In 2000, a childhood friend of Barnabas Shakur was accused and found guilty of a crime. This individual was given a life sentence in a maximum-security prison. Only 19 at the time of his arrest, he belonged to a notorious gang called the Bloods. Upon his friend's conviction, Barnabas was devastated and decided to create change. In 2001, he founded Bed Stuy's Project Re-Generation, Inc. (PR-G) with a vision to eliminate teenage after-school idleness in Bedford-Stuyvesant and similar communities through educational programs.

Today, PR-G has served over 500 teenagers and 3,000 Bed-Stuy residents through the following programs and activities:

• Foot Soldiers: a money management, job readiness, and community service initiative supported by local homeowners. Through a combination of volunteer and paid activities the program teaches participants the skills they need to:
  1. Work responsibly - Based on punctuality, attendance, work quality, and respect for authority.
     • During after school and weekend hours, PR-G stipends economically disadvantaged high school students (volunteers) to recycle, remove rubbish, leaves and snow from sidewalks, curbs and curbs of our members' properties. This year PR-G has served more than 50 teenagers and anticipates serving 20 more before 2008.
  2. Elevate their financial IQ - using Robert Kyosaki's 10 Steps to Elevate your Financial IQ
  3. Manage and track their finances - Utilizing volunteer financially literate mentors
  4. Environmental projects – in 2008 participants are developing projects that bring awareness to global warming
  5. Lead their peers<?xml:namespace prefix = o />
  6. NY Knicks Poetry Jam Sessions: an eight-week poetry program that helps participants develop their ability to write and recite performance and nonperformance style poetry. The program also prepares participants for an annual teen poetry competition at Madison Square Garden. This year we will work with more than 1,000 participating teenagers.
  7. Rites of Passage: an intense five-month youth development program focusing on creating community projects, physical activities, personal development workshops, and gaining work experience. This program is temporarily suspended.

     Quick Links

     • Bed-Stuy homeowners - interested in frontal yard cleaning & snow removal?
     • Teenagers -wanna earn extra cash?
     • Donors, business owners, & residents -how can you invest resources?
     • Teen writers - interested in competing for $80K in a full scholarship?