THE DREAM PICKER, MURAL AND OTHER MURALS. TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE. TOTTI. HELPING
YOUNG PEOPLE STAY FOCUSED ON
SETTING GOALS TO EMPOWER THEIR
LIVES CAN BE CHALLENGING. AT
TIMES. ONE LOCAL EFFORT IS
MAKING THAT POSSIBLE YEAR AFTER
YEAR BY CELEBRATING YOUNG ADULTS
ACHIEVING SUCCESSFUL GOALS RIGHT
HERE IN THE D R. SPONSOR THE
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AWARDS,
PRESENTED BY CLASS AGENCY AND
313-298 DETROIT ARE LEADING THIS
EFFORT. WE’RE JOINED BY DR CARLA
MITCHELL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF
CLASS AGENCY IS SO GOOD TO HAVE
YOU BACK IN STUDIO EXCITED TO BE
HERE AGAINST HOTTIE. THANK YOU.
PLEASURE WELL, THIS IS THE THIRD
YEAR FOR THE DETROIT YOUTH
EMPOWERMENT AWARDS. WHY DID
CLASS AGENCY DEVELOPED THIS
PROGRAM? BECAUSE IT’S SO
IMPORTANT THAT WE HIGHLIGHT THE
HOPE SPIRIT AND FUTURE OF
DETROIT. KIDS ARE DOING GREAT
THINGS AND PEOPLE NEED TO SEE IT
. AND WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S
IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THESE
KIDS IN THIS WAY AND INCLUDING
AN AWARD CEREMONY? I BELIEVE
THAT CHILDREN NEED TO BE SEEN,
AND THERE’S NOTHING MORE
AFFIRMING THAN TO HAVE OUR
AWARDEES. TELL US THAT THEY FEEL
SEEN AMAZING ORIGINAL INTENT, SO
IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THEY BE
RECOGNIZED FOR EVERYDAY EFFORTS
. IT’S HARD. IT’S HARD FOR
ADULTS, AND SO UM, TO SEE KIDS
WHO ARE DOING THINGS DESPITE THE
CHALLENGES THAT THEY FACE SHOULD
BE CELEBRATED. I AGREE. I AGREE
. FEELING SCENE IS SO IMPORTANT
IS IT IS SOME OF THE CATEGORIES
OF RECOGNITION, SO WE RECOGNIZE
PERSEVERANCE. WE RECOGNIZE
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT, UM,
COMMUNITY IMPACT. WE RECOGNIZE
EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AND
SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMS FOR KIDS
WHO ARE OUT HERE DOING A
MEANINGFUL WORK THAT UM, IMPACTS
COMMUNITY LIKE THAT. I LIKE
THAT. SO YOU HAVE BROUGHT IN AN
AWARD? THIS ONE. THIS IS
ACTUALLY THE AWARD THAT WE GRANT
ARE AWARDING CEREMONY ON FRIDAY
. EACH ONE OF OUR YOUTH ARE
PRESENTED WITH A YOUTH
EMPOWERMENT AWARD, AND THEY ALSO
GET A PRIZE AT THE END OF THE
CEREMONY THAT HELPS TO EMPOWER
THEIR WORK OR HELP THEM CARRY
THE WORK FORWARD. OKAY, I LIKE
THAT. AND I LOVE THAT THEY HAVE
AN AWARD. AND IT’S TANGIBLE,
RIGHT. IT’S LIKE YOU HAVE THIS
MOMENT, BUT THEN I CAN TAKE THIS
HOME. I CAN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF
DISPLAY IT AND REMIND MYSELF OF
WHAT MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE
WANTED TO BE. THE GIFTS THAT
KEEPS ON GIVING CONSTANTLY SEE
IT AND BE REMINDED THAT YOU
NEVER KNOW WHO’S WATCHING.
THAT’S RIGHT. YOU NEVER KNOW
WHO’S WATCHING. SPEAKING OF
WATCHING WHO NOMINATES THESE
YOUNG PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IT’S
FUNNY BECAUSE THEY DON’T EVEN
KNOW WHO NOMINATES BUT NEIGHBORS
, FRIENDS, PARENTS, TEACHERS,
MENTORS. UM PUT FORTH THE
NOMINATIONS AND THEY’RE ALL
CAUGHT OFF GUARD AND BY SURPRISE
. ONCE WE MAKE THE AWARD
ANNOUNCEMENTS, THAT’S VERY, VERY
EXCITING TO SOMEBODY’S WATCHING
. WHAT IS IT IMPORTANT TO SHARE
WITH THESE KIDS ARE DOING WITH
EVERYBODY ELSE, YOU KNOW, AND
I’M SURE YOU CAN ATTEST TO THIS
. THERE ARE THERE’S A LOT GOING
AROUND IN THE WORLD AND AT THE
TIME THAT WE CREATED THE AWARDS,
WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A
PANDEMIC, AND I PERSONALLY WAS
WORRIED ABOUT THE KIDS VISION
FOR THEIR FUTURE. THERE WAS SO
MUCH UNCERTAINTY AROUND AND WHAT
WAS HAPPENING AT THE TIME AND,
QUITE FRANKLY, EVEN NOW, AND
SOMEHOW THERE ARE KIDS OUT THERE
WHO ARE STILL DOING GREAT
THINGS. DESPITE THAT, AND SO IT
IS MY HOPE. THAT WHEN WE ELEVATE
THE WORK OF THESE YOUTH, IT
INSPIRES OTHER YOUTH TO KEEP
GOING, AND THAT’S WHY THAT’S WHY
WE DO IT SO THEY CAN SEE EACH
OTHER, DOING AMAZING THINGS AND
WANT TO DO THE SAME THING, AND I
THINK IT WOULD, AS AS A YOUNG
PERSON WILL PROBABLY INSPIRE
THEM TO KEEP GOING EXACTLY AS
YOU FEEL LIKE, OH, WELL, NO ONE
IS NOTICING. IS THIS REALLY
HAVING AN IMPACT? SO I MEAN THAT
AND AS ADULTS, I THINK WE
SOMETIMES NEED TO TAKE A PAGE
FROM THEIR BOOK. MM VERY TRUE
AMAZING TEACHERS, AND I THINK WE
UNDERESTIMATE THEIR ABILITY TO
SHOW US HOW TO DO THINGS. AND I
MEAN THANKS TO WDIV’S FOR
FEATURING THESE KIDS ALL WEEK AS
PEOPLE ARE REALLY GOING TO GET
TO SEE KIDS DOING SOME REALLY
AMAZING THING. I LOVE IT. LET’S
LIFT UP THE KIDS IN OUR
COMMUNITY. DOCTOR CARLA THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON THE D
WILL BE SHOWCASING EACH OF THIS
YEAR’S WINNERS THROUGHOUT THIS
WEEK AND PART OF NEXT WEEK TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT CLASS AGENCY
AND THEIR PROGRAMS VISIT THEIR
WEBSITE CLASS AGENCY DOT ORG.