Written by Tanya Terry
Whether youth are interested in the arts, sports or academics, Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village (SBEV) has many new projects and activities planned for 2022.
Linnell McKenney, community relations director at Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village, said SBEV is called the “building of dreams.” SBEV offers free year-round programming to youth ages 5-17 in the city-and it’s located right on Flint’s north side.
According to McKenney, SBEV hopes to have a groundbreaking for its new over 60,000 square foot sports complex in the spring of 2022.
“It will house three basketball courts & a football field, and the mezzanine will house robotics, which we partner with Kettering University for,” McKenney said.
A citywide youth choir will soon start in the SBEV music studio. The group will travel around the community to perform at organizations and hopefully schools in order to have a positive effect on the community.
“We’re calling it The Voice of Change,” McKenney informed. ”The name of the music studio is the Antidote, which means ‘the cure.’”
Youth interested in joined the choir in January, should check www.sbev for upcoming details.
SBEV will also partner will the Detroit Pistons for a no-cost Junior Pistons League, starting January 25.
“So far we have over 100 kids registered for the league that starts in January.”
To register for the league, visit https://www.sbev.org/basketball.
In 2021, the Gus Macker 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament returned to the Flint after about 20 years, in cooperation with SBEV and Explore Flint & Genesee,
“In 2022, we’ll be hosting it again July 29-31. People come from all over the country, and all the students that register for our summer basketball camp coming up in June will be able to be part of the Gus Macker 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament at no cost.”
Many people may not be aware SBEV offers tap dance and classical dance, as well as music production engineering. So, SBEV is known as a place in which youth can find opportunity.
“We had a team of young people that made their beats, wrote their lyrics and created a song-and that song will be featured on Jaden Smith’s album. Jaden Smith actually sung on the record that they made.”
There is also a tutoring program. McKenney expressed concern about the high number of Flint students who are not reading at grade level.
“We’re trying to help also in that capacity.”
All students at SBEV must pick a track, similarly to how college students pick majors. McKenney said students also learn about developing character. As a result of SBEV programming, students at SBEV have a better sense of pride, sense of self worth and sense of value. They become leaders once they learn what their gifts and purpose is.
“Then, they start to see themselves five years from now. Now they have a dream. They have a vision for their life.”
