New learning and recreational center opens, focus on mentorship and youth leadership

Salisbury, Md. – Cheers erupted as a pair of scissors sheared through an azure blue ribbon, officially marking the opening of the Street Therapy Learning and Recreational Center on 1303 S. Salisbury Blvd.

The Street Therapy Learning and Recreational Center is a character development and mentorship program for boys from eight to 17 years old, which Byron and Nikkia Coulbourn said focuses on building confidence and leadership skills through weekly sessions that combine group discussions, creative activities and fun.

However, the Coulbourns said the center is not only for recreation, but a means of creating a safe space for kids. Byron said he hopes the program, which is developed under the Street Therapy Initiative by The Inspire One, is able to be a place kids can build something for themselves.

“If that’s a trade, if that’s a full ride to college, if that’s the experience, if that’s, you know, somebody’s learning and pouring into you, you’re going to leave here with something,” he said.

Nikka, Byron’s wife, is the founder of I Am TEA (Transform, Empower and Aspire) which is also under the Street Therapy Initiative and is also housed at the center. I Am TEA is a program built to empower young girls aged seven to 17 years old. They say both programs are ways to help parents build their child for success.

“It’s about supporting the whole child in totality, not just, giving them the outlet to be away from home for a little while,” Nikkia said. “And we just need to we need to be able to reach them on levels that most parents and most people don’t know how to.”

The program is built through partnerships with community partners to provide mentorships, resources and transportation. Stephanie King is the director of the Wicomico County Local Management Board and attended the learning and recreational center’s grand opening. She said Street Therapy received a grant from the Wicomico County Partnership for Families and children, the Wicomico County Local Management Board and is under the Community Reinvestment Review. She said she Byron had done an “amazing job” revitalizing the space and looked forward to what the program could offer kids.

“The program itself is just you know it’s really outreach for kids and giving them a safe space to come and you know be able to be kids and while also receiving the mentorship and education pieces that they need,” King said.

For 15-year-old Shemar Moore, the recreational center is more than just a place, it’s somewhere young men can learn how to thrive and build community.

“They helping them change. And then what they what they want to do is they want to bring in everybody like the community,” Moore said of the Coulbourns. “They want to show everybody that ‘I’m really over here.’ They’re really over here trying to change people’s lives and change it around for the kids and let them have a good environment.”

Shawn Tucker is a friend of Byron’s and has worked with the Coulbourns while they built the recreation center. He said the initiatives like Street Therapy and the Dream Big Academy allow youths to supersede whatever circumstances are impacting them and help them develop a love of learning and growing.

“What we do, we stand behind three pillars: own it, learn from it and build beyond it,” he said of the Dream Big Academy. “So, like, just because you have bad circumstances in your life, we all went through something, we all still going through something. That doesn’t get to dictate your future.”

He said Byron has been reaching out to youths that tend to be absent from school, helping them while “they’re going through the situations they’re in.” Tucker is calling on the community to donate to help the Street Therapy Learning and Recreational Center grow in any way they can.

“A lot of folks think donation always is monetary, but it could be your time. It could be your resources, it could be some supplies,” Tucker said. “Get everybody involved and make this community effort.”

For inquires to enroll at the Street Therapy Learning and Recreational Center to to learn how to support the initiative, contact Byron at speakpositivedreambig@gmail.com or call 443-783-6150. For more information on I Am TEA, contact iamteasby@yahoo.com or call 443-783-2363.