"As an educator and a parent, I know how important an adult role model is, and that is all I try to be," says Charles Cobbs, principal of Wynne Junior High School in Wynne. Early in the 1990 academic year, Mr. Cobbs collaborated with a colleague and created PIP (Positive Impact Program), to address the needs of at-risk African-American boys. The program, designed for students from kindergarten through eighth grade, introduces early prevention strategies for such urgent problems as gang involvement, teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, unemployment and suicide. Mr. Cobbs is currently restructuring Wynne Junior High School into a bona fide middle school. Elements of the restructuring include improving academic performance through better health and fitness, re-engaging families in their children's education and strengthening the connection between school and the community.
1976 Arkansas State University - Jonesboro, B.A.
