For the first time ever, the V.I.B.E. and I.M.A.G.I.N.E. programs held a joint Induction Ceremony, unifying the groups at all nine Abington School District schools. With the VIBE and IMAGINE organizations growing every school year — both by gaining new members in each school and expanding to other buildings — one of the first things VIBE and IMAGINE sponsors wanted to do this school year was to form a unified team that could serve as an even better resource to the organizations’ student members. With the support of administration, the organizers came together to share ideas and best practices, and discuss ways in which they could bridge the VIBE and IMAGINE groups across schools as a means of enhancing the programs.
One of the ways in which this was accomplished was by hosting the joint induction ceremony on the evening of Thursday, November 14, 2019. The event included a keynote address from the Honorable Gregory Scott, a Magisterial District Judge in the 38th Judicial District of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Upon his commission in 2015, he became the first African-American District Judge in Montgomery County and at 28, the youngest sitting Judge in Pennsylvania. In addition, students heard from VIBE and IMAGINE founders and sponsors, as well as, Superintendent, Dr. Jeffrey Fecher. At the conclusion of the evening, students had the chance to participate in an activity that has become a tradition for the organizations: the formation of a human bridge, where invited guests line up facing each other, and join hands over their heads so that students may walk underneath.
While the Districtwide induction ceremony was just the beginning of this new approach for VIBE and IMAGINE, there are more joint events coming in the 2019-2020 school year, including a Junior/Senior High educational viewing of the film Harriet, and a trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. The springtime trip, in particular, has been supported through a grant from the Abington Educational Foundation, and will involve an intergenerational component where students will travel with a special adult in their lives, and together research an artifact they will observe in the museum.
VIBE, Voices Invoking a Brotherhood of Excellence, is a leadership program for male students across Abington School District, which began in Abington Junior High School in 2005 and has since expanded to all Abington schools. The purpose of V.I.B.E. is to give adolescents an opportunity to have a voice in our school community and to learn how to advocate for themselves in an academically challenging environment. Discussion groups focus on a variety of topics that may include celebration of diversity, recognizing and understanding personality differences, examining cultural backgrounds, understanding social expectations, and exploring community service opportunities.
IMAGINE, I’m A Girl, Intelligent, Noble, and Educated, is a sister program to VIBE, and began two years later. The purpose of the group is to provide girls with a forum to self-advocate, improve self-image and to generally enrich their lives. The members participate in discussion groups, attend events, and have opportunities to be exposed to positive role models and to become ones as well.