Providence’s Youth Leadership Academy: New Initiative for Local Teens

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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

GoLocalProv Features Team

Stephen O'Rourke thinks some good, old-fashioned manners and social skills are in order for Providence youth, and BankRI agrees.

BankRI has joined with the Providence Housing Authority (PHA), where O'Rourke is Executive Director, to contract with the North American Family Institute (NAFI) to establish a Youth Leadership Academy in Providence. The goal? Mentor urban teens in the skills they can employ to further their aspirations.

"It's an increasingly competitive world out there," said O'Rourke. "Some of these kids aren't being taught some of the social skills we took for granted growing up. How to have a conversation with people, how to shake their hands and look them in the eyes."

"It's a bit like etiquette," O'Rourke said, "but no teen will go to an etiquette course. We expanded it and called it a Leadership Academy."

Leadership, job readiness, civic engagement, and conflict resolution

BankRI has committed $5,000 to the year-long leadership program, which will take place at several PHA family developments throughout Providence. The Academy is designed for at-risk youth, graduates of the PHA/NAFI Youth & Police Initiative (YPI) training program and other young people who will meet the programs selection criteria.   The four major components of the program are:  leadership development, job readiness, civic engagement, and conflict resolution.

In addition to the four major components of the program, the Youth Leadership Academy will also provide program participants with additional opportunities and experiences such as mentoring, college tours, pro-social and educational field trips, job site visits and shadowing, speakers’ bureaus focusing on careers and leadership, etiquette sessions, communication and presentation development, group dynamics, team leadership and team building, entrepreneurship, and an introduction to the “green” world, focusing on community gardens, outdoor adventure learning, green jobs,  composting, and the business of recycling.  Through group discussions, role-plays, scenario-based learning, individual presentations, and actual community work, sessions will be conducted as interactive and engaging learning opportunities, two days a week for two hours per session.

“We are proud to support our client, the PHA, for establishing a youth leadership academy for at-risk youth, and for providing the tools they need to make positive changes in both their lives and communities,” said BankRI Executive Vice President, Chief Lending Officer Mark Meiklejohn. “We look forward to reading about the future leaders that this program will produce.”

Providence Mayor Angel Taveras joined BankRI, PHA, NAFI, and Providence Police Officers for the announcement event.  O'Rourke commented on how great the teens who represented the program looked and behaved. "When I heard these kids speak, I welled up with pride," he said. "These kids will serve as the ambassadors for the Housing Authority."

Pictured in the photo from left to right: Jose Santos, Hector Ramirez, Stephen O'Rourke, Executive Director of PHA, Angel Taveras, Mayor of the City of Providence, Manny Barrows, Senior Vice President Commercial Banking at BankRI, Daniel Parra, Dylan Pierre

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