Former Denny International Middle School scholar, Jasmine Smith, 14, is the 2014 winner 4C's Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative Group Mentoring was the 2014 winner of the National Mentoring Summit “Spell It like It Is" competition recently held at the National Youth Mentoring Training Summit in Orlando, Florida.

As part of the 4C Coalition, Smith traveled from Seattle to Orlando, Florida with other students, two mentors and two parents to attend the National Alliance of Faith and Justice's 6th annual Take a Stand to Keep a Seat National Youth Mentoring Training Summit in collaboration with the 41st Annual Conference and Training Institute of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice. This summit/conference and training institute officially launched a multi-year national collaborative focus on the cooperation of law enforcement, incarcerated parents, mentors, and youthful stakeholders in reducing the “school to prison” pipeline from America’s classrooms, particularly for African American males.
 
During the summer, all young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities. PEN OR PENCIL™ (POP) priorities are aligned with those of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention the Take a Stand to Keep a Seat National Youth Mentoring Training Summit to provide a national environment which presents structured activities for youth to continue learning during the summer. At the summit, using the POP program, mentors and mentees participants can engage in and support learning during summer months.

Words featured in the spelling competition are derived from various components of the POP National Initiative.

Smith will begin next year as a 9th grader at Chief Sealth International High School.

The 4C Coalition, Donald and Hazel Cameron provided support and mentoring.