Villagers 2020

The Villagers 20/20 program will better the communication between the youth and their parents, teachers or any person of authority. Their academics will improve, their level of confidence will be increased and they will be well on their way to becoming productive citizens today for tomorrow!

It is our goal to establish programs that will serve as the basic framework for partnering with parents in our communities to develop community minded citizens for the future, based on the development of a sound mind, body and spirit.

The individuals selected for the Villagers 2020 program reflect our communities. They come from diverse social, cultural and economic backgrounds and with different levels of mental and academic backgrounds. The project involves youth with high potential, high risk and high participation groups.

Group 1 - High potential youth identified through educational achievements (recommendations from schools, educational leaders etc.)

Group 2 - Youth who have begun down a path of destructive social behaviors that have or invariably will lead to involvement in the justice system (recommendations from drug court, juvenile court, etc)

Group 3 - Youth residing in the City of Missouri City (recommendations from City Council, community leaders, citizens, etc.)

Don Smith founded Villagers 20/20 when he recognized the need to prepare young people in the Fort Bend County for the enormous, projected change in America's workforce.

Data from the 2000 U.S. Census suggests an estimated 82,826,479 "baby boomers," ranging in ages 41 to 59 years old, would start leaving the workforce in large numbers in approximately four years.

The future of an inordinate amount of our young people, (ranging in ages from 13 to 18) as good community minded citizens, competitive workers and civic leaders, is desolate at best. This information plus the U.S. Census data presents opportunities to help our country, our county, our neighborhood, our village.

Young people today, having an abundance of resources literally at their fingertips, search for answers, guidance, and companionship, but have difficulty finding adequate answers. At one time, sources of information were limited to parents, teachers, preachers, friends, and books—one could research and come to a conclusion. However, with technology and its plethora of sources and data (much of which is tainted), young people who seek information in order to make life decisions, face a serious challenge.

The dilemma lies in having too many sources of information and too many options, making it difficult to draw conclusions. This could very well cause undue pressure and anxiety and foster a sense of being misunderstood and lonely. In spite of this, I believe that guidance, talent, and perseverance can overcome most obstacles. The key is to keep working toward improvement. The following poem was composed by a talented and gifted young person, who is now coming into his own. His ability to communicate inner feelings through his poetry, while making poignant points is a gift.

I would like to share this particular poem, especially with young people:

I Am Lonely
It’s lonely up here, front facing the winds of fate,
contorted by influence and wear. It’s hard for me to focus.
No one to blame but the blameless winds.
Time grasps at my flesh, forwarding me reluctantly to bitter destiny.
My horizons expand into oblivion and hope.
There is no wrong answer, but none of my answers seem right.
No one to set me straight.
I lead my lot, floating precariously over the river of despair,
careful not to look down. I see my goal.
I have my pride, but I am lone like an abandoned mountain peak.
To be strong is to be alone.

~G. D. W.

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