Many youth in Milwaukee struggle with violence in their neighborhoods. When one young man told La’Ketta Caldwell he felt powerless to push change, she told him, without hesitation, “together they would figure out a way to make his voice heard” - and they did.

La’Ketta Denise Caldwell is inspired by challenges. She often sees opportunities when others do not. As Senior Program Manager at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, she uses her bubbly personality and unstoppable drive to connect with youth and help them understand they can do and achieve whatever they dream. Her care and attentive listening is leading youth to action. She is setting them on a journey to improve their own lives and, ultimately, the lives others within the city.

She worked with her youth groups to develop a funding grant application to the State Farm® Youth Advisory Board (YAB). They were successful. Now, in its second year, their “Can You Hear Us Now?” program inspires young people to channel their feelings and voices through the arts and performance.

Documentary Shares Powerful Stories of Violence and Survival

The grant allowed La’Ketta to help youth create a documentary. They debuted the work before a crowd of almost 1000 people at the Oriental Theater in Milwaukee last June. The documentary was an eye-opening experience. It gave them a platform to tell their true, first-hand accounts of how violence impacts the lives of young people. It also followed them as they learned how different agencies, organizations and the legislature all play a part in creating stronger, safer neighborhoods.

Wauwatosa East senior, Ronnie, was in the audience and said it was breathtaking and amazing to watch. He asked his mom if he could join the group for the next phase of the work. “It’s a mind blowing and powerful experience that I just can’t explain,” Ronnie shared. “It’s something I look forward to every Wednesday. We get to be involved with something different and for a cause. I love it!”

The documentary success was the catalyst for La’Ketta and the youth to be visible and involved in other efforts to push the change they envision. Many great outcomes have resulted. They not only won awards for the work through the Milwaukee Film Festival, but Scholastic’s teen magazine, Choices, published an article about their efforts.

The Scholastic News article featured program participant Gerron. He has seen the number of kids involved grow each year through the attention the program has received. “At first it was mostly kids I knew. Now our group has grown,” he explained. “Nothing has changed how fun the work is though, and we all continue to bond and become family.”

Live performances of original works moves people to action

This year, over 300 community members showed up for a live performance. The youth shared their experiences through original skits, poetry and song. Their stories are riveting and show how much they have experienced and overcome in their short lifetimes. Symone touched many hearts with a poem about how she is rising above her challenging upbringing. Her father sold drugs and her grandmother continues to battle drug addiction. She sees herself moving through life differently. The way she explained her story through poetry left jaws dropping and tears rolling.

Video Credit: Stillwater Productions

“Their stories are real and it’s the reason many have trouble focusing in school,” La’Ketta shared. “They are carrying a lot of weight on their shoulders and the arts give them a safe space to unload that weight.”

Unload the weight they did. In the process, they have taken a powerful first step to help build understanding. The raw honesty expressed by the teens helps deliver their message loud and clear. Adults are taking action now that they realize the burden. Many voiced their commitment to helping the youth find their way.

Elevating their voices for a change and a brighter future

La’Ketta set the stage. She will continue to help elevate young people’s voices - now and into the future. In fact, the students will now have the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. next month to learn more about our country’s history and leaders.

Video Credit: Stillwater Productions

Gerron is excited about the trip and shared his hopes for the next steps with this effort. “I hope everyone can see that violence is a huge problem right now, especially in Milwaukee,” explained Gerron. “And, we all have to come together to make a difference. I know the violence won’t end, but we have to come together to make the numbers drop. That would be satisfying to me.”

We recently sat down with nineteen-year-old high school senior and current State Farm Youth Advisory Board (YAB) member, Veronica Fernandez-Diaz. She explained to us her passion for education, her drive to motivate others to fulfill their potential and what success looks like for her. Most of all, this young adult revealed how she is determined to make a difference as an advocate for at-risk students.

Originally from Mexico, Veronica has been living in Colorado since she was six. Defined as an undocumented, low-income Latina, she relates on a personal level to many of the students she feels compelled to help.

What is your inspiration?

Veronica: While taking a Criminal Justice course, I realized any student living in a low-income community is deemed an “at-risk” student. Growing up as an at-risk student myself, I am able to understand the difficulty in overcoming the obstacles of one’s background.

I refuse to become a victim or let any personal issues get in the way of my goal to solve issues. I understand the community’s challenges from a personal perspective and provide a unique point-of-view.

As the Command Chief, in charge of discipline and morale for the Mapleton Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), I wanted to do more than just tell cadets what they were doing wrong. Several of the cadets who had to see me for discipline issues were at-risk youth who did not know how it felt to have unconditional support.

I choose to be a voice to undocumented students. I am determined to help those who are going through the same things I have. The odds may seem stacked against us but I still do not see us as victims.

Despite the hardships, we still have the opportunity of an education. This pushed me to create a Tutoring/Mentoring project for my fellow at-risk students, showing them education is the best way to overcome any situation but more importantly, they are not defined by what surrounds them.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for helping at-risk students to be successful?

Veronica: Building up a student’s self-esteem who has always been told their capabilities are less than the rest is the toughest challenge to help them find a path to success. Every time I encounter a cadet who refuses help, I can’t turn my back. I feel compelled to show them I care and believe they are capable of change.

Still, it must be understood how hard it is to regain hope and confidence in our ability to be successful when peers, teachers, family, or society may see the future of at-risk students as inevitably mediocre.

What do you hope to do post-college?

Veronica: I realized I not only wanted to make a difference in my community or in my nation, but also in our interconnected world. Feeling empathy is no longer enough to prove I care. If I have such strong feelings towards injustice, then I have to take action. Through The State Farm Youth Advisory Board, my goal is to make my deepest belief a reality—to empower youth to take the reins to change the world. One of my favorite quotes from Cesar Chavez really defines my view of service.

“When we are really honest with ourselves we must admit that our lives are all that really belong to us. So, it is how we use our lives that determines what kind of men we are. It is my deepest belief that only by giving our lives do we find life.”

What do you hope to do post-college?

Veronica: Right now, I am definitely more focused on just getting to college first without having to worry about my financial situation. At this moment, I am leaning more towards International Affairs or Human Development, but I seem to like too many things to be sure!

I always see myself continuing to make some sort of change, but I hope my efforts become global. I also hope to find a balance between policy change and interactive change within the communities affected.

Sharing Time, Treasures and Talents

A charismatic leader has his team’s rapt attention as he introduces their next project, one with an international focus. He calls on a team member to help define how the work supports the team’s mission. He provides positive feedback by acknowledging the team member’s contribution. He reiterates goals and provides clear direction on how to begin.

Finally, he rallies the team to tackle their work with an enthusiastic, “let’s make it a great meeting, ok!”

This leader isn’t a motivational expert giving a TED talk or a successful CEO or entrepreneur. He’s a fifth grader - addressing members of the Service Club he started at his school three years ago to help his peers and community.

The project is “plarn” - a process that uses plastic bags as “yarn” to create mats and rugs. The children make plarn balls out of plastic bags they collect. The group sendssend the plarn to women in Uganda who will use it to create items for their homes.

Shrey G. Pothini is no ordinary young man.

Shrey, who just turned 11, is already making a positive impact in his community – and across the globe. He is defying assumptions adults may have for a boy his age.

The preteen started the Service Club at Harriett Bishop Elementary in Savage, MN, to help his peers feel a sense of belonging within their school and community by participating in leadership and philanthropy. With Shrey’s leadership, interest in the club – and the club’s reach – has grown tremendously.

“I’m really excited we have kindergartners through sixth graders participating in the club,” exclaimed Shrey. “Over half of the 100 club members are kindergartners through third graders. We include their siblings too if they want to join in on our projects. We may be young, but we are also a very powerful group!”

This enthusiasm drove Shrey’s desire to find a way for other young kids to get involved in service opportunities before junior high. With help from his mother, Seema, Shrey applied for a grant to expand the club to the nine other elementary schools in his school district.

The project so impressed the State Farm Youth Advisory Board (YAB), they agreed to help Shrey expand the club. The YAB gave Shrey’s school $25,000 to cover expenses to establish additional clubs.

As the rest of the district joins in, Shrey continues to lead his peers toward meaningful work, allowing them to share their time, treasures and talents. Club members have:

• educated their peers about global children’s rights,

• sent educational supplies to schools in Guatemala,

• created poetry art for a nursing home, and

• helped students empower themselves by learning self-defense.

   

View INFOGRAPHIC of Harriet Bishop Elementary Service Club Impact

“Students who are in the club are looking at their daily life differently and beginning to identify ways they can help other people,” Principal Erika Nesvig shared.

For other schools considering implementing a similar club, Nesvig recommends the club be student-led and considers projects that go beyond raising money for a cause.

“When the students had to grow their hair to make wigs, or when they collected stuffed animals for donation, it had a greater impact on them and helped them feel a greater sense of reward,” stated Nesvig.

We need more young people like Shrey Pothini, and more groups like the Service Club, to help make our world better. Clubs like Shrey’s help kids learn empathy for others and give them a better sense of how they fit into the larger global community.

Learning this is a huge step toward becoming adults who care about giving back. Be like Shrey and do something today to make a difference!