White's School, Imagine Schools to partner

FORT WAYNE—The building that sits at 2700 E. Maplegrove Drive is huge. Having once housed Village Woods Middle School, the building is packed with classrooms, a cafeteria, gymnasium and office space. In fact, one might think it would take a huge multimilliondollar school corporation to fill the place. But, Master Ralph T. White is a man with big ideas, big dreams and a big heart to match. While the going has been tough at times, especially when it comes to economics and battles with nay-sayers from a number of quarters, Master White and his supporters and coworkers are ready to take those ideas and dreams to another level, thanks to a visionary partnership with Imagine Schools, perhaps the area’s premier charter school system.

Over the past four years, Master White has defied the odds and critics by taking over the once abandoned school building that many said was too big for a private citizen to manage and maintain, and has been turning the campus into a shining beacon of hope and achievement for young people. Now known as White’s School of the Arts Community Developmental Programs, the facility is home to a number of what the founder calls character building programs, including an educational daycare program, science and other programs as well as the piece that started it all—Master White’s acclaimed TaeKwonDo training program. While many might know the school for the hundreds of trophies they have brought back to Fort Wayne from national and international martial arts competitions, Master White explains that TaeKwonDo, while extremely physical in one regard, isn’t about athletics. It’s about self-control and discipline. And, he explains, if a person can control his or her spirit, temperament and emotions, that person can achieve anything, whether it be academically or athletically. But, he says, it all starts with being studious and learning the proper lessons in life.

“We teach them about the true focus of life—academia breeds athletics, not the other way around,” he explained. “We teach them to get their grades up.”

That philosophy permeates every aspect of the work and programming at White’s School of the Arts—a program he actually started more than 20 years ago, that now has evolved into the comprehensive non-profit White’s School of the Arts Community Developmental Programs Inc. And, while one would think everyone would be thrilled to have and support a program that is about getting the best out of the community’s young people, the going hasn’t always been easy for Master White and his dedicated staff. It takes money to get things done and, in tough times, getting the necessary resources can be a challenge. They’ve also had to fight off legal challenges from overzealous inspectors, whispering campaigns by apparently jealous competitors and other tribulations. But, White will tell you that God provides.

“We’ve been running and living on faith,” he said, pointing out that he’s only received about $10,500 in grant money through the years.

During that time, he received no paycheck from the school, often covering expenses out of his pocket from his jobs as a professional educator and other ventures. The recently announced partnership with Imagine Schools is ushering in a new era for WSACDP Inc.—one which White says will prove a boon to the children of this community.

“WSACDP Inc. is nearing the finalization of collaborating with Imagine Schools of Fort Wayne. This will enable neighborhood students who are bused outside of their neighborhoods to receive the type of care and proven developmental program we’ve been offering over the years,” he explained. “This collaboration is for the betterment of our students who are so often left out of the equation of better benefits for all children.”

While Frost Illustrated staff have known Master White for more than a quarter of a century and witnessed and written about his many achievements, primarily in training young people on the martial arts deck and encouraging and supporting them in their academics, he’s been a busy man, adding programs and plans. He described the program’s progress since he opened the new campus site nearly five years ago:

“The mission of WSACDP Inc. is to train juveniles and young adults in an effort to deter delinquency in the community. The programs have been developed to build character, respect, discipline, loyalty, self-esteem, strong confidence while providing career opportunity for each student. The campus was founded on the initial program of TaeKwonDo, which teaches moral values such as respect, discipline, obedience, co-operation, honor, responsibility, and accountability for one’s self as well as others. This program has graduated 78 black belts with 72 of its graduates going on to further their career objectives through colleges and universities and graduating from the various schools.

“The next program we brought to the campus was a summer food service program which delivered approximately 5,200 meals daily to underprivileged and underserved youth within our community as well as the Auburn and Kendallville communities. The SPFCS program at White’s afforded 117 youth and approximately 10 adults the opportunity of employment over the 11- week summer school break in 2006-2007 and allowed those youth to learn career objectives while humbling themselves through the effort of assisting others in need. “In the spring of 2007, WSACDP Inc. opened a 24-hour, licensed childcare facility called White’s Tykes Quality Childcare, with Brenda M. White as founder and owner. This business entity has been the sole revenue source for the building since its conception in March 2007.

“We also offer the National CACFP program for the childcare and after school programs to feed the children on campus, which employs six people.

“WSACDP Inc. offers a creative and performing Arts Program. This program places emphasis on the skills required with all dance routines. The music component offers instrumental lessons. The art class is designed to enable artistic expression on paper, canvas and other mediums.

“White’s School of the Arts offers a new age Science Rangers youth program instructed and founded by David Caldwell. The program provides youth an environment and the learning materials to challenge skills to meet the challenges of a 21st century workforce.

“WSACDP Inc. offers boxing to help students the value of competitiveness and the fairness in which competition is made fun and enjoyable.

“There is a boot camp. which is a literacy program that focuses on classroom management skills, empowering students with better study techniques’ and character building.

“WSADCP Inc. offers a free medical clinic, ‘Living Luke’s Legacy,’ which is open to the public two days per week every other week on Wednesday and Saturday’s. Also offered is a free food pantry, ‘Helping Hands’ that is available weekly every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

“One of the newest programs to be developed for which we’re currently waiting for funding through the HUD department is the NSP2 program. This program is geared to revitalize and stabilize the community in which we live by taking at least 100 homes within the community that have become eyesores and beautifying these blight conditioned homes into beautiful living conditioned homes as well as utilizing the funds to upgrade some homes of the elders within the community. This program will generate numerous entry-level employment as well as vocational job training for those within the community.

“We’re also working to establish an ESL program for a number of Burmese and other refugee groups within our community,” said White.

Given all that and the recent partnership with Imagine Schools, Master White is upbeat about his and his staff’s mission to provide crucial skills and better opportunity for the community’s young people—the proverbial future. He also invited the public to a big event to help kick off the partnership and to offer their input at an informative community rally scheduled for Nov. 21. from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the 2700 E. Maple Grove Ave. campus. The rally will include several guest speakers, gospel music and food for guests.

“This will be the most ideal time to come and support as well as voice your opinion,” said White. “Come advocate for a better educational system for your children. It’s your community—welcome home.”

For more information, call White’s School of the Arts Community Development Programs at (260) 447-1500.

This is part of the November 18, 2009 online edition of Frost Illustrated.

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