‘It gave me motivation.’ Macon student wins national award for ‘awe-inspiring’ community work

At just the age of 16, a Bibb County School District student overcame home displacement, food insecurity and the loss of a close friend due to gun violence.

But the hardships didn’t stop Naiem Moore from giving back to his community — providing safety to vulnerable senior citizens and motivating his peers to strive regardless of their circumstances.

The Central High School student received the 2024 Youth Leadership Award from the Coalition for Community Schools for his commitment to serving on the Safe at Home Project, which included reducing the risk of seniors’ properties in Pleasant Hill from becoming targets of property crime.

“When I was recognized, it felt kind of different at first, but it gave me motivation to keep doing what I’m doing and not give up and keep pushing myself forward,” Moore said.

The one-year neighborhood revitalization project was funded by a Macon Violence Prevention grant and followed the Crime Prevention Through Environment Design framework.

Moore worked with seven other youth to install free safety features such as doorbell cameras, door peep holes, flood lights and more for qualifying older adults.

Moore’s resilience in the face of adversity and his natural leadership skills prompted Sundra Woodford, Bibb County school board member and United Way of Central Georgia Community Schools director, to nominate him for the national leadership award.

“He just emerged as a leader early on,” Woodford said before noting how Moore would encourage the crew to finish a job. “You could just tell he was going to be the one that would be distinguished from the other young guys.”

Moore said he joined the team to learn a life skill and help residents in under-served neighborhoods.

The Pleasant Hill neighborhood has struggled with blight, poverty, gun violence and other community issues which have negatively affected youth over the years.

Moore described his friend’s death as overwhelming, which left him uneasy for almost four months.

“When that happened, it took my mind off track, but I had to tell myself to keep going and keep pushing,” he said. “I stay (concentrated) on sports so that I can just go a different route.”

Moore, according to school administrators, maintained an excellent grade point average last school year despite his circumstances. Moore said his friend’s death still affects him, but not to the point that he can’t complete his schoolwork.

Woodford said Moore has experienced things that would be an excuse for others to not perform at their best, but for him it was an encouraging push.

“I made sure (Naiem) was recognized at the school board meeting, because not all of our youth excel academically,” she said. “The unimaginable challenges that he faced and for him to continuously show up in his community and at school is awe-inspiring to me.”

Moore said he encourages his friends to do the same by holding them accountable and lifting them up every day. He said he tries to prevent them from engaging in criminal or harmful activities.

“I tell them it ain’t worth it,” he said. “I try to keep them doing the right thing. Everybody don’t listen all the time, but I still uphold certain values and keep them pushing, too.”

Woodford added that Macon youth can be really good contributors toward community revitalization because they’re emerging leaders. She said it was noteworthy that Moore is practicing to make a difference in his neighborhood and build people up who are in need.

Moore said his main goal right now is to secure a football scholarship or enroll in the military to become a carpentry specialist to further help his community.