4 Troubled Teens Blog

Actress Uses The Wire to Reach, Teach Troubled Teens

Heralded as one of the great television series of all time, "The Wire" is often lauded for its realistic portrayal of the bleak futures and agonizing life choices facing many young people in poverty-stricken and crime-ridden areas of Baltimore, Maryland.

But one of the stars of "The Wire," Sonja Sohn, is using the show as a way to teach at-risk teens how to avoid the outcomes portrayed on the show. Derek Valcourt of Baltimores WJZ-13 described Sohns efforts in an Oct. 22 article:
Sohn started reWIRED for Change, a program that uses episodes of "The Wire" to coach kids fresh out of the juvenile justice system how to make smarter life decisions.

"If you've been on 'The Wire' you have street cred and so that street cred is currency. So why not use that currency for the betterment of other folks," said Sohn.

"She taught us how to think before we react to something. I stopped hanging with the people I used to hang with. So it's helped me a lot," said [18-year-old Latavia] Cornish. "I know my dream. I know I'm going to be successful. That's why I'm staying out of trouble. I'm on the right path now, so all I got to do is make sure I stay that way."

Sonja Sohn is already working with a second group of troubled teens.

Labels: prevention, outreach

Posted By: Aspen/CRC