Other locations had the entire pandemic to plan what BAM would look like when schools reopened, and we’re building the plane as we’re flying it.Īnother broader challenge is just the effect of the pandemic on children as a whole. Starting in August gave us a really short runway to plan the work, to execute the work, and then move into a phase where we can evaluate it. In DC specifically we are starting the program as the schools are coming back from COVID, and Youth Guidance DC was not established until I was hired six months ago. What challenges does Youth Guidance see in this new and somewhat unstable environment?Ĭonsistency with the programming is one of the biggest challenges – is it going to be in school or virtual? We have the ability to pivot to a virtual engagement that will allow us to continue working with students, but it can be challenging to identify when we need to make that pivot, and then put the logistics in place so that all the students have the technology that they need in order to maintain involvement in programming. In-person vs virtual schooling is a debate we’re seeing a lot of. With the current COVID Omicron surge, kids and schools have become a hot button issue. What makes our DC program unique is that students will be able to start with BAM and once they finish, transition into the Fellowship Initiative. We also partnered with a program that JP Morgan Chase offers called the Fellowship Initiative, a program for Black and Brown boys that’s built on career mentorship, leadership, development, and community service. It went from 600-700 students in Chicago to over 7000, and it spread from Chicago to Boston, Dallas, LA, Seattle, Kansas City, London, then finally DC.Īs the Executive Director, I was brought in to build the expansion of youth guidance programming in DC public schools. When he announced the initiative he highlighted BAM and our exposure went up overnight. The Mayor of Chicago at that time, Rahm Emanuel, invited President Obama to come and sit in one of our BAM circles, and he loved it so much that it became the cornerstone of his My Brother’s Keeper initiative. It’s centered on social emotional learning and helping them make better decisions in life. In 2001 a new program was created called Becoming a Man – BAM for short – working specifically with Black and Brown boys in the Chicago Public school system. From 1924 to 2001 they had become known as the go to organization for social emotional learning programs with schools based throughout Chicago. The mission of Youth Guidance is to create and implement school based programs so students can remove obstacles, focus on education, and ultimately succeed in school and in life. Would you mind sharing a bit about the organization and what you’re doing there? Speaking of new opportunities, you recently started as Executive Director at Youth Guidance DC. By the end of 2019, I had an offer to be a director somewhere else. After engaging with my fellow cohort members I realized I was selling myself short and needed to look for something else. I don't think I would have looked outside of my lane were it not for Rising Leaders. At that time I was a Program Manager, but then I began looking at other opportunities to really execute all of these leadership theories. After doing the Rising Leaders program, and engaging with my peers in that program and with folks who graduated the Signature Program, I started to look a lot wider than that narrow lane I was in. And while I was practicing to help other executives lead successful organizations, I subconsciously left myself a very tiny lane with not a lot of space to move around. I’d read the books, done the workshops, even led the workshops, but theory and practice have to come together at some point. Having come up through youth leadership positions to adult leadership positions, and actually training young leaders, I thought I knew it all. Rising Leaders was a wonderful experience. What did you take away from that experience, and has it helped you navigate the past couple years? Obviously the world is a bit different now. You graduated the Rising Leaders program in 2019. Each quarter, we feature a past participant of the Rising Leaders program in a section we call "Leaders on the Rise." For this installment, we spoke with Rasheem Rooke (RL ’19), executive director of Youth Guidance DC about his new position, the foundations of Youth Guidance, and words of advice for other participants in LGW programs.
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