By Gabrielle Terrett

The Vicksburg Post

Children enrolled in King Solomon Baptist Church’s Academy learned about the dangers of social media Wednesday during a public forum held at the church. Members from both the legal and educational systems were present to answer any questions from the audience about dangerous social media habits.

Preston Nailor, School District athletic director, officer Derek Smith and attorney Lane Campbell were in attendance, along with Justice Court Judge James Jefferson. Each of them gave a brief speech regarding the dangers of social media and were questioned individually. Later in the program, the group was questioned as a whole.

“I feel as though this for them was very, very important. As a investigator, we go through a lot of things through social media and it’s always a good thing to have the children to understand the dangers of it and how to prevent them,” said Smith.

Other individuals on the panel spoke of how important it is to mind what you put on social media.

Nailor spoke of 10 Harvard students who will no longer be allowed into the university because of foul memes posted in a group chat.

Campbell informed the children of the consequences of posting or sharing negative images, videos or messages on social media.

Jefferson told a story of a real life incident in which a mentee of his lost his life due to social media.

“This program is beneficial to the community as the children are being taught about the dangers of social media, there’s not a class in the school district that teaches children of the dangers of social media,” said the Reverend R.D. Bernard pastor, and director of The Academy at King Solomon Baptist Church.

“We have four-week long modules in which the children have been learning the appropriate way to use social media, we have been doing so in a classroom and by bringing in these officials it shows the children how using social media in the wrong way can affect one’s entire future.”

Students who have enrolled in the academy go through four  week-long training on a specific issue in the community. This is the church’s first year to hold the after-school program, said Bernard, and more than 65 children have enrolled since the beginning of the program in April of this year.

“We reach out to the children in the Vicksburg Warren school district and we offer an in classroom learning experience during every module, every module is four weeks long,” said Bernard.

“After the module has been completed we open up our program to the wider community to show the children how these lessons apply in the real world.”

The academy has studied much more than just the dangers of social media. The group has studied topics such as respect for authority and basic parenting said Bernard.

Bernard invites children from the Vicksburg and Warren school district as well as surrounding areas to come and enroll into the academy.

“We are in the process of registration,” said Bernard.

“We do have about 65 to 70 children enrolled but we are always looking for more, to enroll parents can directly contact the church at phone number or even direct message the Academy’s Facebook page, registration is $25 per semester and there are only two, and we serve a meal at the end of each session!”

Benard and the Academy at King Solomon church is welcoming as many students into the program as possible and registration never ends.