling them my life story. I’m letting these students know that being respected comes from having an education, not from carrying a gun or joining a gang.”
Wooden first began working with school-age children about 10 years ago through Every 1 Reads, a JCPS initiative to have every child in Jefferson County reading at or above grade level.
“I tried working with elementary-age kids for the first time as an Every 1 Reads tutor and it went over well,” said Wooden. “But I wanted to take the opportunity to work with younger children, especially because aggressive behavior and violence is so widespread in the media and in our society. And it’s definitely in our schools.”
The next step in Wooden’s efforts to give back to the community was joining SPAVA, of which he’s been a mentor for the past six years.
“When I started [working with] SPAVA, I went back to the school that I attended as a child to use as a foundation of giving back,” said Wooden. “I use my experience as someone who grew up at Jefferson County [Public Schools] to let these students know that it’s not a job where you need a college degree. This is a job that requires an education. I tell them that just because they graduate at 17 or 18 doesn’t mean you’re done with education. I explain to them that education is life and life is education.”
Throughout his decade-spanning role as a youth mentor – as well as his 31-year career as a mail carrier – Wooden has made his message clear: Education is a lifelong journey and is the best way to eliminate violence.
“In my six years as a SPAVA mentor, I’ve never yet had a student who disrespects me,” said Wooden. “We talk to them about respect and integrity and I ask them what they think those words mean. All these kids want is for someone to listen to them and let them know that someone cares. But I also tell them that, if not for education, I wouldn’t be able to come into their classroom. Without education, I wouldn’t be able to understand the mistakes I’ve made.”
Wooden described how his desire to become a SPAVA mentor stemmed from his experiences as a victim of childhood bullying. By connecting his life story to the stories of his students, Wooden said he felt he was in a position to explain how violence truly affects children and the community.
“I’m not telling them anything complicated,” said Wooden. “And I’m not being harsh with them. Because some of them have had abusive experiences in schools and in the home. These students are witnessing a changing world, economic hardship, and wars. I went through the same thing. For me it was Vietnam and civil rights movement. But I let them know I was raised in a time of racial hatred. I tell them I understand and that I know what they’re going through.”
However, Wooden admitted that the youth of today are exposed to unique forms of aggression through new technologies that are available.
“With these kids and what they’re seeing in society, it’s a different world than when I was their age,” said Wooden, explaining how students today are able to use social networking websites as new avenues for bullying.
“When I come in, I’m sure to keep it real with these kids and tell them I’m here on my day off, but that I want to be around them and I want to talk to them,” said Wooden. “That lets them know they too have choices in life and that they can make the right choices when the time comes.”
In an almost symbolic turn of phrase, Wooden likened his process of community outreach to a delivery system. Indeed, if lifelong education is the message of Kevin Wooden, then respect is his method of delivery.
“I’m 54, so I use my age and introduce myself to the students,” said Wooden. “And I let them know that I respect them as young adults and that they should respect others too. I tell them that I’m just a letter carrier – I’m just an average citizen – but I can give back. I could retire next year, but I won’t. I’m enjoying life too much.”
-Elijah McKenzie
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