african american youth Archives - Page 4 of 5 - Kelly Fair

Positive Men: Don Krause

on February 19, 2015February 19, 2015 By kellyfairthementor

Mr. Don Krause is up next for our Men’s Month highlight! He has been a strong supporter of both Polished Pebbles and Kelly Fair. He was more than happy to answer 3 important questions for us!

What lead you to start supporting Polished Pebbles?

Mr. Krause first met Kelly Fair at Bright Star Church. He was immediately impressed with her presence and dedication. Mr. Krause was equally impressed with Polished Pebbles and the professional young ladies that left the program. As “everybody needs life skills”, it made sense to him to support such an organization! The girls are learning how to “present [themselves] properly…communicate properly” and how to be competitive in their future endeavors.

Thank you Mr. Krause for the kind words!

What is one crisis you see young, African-American girls facing? How can we intervene?

He sees young girls “growing up in an area where they are exposed to violence…negative influences”. He thinks that because of this, it can be hard for these girls to “believe that their dreams can come true”. He sees the girls going through the Polished Pebbles Program as capable and bright! Mr. Krause believes that we can intervene by becoming more involved in the lives of youth. Although there are huge divisions in our society, we can come together to to donate resources and time to better the opportunities for our youth. He wants communities to realize that money is not always the necessary intervention. It takes proper administration for organizations to provide community supports. “You can be a positive influence to somebody”.

What advice do you have for other male mentors?

“Encouragement”! That is the advice Mr. Krause has for male mentors. We need to encourage our youth, especially young girls to reach their full potential. “You don’t know how little you do can mean so much. It’s the words of encouragement, it’s that smile, it’s giving someone a compliment, it’s giving someone your advice…letting them know they can get through it”. He wants male mentors to know that there are many rewards for the time, effort, and resources you donate to community.

You tell ’em Mr. Krause! Thank you for taking the time to be interviewed! And thank you for being such a positive male role model for young African American ladies, keep spreading your message!

Positive Men: Shayne Evans

on February 12, 2015February 12, 2015 By kellyfairthementor

It’s Men’s Month! At KellyFairtheMentor.com we are highlighting positive male role models in the Chicago community…and you should meet them!

Our first feature will be on Mr. Shayne Evans. Mr. Evans is the CEO and Director of University of Chicago Charter Schools. “Through effective leadership, Evans works to strengthen the collaborations that exist among the four campuses and create new partnerships to leverage the expertise of teachers, leaders, counselors, social workers, tutors, and after-school providers.” This is apparent through his collaboration with Polished Pebbles. The Donoghue, NKO, and Woodlawn campuses host the Polished Pebbles mentoring program for their young ladies.

We had the pleasure of hearing from Mr. Evans on three important questions!

What lead you to start supporting Polished Pebbles?

From the beginning, Mr. Shayne Evans was a “huge believer in Kelly’s vision for young ladies.” Through conversations, he could tell that Kelly see the potential, power, and futures of these girls. Her vision matched his for his young ladies at UC Charter Schools. He was heavily impressed by Kelly’s connections to entrepreneurial and well-rounded people, who became her network of mentors and role models for his young ladies. He says that, “her optimism and positive approach helps her to overcome obstacles”. Due to all of this, Mr. Evans had no other option, but to bring Polished Pebbles to some of his campuses.

Thank you Mr. Evans for seeing Polished Pebble’s potential! Because we see the same in your young ladies at UC Charters!

What is one crisis you see young, African-American girls facing? How can we intervene?

Mr. Evans finds that “often society presents stereotypical views of young African-American ladies”. Because of this, their exists a “belief gap of what black and brown young ladies…are capable of”. This can be detrimental to the way we treat these young ladies in the school system. He sees the UC Charter Schools and Polished Pebbles Mentoring Program as positive interventions. They help to create “counter narratives” of young African-American ladies. Together, they “reestablish a vision” of these young ladies as “leaders, problem-solvers, innovators, engineers, and role models”.

His response reminds us of a previous article on KellyFairtheMentor.com. Click here to listen to Chimamanda Adichie speak about stereotypes and how they affect self-development.

What advice do you have for other male mentors?

His advice for male role models is to develop positive, professional relationships youth, especially young ladies. Mr. Evans believes this can be done by being both warm and demanding. You want to establish and maintain high expectations–“academically, behaviorally, socially”. These supportive relationships can truly help girls as they grow. He wants men to come together and work as a community to create positive opportunities for youth–“it is a joint effort”!

At KellyFairtheMentor.com and Polished Pebbles, we want to thank Mr. Shayne Evans for both taking the time to speak with us and for believing in our girls! Thank you for being such a positive male role model for young African American ladies, keep spreading your message!

Let’s Meet the Men

on February 5, 2015February 5, 2015 By kellyfairthementor

February marks Men’s Month! We want to take this time to recognize and celebrate the role responsible men play in our girl’s lives. Throughout history, there have been many black men that shaped our futures. Strong, black, men role models are essential to helping our girls build positive relationships with men.

Unfortunately, black fathers have been stereotyped as absent. Our family structure has constantly been called into question. Photographer Zun Lee eliminates these stereotypes in his touching photo series “Father Figure”. According to David Rosenberg’s article, “Lee said he is not only trying to shatter the stereotype of black men not being good fathers, but also the idea that black men are people to fear, something Lee said is obviously connected to racial profiling.”

“Basically, the statement I’m making is the reasons people assume black fathers are absent are the same reasons people assume black men are threatening,” Lee said. “People say [when looking at his work] ‘These are not the men I thought would be affectionate,’ and it confuses them to see these men with tattoos and muscles as being nonmenacing.”

Polished Pebble’s Men’s Month has similar goals. We want to encourage our girls, families, and black role models to celebrate the men in our lives! During this month, Kelly Fair the Mentor will be interviewing and sharing those interviews with you every Thursday. Don’t miss it!

A little peak at “Father Figure”….

What You Can Learn From Cameka Smith

on January 29, 2015January 29, 2015 By kellyfairthementor

Last week we shared with you Cynthia Boykin of What U Need Is… Today we want everyone to know about Cameka Smith of BOSS Network.

Cameka Smith is the founder of BOSS Network, “Bringing Out Successful Sisters”. With a Master’s in Education, Cameka has dedicated herself to supporting the entrepreneurial spirit in women. As BOSS Network so succinctly and powerfully describes their founder, “Speaker, trainer, and award-winning entrepreneur…BOSS Network has evolved into a go-to resource for companies seeking female influencers as their target market. A one-stop-shop for career and entrepreneurial minded women”.

What Is She Proud Of?

Cameka Smith finds pride in her educational achievement. Coming from “an environment where most of my peers were looked at as a statistic”, her MA in Education helps her to work for change in her community! During her teaching career, she found enjoyment in working with at-risk youth. When her students follow their dreams she is able to see the impact she has had–their successes become her successes. This has been her constant reward. Her transition into BOSS Network only added to her positive influence in her community. Cameka is proud to be seen as an expert or industry influencer in her field.

Who Have Been Her Mentors, Her Motivators?

Cameka Smith sees the “every day women in her life”, her mother and aunts, as her greatest motivators. She came from a big, connected, and loving family that always maintained faith and commitment to one another and community. Seeing their commitment and love inspired her to maintain the same values. They have encouraged her to have a dedication to service and helping others. Cameka acknowledges her teachers, professors, and counselors who encouraged her to attain her Masters. Her education has truly helped her get to where she is today. The very women she works with through the BOSS Network are her mentors. They inspire her to keep working harder, to be creative.

Does She Think She’s A Mentor? …Because We Sure Do!

Cameka Smith first saw herself as a mentor when she began her career in education. She saw the need to provide positive role models for her students and other youth, so she acted! She began to create mentor programs for students. She wanted to showcase young professionals; let them “see what they can become” from “all walks of life”. She encourages youth, especially young girls, to join mentoring programs and to push their future visions. Cameka sees her entire career as building up youth into confident, successful young adults. We are thankful for Cameka and her work!

Now, What Does She Hope To See From Her Community?

Cameka reminds us all that “if you have lived on this earth, then you have something that you’ve been through…that you can share with another person”. So, do just that! She would like to see more community involvement in mentoring programs for youth (at Polished Pebbles, we agree!). Cameka sees women of color as essential contirbuters to their communities because they are natural role models and leaders. Cameka wants me to remind readers that for her, it was the “everyday women” who had the greatest impact on her. Which means there is nothing standing in your way!

People need hope, and sometimes we forget that hope exists within all of us. Mentors can be the spark that ignites the fire. Thank you Cameka for sharing this message with us!

What You Can Learn From Cynthia Boykin

on January 22, 2015January 22, 2015 By kellyfairthementor

At KellyFairtheMentor.com, we had the opportunity to interview Cynthia Boykin of What U Need Is… We are happy to share with you her insights and inspirations for mentoring and strengthening community!

First, a little bio on our wonderful Cynthia Boykin. “The Master Networker”, she is the founder of What U Need Is…an essential connection between businesses and consumers in Chicago. As is said about the founder, “Cynthia is known for being able to build relationships, connecting the right people together skillfully and swiftly.”

What Is She Proud Of?

Cynthia Boykin is proud to be on the leadership board of BOSS Network. Through this opportunity she was able to meet one of her mentors, Beverly Johnson (first black woman on the cover of Vogue). Following in her mentors footsteps, Cynthia was honored by being on the cover of Black Pages International Magazine in 2011 and 2012! Cynthia was honored to have been nominated as one of the 50 Women of Distinction by Six Brown Chicks. She’s proud to be part of such a vibrant, successful community of women entrepreneurs and business owners.

Who Have Been Her Mentors, Her Motivators?

Cynthia Boykin immediately thinks of the most positive influence in her life–her mother. Cynthia says that her mother is a “woman who lead by example”. In 1952 she joined the Women’s Army Corps, pushing gender boundaries to find fulfillment in her life. She has found that all the women in her life have been role models. Working with so many women entrepreneurs and go-getters have filled her head with many mentoring faces. Cynthia warmly gave an appreciated shout out to Kelly Fair, citing her work with Polished Pebbles as one of the best young girls mentoring program in Chicago. Thank you Ms. Cynthia Boykin!

Polished Pebbles works to provide examples of women, like Cynthia Boykin, to our girls. This can positively influence their self-perception, and goal setting! When surrounded by such intelligent, strong women it is hard not to set such high goals!

Does She Think She’s A Mentor? …Because We Sure Do!

Cynthia Boykin described herself as a possible example for other women. Now, here at Polished Pebbles we think she is being too modest. We are here to tell Cynthia Boykin, you are a mentor! She is a great resource connector and networker for her clients and community. She will use anything at her fingertips to support those she can, utilizing a “I got mine, now let me help you get yours” mentality. She sees her sponsorship, encouragement, and support as an investment in great, upcoming people, businesses, and organizations–future change-makers! She mentors by helping to open up doors for her clients, who help to better her community.

Now, What Does She Hope To See From Her Community?

She wants to see you, yes you readers, contributing to your communities! It can be through time, gifts, resources, or any other way of getting involved. She wants to see more community-centered businesses that are dedicated to the growth of their communities. If they build reciprocal relationships, then businesses can connect more with their consumers! She wants to see a united front of businesses, all dedicated to the same goal–bettering community. For Cynthia, businesses need to go at this goal with “more of a bang”.

We all need hope in our lives. Only by sharing our stories, experiences, advice, and wisdom with others can we encourage hope to grow!

Happy New Year With Bright Futures Ahead!

on January 1, 2015January 1, 2015 By kellyfairthementor

Happy New Year!

We hope everyone had a safe and fun New Year’s Eve to welcome in the exciting 2015! Thank you for all of those who have supported Polished Pebbles by donating to our girls. Your contributions will help fund activities, programs, transportation, and Polished Pebbles wear for the 2015 program year. For those still considering making a donation to Polished Pebbles, you can do so here online.

One of our partners, Microsoft, provides opportunities for technological experiences and education. Our girls give formal presentations to Microsoft staff and receive feedback. One of the Oakbrook Microsoft women we worked with, Megan Wright, even wrote an article on her partnership with Polished Pebbles! You can read it here.

As we look back on the year 2014 and the socio-political events that have affected African-American communities, it is important that we remember Polished Pebbles. Black girls are often forgotten as issues affecting them are not properly addressed compared to black boys. At Polished Pebbles, we are determined to be a positive intervention! We work against stereotypes to empower our girls to improve their situations and futures! Please join our partners, sponsors, volunteers, and mentors who have taken a stand with us by giving back! When you give, it benefits all!

If you missed last week’s post, check out our look back on our year with Polished Pebbles by clicking here.

Remember, with your help…TOGETHER SHE WILL SHINE!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI5dpEU3prk&w=560&h=315]

Hello bright and new 2015!

Happy Holidays!

on December 25, 2014December 25, 2014 By kellyfairthementor

From KellyFairtheMentor and Polished Pebbles, we want to say MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS! May the holidays be a blessing to you and yours. Thank you for all that you do to support our girls!

If you would like to give a little gift this holiday season, consider donating to Polished Pebbles. It can be a one time, monthly, or annual donation. The upcoming 2015 is sure to be filled with many more activities and programs to enrich the lives of our girls. We would love your support! Donate here…

Let’s keep taking care of one another!

A Look Back at Polished Pebbles 2014

on December 18, 2014December 18, 2014 By kellyfairthementor

As the year 2014 comes to a close, let’s take a look back on all that has happened with Polished Pebbles!

Watch this video of Polished Pebbles’ highlights…

For those who need a little refresher on what Polished Pebbles does for our community:

Polished Pebbles (est. 2009) is a Chicago-based, nonprofit organization that mentors girls ages 7-17 on the effective life skill of communication. We help girls to become effective communicators at home, school, and the future workplace! We have worked with over 400+ volunteer mentors who have helped 1000 girls via 30 program sites to solve their problems rationally as opposed to retaliating and develop the confidence to: speak up in class, join groups and seek leadership positions, communicate effectively and respectfully with adults, have peaceful interactions with their peers, and prepare for future careers.

We have had 30 Chicagoland sites where we host our programs, including partnerships with Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Housing Authority, and University of Chicago Charter Schools.

We have 18 companies we partner with for 50+ job shadowing opportunities, including Bloomingdales, Microsoft Store, Chicago Sky, and Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Illinois.

For Polished Pebbles to keep supporting our girls, we need your help! Consider a one-time, monthly, or annual donation. Click here to support Polished Pebbles!

Throwing Back to 2013, Pertesha Shares Her Story

on December 4, 2014December 4, 2014 By kellyfairthementor

This week we are throwing it back to 2013! A little reminiscing at the end of the year is the perfect way to remind us why we do what we do. Polished Pebbles has seen great growth in the last 5 years. We have now mentored over 1,000 girls and serve 30 sites in Chicago! To think we used to be small. During this exciting time it can be easy to get swept up in the numbers and forget about our individual impact. To each girl that goes through Polished Pebbles program, the experience is different. Although we have our mission of installing positive values, effective communication strategies, and confidence in our girls, they all take a different path. Each girl comes through our program with their own unique background and personality; making sure our work is never dull!

Now, let’s hear from a Polished Pebbles alum, Pertesha, as she shares her own Polished Pebbles story:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyuHFSf0k4Y&w=560&h=315]

Thank you Pertesha!

Polished Pebbles has been working hard to ensure that all the girls that go through our program have such a positive experience. Here’s an infographic to let you know how we’ve been doing:

Like what you’ve heard and read? Consider donating to Polished Pebbles to keep our program running strong, and our mission! With your help, small or large, Polished Pebbles will have a bright future! And together she will shine!

Click here to make your contribution! Remember, we aren’t just hoping for monetary support. If you have time, consider being a volunteer or mentor. Or, share your voice on our social media sites (including this one)!

How have you seen Polished Pebbles grow this year? What changes would you like to see in the next?

What Are We Grateful For…

on November 27, 2014November 27, 2014 By kellyfairthementor

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOU!

All of our readers of KellyFairtheMentor.com, volunteers and staff of Polished Pebbles, and our Polished Pebbles girls…thank you! It is with your help that we are able to impact our communities and work towards positive change. All of our voices can be heard and together we can help support the future of our girls and boys! We are grateful for our supporters, contributors, sponsors, and collaborative business and organizations for helping to provide enriching programs for all of our Polished Pebbles girls.

You all make our world go round!

A few words from volunteers and staff:

“Thankful for life and loved ones.” –Cecelia Donaldson

“I’m thankful for new opportunities!” –LaKisha Williams

“I am thankful for: God’s Grace.” –Joyce Rogers

“I am THANKFUL for: being blessed by the Lord and amazing family, great friends, and the Polished Pebbles vision.” –Adrienne Robinson

“I’m thankful for family, friends, and husband.” –L’Oreal Thompson

All of us have come together as social activists. Although you may think your role small as a volunteer for a single mentoring program, your impact is big! For that we are grateful! In light of events in Ferguson, our work is more important than ever. It is our mentoring and African-American youth programs that contradict the images and stereotypes portrayed by the media and by society. As mentioned in a previous post, it is important that we all speak out!

Let us all come together in gratitude for all those that have collaborated for and worked towards greater social justice in the United States. You have our thanks.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?