Staff & Locations

Rebound @ The Durham Teen Center

Strength, strategies, and supports for students currently on a short term suspension, mostly from Jordan, Northern, Riverside, and most magnets.

 

  Rasheda brings a sense of care for young people and deep ties to Durham to the Rebound team. As a Durham Public Schools graduate herself, and parent to a preschooler and a recent high school grad, she can easily connect to students and parents alike. She has youth development experience at Project BUILD, as well as corporate experience at Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC.

 

    Alvin Black: Program Specialist
alvin.black@reboundnc.org

Dr. Michele Hicks: DPS  Certified Teacher
michele.hicks@dpsnc.net

 

Rebound @ The Boys and Girls Club of Durham

Strength, strategies, and supports for students currently on a short term suspension, mostly from Southern, Hillside, and Hillside New Tech.

 

Gerri Odum is a New Jersey native who grew up in Hertford County North Carolina. She has resided in Durham NC for over 20 years and is a graduate of North Carolina Central University. Gerri has served as an academic advisor, classroom instructor, program administrator, student organization sponsor, and mentor through out the last 10 years. As a mentor, she has helped to empower students, encourage them to become proactive independent problem solvers who also recognize the need to ask for help. Gerri has a passion for fostering positive community that inspires diverse cultural awareness.

 

 

 

Devon Smith

Program Specialist

devon.smith@reboundnc.org

Smith was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After receiving his BFA in Interdisciplinary Art Studies (Film Production+ Visual Art) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he relocated to Durham, North Carolina. Smith has held various positions that centralized youth development, ranging from Arts Core Coordinator to Crisis Stabilizer. He is passionate about incorporating his visual art + filmmaking practice into the mentorship work he performs with teenagers. Smith believes that inner city youth and inner-city communities are continuously misrepresented in the media. One of his missions is to introduce documentary and narrative filmmaking techniques to youth, so that they are able to combat false news/media narratives, and instead present authentic visual portrayals of themselves and of their communities. Smith is dedicated to fostering youth imagination through quality programming, and utilizing a strength based approach when working with teens and families. Smith has a four-year-old son named Dallas smith, and is expecting a daughter named D’mara Smith this November.
In the Fall of 2017 Smith launched “The Afro+ProjectionLAB”, a cinema program that teaches, engages in, and presents Black Experimental Cinema. He made a short film titled “Remnants of a Room” that explores the aftermath of a child who has witnessed domestic violence. The film has screened at multiple film festivals around the country.
“Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have” – James Baldwin

 

Dr. Michele Hicks: DPS  Certified Teacher
michele.hicks@dpsnc.net

 

 

Jordan, Southern, and Northern High Schools:

Weekly follow up groups to help students meet their goals throughout the school year.

Arvetra Jones:  Director of Student Engagement and Family Life Coach

arvetra@reboundnc.org

Arvetra attended Pinecrest High School in Southern Pines NC, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Saint Augustine University in Raleigh NC  as well as a Masters of Social Work from North Carolina Central University with a concentration in children and families.

He lives in Durham with his wife, Rotcelis M. Jones and son Arvetra Santana Jones.  Since the age of ten, Arvetra has served in Christian ministry through rap and singing. He also serves at his church as a drummer, praise and worship vocalist, minister, and vice president of the churches youth commission. Arvetra and his wife operate as photographers, public speakers, and health/wellness coaches.

After the loss of he and his wife’s daughter Rose in 2014, Arvetra set out to find any reason that was worth living and not giving up on life. Through intense character development and mentorship, Arvetra recognized a call to help families build strong relationships within their household as well as their communities. He believes that systems in society can change and evolve if people are open minded and willing to help one another. Using experiential learning education as his method to help individuals uncover who they are, Arvetra believes that we all have life experiences that can help us find our purpose in our lives. It’s up to the individual to be open in discovering what their experiences mean as far as their true “work” is concerned.

“My vision is for everyone to truly identify their purpose in life. The world has so many avenues in media that are attractive to our nature. My job is to help people look past what seems to be gold and identify reality. I believe that if our youths and families get engaged early enough in nurturing personal growth, the chances of community threat will decrease.”

 

Riverside High School:

Full time program of suspension prevention and support after a suspension.  Staff available to all Riverside students in need of conflict resolution or other barriers to school success.

Jenique Taylor, MSW, LCSWA:  ReCenter Program Director (Riverside High School)

jtaylor@reboundnc.org

Jen has a passion for helping people realize their own strengthens in transforming their own lives.  She works within Riverside High School to assist in students in reaching their academic and behavioral goals. One of her missions is to provide assistance to others using a therapeutic approach and assisting others accomplish their goals.   She utilizes a strength based approach when working with youth and families.

Jen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate. She holds a Bachelors of Science degree from the State University of New York and Masters of Social Work from North Carolina Central University. Jen is a self identified lover of baked goods, dream chaser and difference maker.

 

 

After school community for any Riverside student interested in learning to live their best life using their individual strengths & creativity and mutual support.

Bree Davis

Riverside After School Coordinator

bree.davis@reboundnc.org