Local youth learn to lead

The words of civil rights activist Jesse Jackson headlined the itinerary for middle school students attending the Youth Empowerment Workshop at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center on Saturday.

“Leadership cannot just go along to get along. Leadership must meet the moral challenge of the day,” Jackson’s words read.

The workshop, titled “Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow,” was organized for seventh through ninth-grade students in the Bloomington area and especially targeted minorities, the organizers said.

Graduate student Malliron Hodge facilitated the programs with other graduate assistants and Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center staff.

“We’re preparing them with skills to be leaders of the 21st century,” Hodge said.

The workshop consisted of three different sessions designed to develop a specific leadership skill or tool. A trip to the Herman B Wells Library allowed students to use computers to create a digital self-portrait collage depicting their traits and possible career goals.

“You can use this to talk about any career you want to pursue,” Wells librarian Chanitra Bishop told the students.

Another session, “My TYPE of Future,” gave the students the opportunity to determine their Myers-Briggs personality type. The personality inventory consists of four opposing traits, such as introversion versus extroversion, to create a four-letter personality code that can point students to particular career paths.

Graduate student Muhammad Saahir explained the 16 possible results of the Myers-Briggs survey and said the students could agree or disagree with their results.

Throughout the day, participants were encouraged to be open-minded and to formulate their own opinions. While hesitant and shy in the morning, each student was readily participating shortly after the sessions began.

The third session, titled “The Roof is on Fire! Extinguishing Self Doubt,” ended the workshop. The passionate instructors created a welcoming and engaging environment for veteran students of the workshop as well as new participants.