‘Homeboy Goes to Harvard:’ Gang Prevention Expert Speaks at NC State

North Carolina State University will host former gang member Dr. Victor Rios – now an assistant professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara – as he makes a presentation about gang prevention in schools and how teachers can support at-risk youth. The event will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 5, at NC State’s Friday Institute for Educational Innovation.

Media coverage of the presentation is invited and the event is free and open to the public. The Friday Institute is located at 1890 Main Campus Drive on NC State’s Centennial Campus.

Rios was 13 when he joined a gang; he dropped out of school and was incarcerated several times by age 16. With the support of educators and mentors, Rios redirected his attitude toward life and returned to school, earning a Ph.D., from the University of California at Berkeley. Now an assistant professor of sociology at UC Santa Barbara and a presenter with “Homeboy Goes to Harvard” productions, Rios speaks to a variety of groups around the country about gang and violence prevention, student motivation and conflict resolution.

For directions to the Friday Institute, visit http://www.fi.ncsu.edu/contact/index.php.

For more information about Rios, visit http://www.homeboygoestoharvard.com/speakers/dr_rios/.