MWAH! Group visits Abington-Avon High School
Posted August 25, 2014 by the Galesburg Register-Mail newspaper
Photo:Steve Davis / The Register-Mail
Story by Tom Loewy, The Register–Mail
ABINGDON – Payton Ashby made it through the first 90 minutes of Monday's assembly inside Abingdon– Avon High School's Stockdale arena. Nature called for a short break, but the 14–year–old freshman hustled back for the last portion of MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe's presentation to roughly 500 District 276 students.
"It is long, but it hasn't been boring," Ashby said. "The best part so far has been some of the music – and getting a chance to listen to kids talk about how they deal with all the things teenagers can face."
Ashby was getting MWAH!'s message. The Chicago–based peer–infused troupe delivers messages on a wide range of subjects – from teen drinking and drug use and distracted driving to tough subjects like teen suicide and the seemingly ever–present specter of bullying.
MWAH is the acronym for "Messages Which Are Hopeful."
"We have all the sixth–grade through 12th–graders in the auditorium today," Abington–Avon High School Principal Shane Gordon said "and having MWAH! Here comes directly out of last year, when we had a district–wide anti–bullying committee."
That committee was made up of students and parents and teachers and administrators – anyone you can think of who is a stakeholder in our schools and the district. MWAH! was recommended to us a part of a proactive approach to concerns about bullying."
Gordon said the fact actual students and parents deliver MWAH!'s messages "keeps the students engaged." "So far today we've had a father talking about is son's heroin overdose and a 10–year–old talking about his experiences. You can hear a pin drop in there.
"I think the peer–to–peer aspect of MWAH! Really works. And I think seeing actual parents is pretty powerful stuff for kids." MWAH! Has years of experience honing its messages to students. According to its website, the group's origin lay in the Explosonic Rockers Street Jazz Theatrical Troupe – a break–dance–based ensemble founded by police social worker Ray Moffit in 1983.
Ten years later, the Explosonic Rockers completed its evolution into the MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe. In Jaanuary 2001 MWAH! became an affiliate of the Chicaago Area Project a grass–roots service and advocacy agency based in downtown Chicago and part of a statewide community services network targeting
at–risk youth and their families.
"I saw MWAH! in 2005 or 2006 and was really impressed with what they did," said Chad Cox, principal of Abingdon–Avon elementary and middle schools. "The stories were so amazing, so powerful. Here are students talking about a wide range of issues and the sincerity is there. I think the kids really feel that."
Tom Loewy: (309) 343–7181, ext 256; tloewy@register– mail.com; @tomloewya
Further information about the MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe may be found on its website at www.mwah.net