>> From WXXI News.

This is Connections.

I'm Evan Dawson.

Our connection this hour is made first with a flower pot.

The pot sits outside a new building on the corner of Magee and Dewey avenues, on the city's north side.

It's the home of the newest location of Teen Empowerment or TE for short.

The local nonprofit works with teens to foster equity, justice, and peace in the community.

T's new building is next to a tattoo and piercing parlor, a barbershop and a convenience store, and the area is one that has seen a number of fatal shootings in recent years.

Which brings us back to the flower pot.

According to a 19 year old Sarah Dillard, a TE staff member, the flower pot is meant to memorialize the lives that were lost in that area.

She told my colleague Noelle Evans, quote, it's important for us to be at this location to spread that awareness, to advocate for the young people in this community, to try to get rid of that gun violence, end quote.

We had an inspiring conversation on this program last week with Pastor Gerard Brown, who was also a staff member at TE.

And today we talked with some of the the teens themselves and some of the people from TE about their work and how they hope this new location will help them further their mission.

And I'd like to welcome our guest, Tara Mitcham, program Director at TE, back with us here.

>> Thanks for having me.

>> Great to have you back here.

We got a full studio Emerra Moore, who is a youth organizer with TE and Mehr.

Welcome.

Thanks for being with us.

>> Hello.

>> Across the table.

Hello, Paul Ross Jr., also a youth organizer.

Thank you for being here.

And welcome back to the program.

Sarah Dillard, who's a program coordinator with TE.

Nice to see you.

Thanks for being here.

>> Thanks for having me back.

>> how's the how are the new digs going up there?

>> It's going really well.

I think that the community is excited to have us to be there.

They've been very welcoming to us.

All of the businesses that you mentioned, a lot of community folk have come out to support us during our grand opening.

So it's really nice.

And I feel like the young people are really appreciating it for because for one of the reasons that we didn't have a home for the last couple of years, and so now they have a place that they can actually call their own, which is really exciting.

>> How many people work at TE.

>> Altogether or at northwest?

>> Well, altogether in the city, I'm curious to know.

>> So about 50 young people work at TE right now.

>> And what about where your new location?

1212 so when you meet people who don't know, still don't know what TE is, what do you tell them it is?

What do you tell them it's all about?

>> So we tell everyone who doesn't know about Teen Empowerment that we are a youth organizing agency, that we hire young people between the ages of 14 and 19 to look at the issues in their community that impact them on a day to day basis, and then to create different action plans and initiatives to address those issues while working in collaboration with adults in the community.

>> And we're going to talk to the teens in just a second.

I am curious to know what you think of the decision to choose this location that has seen, you know, quite a lot of violence in recent years.

>> Yeah.

So Teen Empowerment has always been very strategic about where we place our locations.

We think about the communities that we should be in.

We don't just pop up different places.

over the years we've heard a ton of feedback from community.

People like, this is where you need to be from young people in the community, from young people in the schools that we are going where we're holding focus groups.

And so when we made the decision to move over to the northwest, it wasn't some fly by night decision.

It was really thoughtful.

We connected with families in that community who had experienced violence, who had lost family members to violence.

and so we knew that it was really important there, because we know that youth voice in that community.

When young people are feeling more powerful, they're more likely to do positive things and create change in the community.

And so we know that if we really want to solve issues that are happening in that community, that we have to engage young people.

>> Well, Sarah, there are places around our city, around our region where sometimes you'll see a cross or a set of flowers.

People will leave little memorials, sometimes stuffed animals, where someone lost a life.

That flower pot is a reminder of.

There's been a lot of stuff that's gone down at that location for you.

Did you have any hesitation about wanting to work there, about going to that location?

>> Not at all.

And that's not to say that it isn't risky.

Of course, we're aware of everything that's going on in that corner.

But again, it's all about being where they need us to be.

And because of so many, so much going on at that location, it there's really no choice but to be there.

But to be able to say, hey, we're here now and to try to make the community feel as safe as possible, regardless of everything that's going on.

>> What are the people and the businesses who are around you?

What do they say about Teen Empowerment arrival?

>> They actually were pretty excited.

I actually remember when we first went out there trying to connect with the businesses that were our neighbors, and they were like, wow.

So this is what's going to be here now.

Hey.

And I'm just like, yes, we're here.

And we're hoping that everyone is able to get on board and really welcome us in as we continue to welcome in the community.

>> They obviously are aware, too, of the violence that has happened there, and I'm sure they want to see something that can change that.

Are you optimistic that things can change, especially at that location?

>> Absolutely.

I think that's why I'm in.

The work that I'm in is because I want things to change.

And I do still have hope that things are able to change, especially in the line of work that we're in.

Again, I made a statement of, you know, straight A students are fine, but if we can get those students who are killing, who are stealing cars, who are within the system, that's the best way to do the work.

And that's the best way to change, because those are the peers that they'll listen to.

Those are the peers that they'll reach out to.

And if we can get them to switch over and then bring in more and more kids, then that's the way change is created.

>> Well, we met Sarah on this program last week.

We know Sarah is 19.

You started at TE when you were 14 years old?

Yes.

Yep.

So it's been five years.

Let me ask Emerra Moore, who is a a TE youth organizer.

So I got to ask you how old you are first, just because I'm always curious to know when people start and how long they decide to stay with TE.

So go ahead.

>> I'm 15, 15.

>> Years old and you.

>> Started this year.

>> Just started this year.

What did you.

When did you first hear about TE?

>> Oh, where I first heard about TE was my auntie.

My auntie works at ABC action for a Better Community.

So she's always going around collabing with other programs.

And she was like I got you a job application, you're going to be going there.

And I'm like, okay.

And then when I first got there, I was I was very nervous.

I started looking up TE.

I started looking up everything.

But then once I got in there and I saw, like what?

Like the environment, I was like, okay, I'm not I'm not that nervous anymore.

>> Was that your first job?

>> Oh yeah.

This is my first job.

>> Is this your first job?

And when you talk to people and they say, oh, you're at TE, what do you do?

What do you tell them you do?

>> usually I'm, like, working at TE.

We usually have three key points.

I tell them our three key points violence, addiction and homelessness and how we're trying to do little wait, what's happening?

How we're trying to do like, initiatives.

Yeah, initiatives for people to come and we have to plan it out and we try and get people to engage.

And I try and tell as many people I know, like about TE, I'm like, yeah, I'm working at TE.

This is what we're trying to do.

And then usually some people be like, okay, I'm going to go look this up and I'm like, okay, that's good.

>> So you're kind of an ambassador for TE.

What are your friends?

What are your peers who obviously don't work for TE?

What do they think of TE.

Are they aware generally of what TE is?

>> I actually have two friends that also apply to TE, but they didn't make it.

And when I tell them I'm working at TE, they ask some people, some ask what it is, and then I show them it, and then some others already know what it is like.

My family they when they were younger, they applied for TE, but they didn't make it.

So when they found out that I got the job, they were all really happy.

And then once I started making like my poems and stuff, they were all, like, eager to come, eager to listen.

Everybody was so happy.

>> You mentioned one of the one of the missions of TE is violence prevention.

>> Yes.

>> And that's a hard job.

And, you know, you're 15 years old.

You've a lot of people think, boy, that's that's too young to even be thinking about violence.

But I understand the world we're living in.

So what is what do you think in general is causing the violence that we see?

>> what I think is causing the violence is probably where people come from.

Sometimes if you come from a place with no support, it leads you down the wrong road and children would would they see is what they act out.

So if you see somebody doing all this and but you don't see anybody that's actually trying to have a good life, then you just say, this is the easiest way.

This is the easiest route for me to get this money.

Like a lot of teens, they need money.

So they're going to do whatever it takes to get money.

And that leads to stealing cars, scamming people, robbing.

And it leads to a lot of negative things.

So teens started having a place where they can just go and they can learn what they're actually supposed to do.

Then I feel like the violence rates will drop.

>> Big smile over there.

I know you're proud of her.

How is she doing so far?

>> She's doing really well.

I mean, >> She said it.

One of the elements that we know is that young people oftentimes say that they don't feel supported in communities, and they don't trust adults in our community.

And so for us, we are always looking past the surface issue.

And I know that violence is a surface issue.

It is what we can visibly see.

But oftentimes what we try to help young people to do is understand the root causes of those issues that are happening in my in our community, right.

When we think about systemic inequities, when we think about economic barriers, those all lead to violence.

And we know that in impoverished communities violence and crime tends to be higher when you don't have those supports in place.

And so you have family dynamics, but then you also have community and systemic dynamics that we also have to consider when we're working with young people in these communities.

>> I know you all well.

I think you all know Pastor Brown, who we met last week.

Yeah.

Everybody knows.

Well, I know Sarah does so I was on was on the program last week.

It was a really remarkable conversation.

And if anyone missed it, I would urge you to go listen to what Pastor Brown had to say, especially about his own childhood and what life was like for him, how that has affected his ability to understand what kids might be going through.

But, you know, Amara, I'm thinking about some of the things that you have said about what might cause violence, how teenagers are in situations where they, you know, they people have to eat.

People need money.

People are desperate.

And one of the things Pastor Brown told us was, when kids can't be kids, like there's there's an injustice because kids childhood is being taken away from them.

The kids are being forced to grow up at 13, 14, 15 years old.

Find a way to support a family, a mom, a household, you know, find a way to get money, be, you know, find a way to to live.

And he said, you know, that that is not fair to kids.

Kids should be kids.

I wonder how you feel about that.

>> I agree with that, because having to grow up so young and take care of your siblings or your parents or any family member when you're still so young.

And the thing is, they're supposed to be teaching you what you're supposed to be doing in life.

They're supposed to be teaching you right from wrong.

Like, and then you can also have teachers who don't teach you anything as well.

Some teachers would just sit there on their phone, on their laptop, not even teaching you a subject.

And that can make kids not interested in school at all.

So then they got they got stuff going on at school.

They're getting into fights and then they also got stuff going on at home taking care of their family members.

It can be stressful.

And then if you're growing up at 13, right, and you don't have and your parents aren't doing what they're supposed to, and you have siblings to feed, a lot of teenagers end up selling drugs because of that.

And I know somebody who did that because they didn't have any support at home.

They didn't have any help, and they're too young to get a job.

They don't have a resume, they don't have a lot of stuff, and a lot of places don't hire kids.

1413 don't hire kids who maybe have a criminal background because they were stealing or anything.

If you can't get hired anywhere, then you're just going to keep doing what you were doing in the first place.

>> Do you think most of.

>> Society that maybe has strong judgment about that?

Do you think people get it, or do you think people don't understand?

>> I don't think people understand.

Maybe there's a little bit too understands that these kids are doing something, that they're going through something.

But I feel like majority thinks that these kids are just troubled kids that aren't going to change and that they should stay in the system.

And they that that they don't really care about these kids at all.

Because if you cared about these kids, then you would be trying to find a way to help, because there's a lot of people with money who can support systems that are trying to help these kids, but they choose to spend their money on yachts, on big houses, on all these things that they could be helping these kids.

But then they go back and say, these kids will never get help.

And that's not really a good mindset to have, because if everybody has that mindset, who's going to help us and who's going to help all these kids that needs that help, who's going to help the kids that are living in the streets because their parents kicked them out?

Who's going to help the kids that don't have anything going on for them at home that have nothing?

And since they have nothing, they're feeling depressed, suicidal.

They have they're feeling all these things and nobody's coming and nobody's helping them.

>> So, Shan, these mics are attached.

You can't drop it.

Like she do.

You think she should have just tried to drop that?

>> That was a mic drop moment for sure.

>> I mean, but that's that's hard.

I mean, in a way that's hard to hear, but probably necessary for a lot of people to hear.

What do you think?

>> Yeah, I think it's very necessary for people to hear you know, we oftentimes, especially in black and brown communities, we talk about young people being resilient.

and yes, young people are extremely resilient in these communities.

But oftentimes that takes the onus off of individuals to actually reach out and support these young people to help uplift them.

This is why the work of Teen Empowerment is so important.

This is why it's important to employ young people.

This is why it is important to engage young people, because oftentimes adults in the community are not fully aware of the magnitude of the issues that young people are dealing with.

Right.

And so this is why we intentionally engage systems involved, young people, young people who are touching multiple systems at one time, because we know that those young people need need support, but also that we need those young people.

Right.

And one of the quotes that I always say is that we don't hire young people because they're needy.

We hire young people because they are needed.

We need their voices.

We need them engaged, engaged.

If we really want to truly impact what is happening in our community, and a lot of times systems are not reaching out to young people, even though they impact young people on a day to day basis.

To ask them, what do you feel needs to happen in your community?

Why is this going on?

Oftentimes we don't ask the why.

We don't want to understand the why.

We would rather label them instead of saying, well, let's dig in deep to figure out how we can truly support young people to create change in this community.

>> We're talking about Teen Empowerment what it is the mission the new home.

Understanding that why they chose the location they chose and now how many, how many years of TE in Rochester do you know, Shannon, offhand?

How many years has he been doing this?

>> Ooh.

>> 24.

>> Yeah.

>> I was gonna say.

>> Somewhere in there I've been almost all for almost 20 years.

So it got to be more than 20.

>> Yeah.

I mean, it really is remarkable.

and so we're painting that picture for the community.

If you don't know what TE is, let me bring in Paul Ross junior, who is a, youth organizer.

And, sir, how old are you now?

>> I'm 16.

>> 16 years old.

When did you start?

>> At TE?

At 15.

>> But so last year.

>> This year.

>> Oh, okay.

So you had a recent birthday?

You haven't been to TE that long?

when did you first hear about TE?

And why did you end up working there?

>> I heard that TE at school by one of my friends.

they were happy that they found something they like somewhere they could work.

And they showed me about it, and I was like, oh, I know Teen Empowerment already.

Some of my friends been trying to work there.

So I went to their office to go try to get one because they came during lunch.

They passed out papers.

I went to go to get one.

They didn't have no more.

So I asked my friend if I could go to the printer's office and print one of his so I could scan the QR code and do it at home.

Had my mom sign it so I could be like, go to the interviews and get accepted.

So I did that and I went to my first two interviews.

It was pretty good.

I talked to Sara first.

My first interview, then I had a second one.

Then I got accepted and I was just happy.

And I heard about TE from school though.

>> First job?

>> Yes.

>> How do you like it so far?

>> I love it, actually.

I like getting to meet new people.

I'm not, like shy.

No, more like before I came to Teen Empowerment, I was pretty shy.

I wasn't really, like a talkative person or social person.

But now I can see others and talk to others without having the nervousness feeling all the time.

And I just feel like it helped me in a good way and I just feel so much better.

I came here.

>> Oh, that's that's really cool to hear that.

when when your friends ask you what it is, you know, like, what is TE?

What do you tell?

>> I tell them it's a place where we help young kids.

We help.

We try to do as much as we can do events and initiatives so we could gather more youth organizers because it's a seasonal thing.

So we try to gather as much kids as we can.

I just tell others.

We just help out the community.

We try because we're kids.

They need us and we also need them.

We need support.

So I just tell them it's a youth thing.

We help people.

We sometimes clean up the streets, pass out food, we do events and just want to be seen and help others.

I just tell them we help teens.

>> So Paul, let me ask you, this is going to be kind of a clumsy question.

I'm sorry, but I'm going to do my best here.

What you're describing to your peers, your friends, you may have people around you who you know, you heard what he said.

A lot of people feel like the system doesn't care.

Society doesn't care.

You know, what does the future look like?

Is there much of a future?

And then when you describe joining an organization that's trying to to do better by, first of all, kids, people who need it the most, you know, the danger sometimes is if you get looked at as like, you know, is it this is a very 46 year old man's way of saying it, but is it uncool to work for a positive organization?

You know what I mean?

Like, is it and do people trust you or do people not trust an organization?

Like, does that make sense?

Do you know what I mean by that?

>> Yes.

some, most kids that I used to be around and most kids that's in like the community will say that it's not so cool, but some will say it's cool.

It's just basically the, the kids that follows others wouldn't really think it's something they could do and not be judged by doing it.

They'll think they'll get judged by their friends because they're helping and doing good things.

But I just feel like that's not the case.

It's just if everyone was theirself and show who they really are, it would be more coming to this Teen Empowerment organization.

But I just feel like the the ones that say it's not cool, that's just how their life is going to be.

I just hope they change.

But I feel like they should try it out.

You shouldn't say something's not cool because your friends say it.

You ain't never tried it.

So I feel like because when I first when I first seen it, I wasn't really into it because my friends also said it wasn't cool.

But I stepped out the way because I knew I didn't want to go down the wrong path because I already was.

So I told myself, I'll try it, and if I get accepted, I'll do good.

And that's how it's been.

I've been doing so much better than what I was.

>> First of all, what an awesome answer in so many ways.

I mean, in a very real answer.

Like, I get it, there's sometimes social pressures, but one of the things it seems like Paul is this is an organization that's going to get more street cred because it's it's you guys.

It's not just Shan Shan's really cool, but, you know, it's it's teenagers.

I mean, like, it's real people who, you know, it isn't just adults, you know, looking down noses at kids.

It's you guys, right?

I mean, I got to think that gives you more credibility.

What do you think?

>> Yeah, I feel I just feel.

I'm just so glad they gave out opportunities to us kids.

And I just hope they keep doing what they're doing.

>> Did you did you say you felt like you were going down possibly the wrong path before?

>> Yes.

>> What do you mean by that?

>> I was just doing a lot of things.

I was an outsider kid.

I was more of the kid that wants to be seen and want to be outside with my friends, to be cool or to get attention.

But after I got older and started realizing, like I could go down the wrong path.

I done been through so much situations with like getting arrested and things like that, and I just felt like I was going to go down the wrong path if I didn't make a change and I had an opportunity to come to Teen Empowerment, I took it.

And that's been going good so far.

>> Yeah, it's great man.

what do you think about your own future?

I mean, when you're ten years from now, what do you think you're going to be doing?

What do you want to be doing?

>> I really I really want to be a doctor.

I've been saying that for a long time, and I also want to be a professional boxer because I love, like, just, I don't know, I like being different and I don't really want to be the type to care about things I need.

I just rather just focus on the real root causes of like being able to be successful and do things.

I want to try new things.

So I really want to be a doctor because I like helping people.

Like I didn't realize I liked it.

Being around people and helping people till our joint Teen Empowerment because I started going to school like before, I was the type that needed help at school, like with the work.

And now I see like I'm helping others.

It brings me up like I just, I just like the growth and change.

>> First of all, how are your grades these days?

>> They're good.

>> They're pretty good.

>> Yes.

>> Okay.

And you know, if you're both a doctor and a boxer, you could box and then maybe help the person that you clean.

You could probably do both all in one shot.

I think I love the fact that you've got these dreams.

I really do.

and, Paul, I appreciate the honesty there.

And, you know, I wasn't.

I'm.

The only reason I'm asking about credibility is, like, the more the older I get, the more I feel like if I'm talking to teenagers, are they going to listen?

And how do you break through?

Right?

I mean, that's a big question here.

>> Absolutely.

it is the reason why we hire young people that one of the first things that I say whenever I meet a new group is like, we hired y'all to impact young people in the community to get them to engage.

Right.

And I say it all the time, if I go and I stand on the corner and I'm yelling, stop the violence, young people going to look at me like I'm crazy.

But when I have young people who have the connection, who are well known in the community, have the credibility, and they're out there doing it, it's a different feeling.

Right?

And so kids will say like, it's a joke, but they'll tell me I'm washed up now, right?

I'm, I'm, I'm in my 30s.

And so when you get to that point, you realize that you need young people.

And we as adults need to always listen to what they're saying.

And so for us, it's all about young people being in the forefront, young people making the decisions right, giving them the platform to utilize their voice to analyze the issues and then to create that change that they want to see.

And I don't think I could have said it any better than Paul telling his own story.

This is why it is important, because, believe it or not, we have 585 young people apply for a job at Teen Empowerment in the fall of last year.

So young people want to work.

Young people want to do this type of work.

And so our goal is to create, to continue to create opportunities to demonstrate the power that the young people in our community have without them being labeled or criticized before they even open up their mouths.

>> Wow.

That is a lot of people with with interest in.

I mean, that's why you want to keep growing, right?

Because the more you grow, you can employ more of those folks.

after we take our only break, you met Sara last week.

Sara Dillard is here, and you met Sara when we were talking to Pastor Brown about going.

Not only going, being part of that congregation, but tying some of that to the work at TE.

Well, we're going to talk to Sara about five years at TE and what that looks like.

We're talking to the team from Teen Empowerment this hour, and they do have a new building that is on the corner of Magee and Dewey avenues on the city's north side.

They're trying to expand their work and grow, and we'll come right back with them on Connections.

Coming up in our second hour, we talked to Iranian Americans who are watching the events unfold in Iran, stunned to see the change that so many Iranians have wanted for a long time.

At the very least, those who have wanted the Supreme Leader gone now see that it's happened.

And the question is, what comes next?

Who can lead Iran?

Who can lead Iran to a better place than it was before?

We'll talk about it next hour.

>> Support for your public radio station comes from our members and from Bob Johnson Auto Group.

Believing an informed public makes for a stronger community.

Proud supporter of Connections with Evan Dawson focused on the news, issues and trends that shape the lives of listeners in the Rochester and Finger Lakes regions.

Bobjohnsonautogroup.com.

>> This is Connections.

I'm Evan Dawson in a moment, we'll show you some visuals because our WXXI colleagues, Noelle Evans and Max Schulte, attended an open house last week at Teen Empowerment new hub, and Max produced a video which you're going to see on our YouTube channel.

If you're watching and you'll hear some of if you're listening on our audio platforms.

but we'll get that up in just a second here, because the new digs are just tied to this expanded mission and a mission of authenticity that Teen Empowerment they had some choices about where they wanted to go next, and they chose a place at Magee and Dewey Avenue that has seen a lot of violence.

If you're just joining us, this is a place that has seen a significant amount of violence in recent years, a number of fatal shootings and TE is there.

They want to be there, and they want to be there in the community.

And I think, are we going to listen?

And let's do both here.

Let's you're going to watch if you're on YouTube and you can hear on the audio, let's, let's do that now.

>> Empowerment really stands against is gun violence.

So to have Teen Empowerment in a neighborhood that has a lot of gun violence, and we just openly speak against it all the time, we like to reach out into the community and try to help who we can, especially if it's somebody involved in that type of activity.

>> Over the years, we've heard people say over and over, young people, community folk, and they're like, we need a Teen Empowerment in this community to continue to create peace, equity and justice.

We hire young people between the ages of 14 and 19 to look at the issues that they face in the community and then to plan different action steps and initiatives to address those specific issues.

>> TE is a place run by the youth where we're in charge in the living proof.

The road ahead is hard, but we know what to do because we know what others are like.

Think.

So?

We're taking our stake and making a mark for many to see that we fit the part.

To make this change, it's easy to see when we work together a community, it will be.

Thank you for listening.

>> So our job really is to give young people a platform to speak out against the things that are happening, but not just complain about them.

Help to discover and create and design solutions to help to prevent those things from perpetuating in our community.

>> For me, like I feel like now I'm way more well-spoken.

I think now I'm less nervous overall.

I have a I have a confidence in myself, and I think it's helped me mature a lot.

>> We go where the young people need us, but we also want them to know that we don't hire them because they're needy.

We hire them because they are needed to create change.

And so, yes, this is a great program for young people, but it is an even better program for this community.

>> Why I get home safe.

>> And I think in that video we got some of Emerra Moore poetry there.

Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> There it is.

>> Yeah.

That was the end of it though.

>> Okay.

>> I figured that.

So there's more to it there.

yeah.

How often are you, you creating art like that?

>> so that was my first piece that I made at Teen Empowerment.

I usually don't really.

right.

I don't know, it just comes to me, so I usually.

So if I get something, then I'll write it.

I remember in the first interview, the first or second interview, we had to write something to, and it doesn't really take me long to come up with anything.

It's just it takes me a while to get my tone set correctly because usually when I'm saying it, I say it a little too soft spoken, and I was trying to get my get my energy up so people could hear me, but I didn't know you guys were going to play that clip, so, so I so I turned to and I'm like, oh.

>> I would say your energy was up.

We could hear you loud and clear there.

No you did.

You did a great job with that.

and, you know, so we've been talking to two of the newer hires at Teen Empowerment, but Sahara Dillard has been there five years now, right?

>> Yes.

Going on six in September.

>> Okay.

And you heard Chantara Mitchum, program director Teen Empowerment say it's 14 to 19 at TE.

So how were your 19?

What's the what's the plan for you?

>> honestly, the plan is to just continue to grow within Teen Empowerment.

I said it in our last interview about how I've just grown through the TE leadership ladder of starting out as this young person growing to doing the Clarissa uprooted things in the summer and then becoming a research assistant where we actually looked at different graphs, and I was doing research around violence in the different communities and then becoming a part time program coordinator and now a full time program coordinator is just been really beautiful to continue to grow and continue to stay in this line of work.

>> So what's the biggest difference between Sahara Dillard at age 19 compared to 14 on your first day at TE?

>> The biggest difference would surely be my confidence in just the me being sure of who I am.

Back at 14, I definitely did not have all the answers, and I still don't, but I definitely have a clear understanding of what it is that I want to do and what it is I want to become in life.

at 14 I also said this in the last interview of when I joined.

That was around Covid time, which really wasn't good for anyone, especially for me.

just not being in the best mental state.

And I completely lost how to socialize with people.

And so being at Teen Empowerment and sticking with Teen Empowerment, it's just really helped me grow and find myself.

And I'm very ever grateful that I found the opportunity.

>> You know, Sahara, there's probably some stereotypes, but then some truth to the idea of the difference between boys and girls and the pressures on teenage boys and girls and what that you know, what that sort of looks like and what can happen if I think, in Paul's words, if you end up on a path that maybe isn't the right path for you, so for you, when you were 14, 15, and for girls who are 14, 15, 16 years old, if you don't have that support, whether it's a home or if you don't feel like you have love in a place to be part of, what is the the path that worries you most for young girls?

Sahara.

>> The path that worries me most for young girls is them not wanting to always admit when they're wrong and them always thinking that they know it all, or wanting to feel validated through the love of men specifically.

and again, this is me speaking from experience.

This is who I was as a young girl.

when you don't feel validated or when you feel like you don't have that support, you're always going to lean towards where you feel like you can get it.

And when you're young, it's always it's always with men, because that's what society makes you think is men are the supporters, men are the providers.

And so at a young age, you'll falsely fall into this thing that you think may possibly be love.

And I think that is the scariest thing for young women, especially now with young women again, growing up so fast.

And teen pregnancy is something that was, that was and still is a huge thing in the community.

So that is my biggest worry for young girls.

>> Shan, do you feel the same way there?

>> I think yeah in part, I think that what I've seen, especially as of late, is that young, young women are dealing with the same issues that young men are.

we are hiring young women who are on probation.

We are hiring young women who have ankle monitors on.

We are hiring young people, young women who are engaging in violent activities in the community.

And so I think that, yes, there is some.

>> Differentiation that needs to happen there, but they're dealing with the same issues that young men are dealing with in our community.

And so again, that is why we make sure that we try to hire a balance within our group of young men and young women.

and of course, our non-binary non-gender-conforming community as well, so that we can have those different demographics represented in our community because all of our young people are dealing with the impact of systemic inequities.

>> So and Sahara, how do you work with teenage girls to to your point about the idea of, first of all, there's a concern about teen pregnancy, the idea that validation may, may need to come from men.

sometimes that leads to a too young an age and oversexualization, you know, that kind of thing.

How do you how do you go against that and then say, look, there are healthy relationships that are that can be really fulfilling friendships, romantic relationships.

But you don't have to grow up and do everything all at once, and you don't have to just be validated by somebody else.

When you don't get that validation at home, or people are struggling to feel loved or community, how do how can you or TE or other forces step in and change that course?

>> I think just by being there and being that support system something we do at Teen Empowerment every month is we try to do at least one check in with every young person to see where they are mentally, to see where they are.

physically, just in any, any way to have that form of transparency there and trust, because trust is something that's very important.

And if I have a young person coming to me saying, hey, this isn't working well, the first thing we do is try to get those resources and find those resources as quick as possible to get those to them.

And if they're telling me, hey, I want to be a nurse, then let's try to find what the best schools are or the best trades may be if schooling is something that you're not so interested in, and just really making sure that we're keeping that trust, keeping that transparency there, and making sure that we get all the resources that we can to get them to the best of their ability.

>> Yeah.

I mean, it sounds like this is an organization that is dealing with the now, but it's also helping people see a future.

And to your point, Sahara, that might be college.

That might not be it might be the trades.

But it's something you got to believe that there's something for you.

and that that it's a, that there's a good life possible.

Because if you don't believe that when you're 14, 15, 16, you know, there's any number of things that can happen.

and I worry about that.

We've had these conversations in recent years.

I'm glad you're having those conversations.

Those check ins, they really, really matter.

Let me ask you this, Paul, kind of a similar question, you know, so, Paul, you you said that you were worried about yourself.

Now you feel like you're in a pretty good place.

You're doing well when you're worried about young, young guys who are around your age.

What are you worried about that could happen to them?

>> I'm worried that they can really go down the wrong path.

It's mainly their friends like everybody's always in a big crowd.

Rochester is so small.

Everybody know each other, so it's always a big group.

I'm just worried that they can lose their life and violence.

There's people that yeah, due to violence.

There's people in family members that love them.

It's also people that love them that they don't know about.

So I just really hope they can get out the streets and stop thinking it's cool to be a Winn.

They call it now, which is basically just a kid.

Everyone's a kid, a good kid.

They just make bad choices.

But I just hope they make the right choice and get up out the mix, which is being around people they're not supposed to be around.

>> Is there is there a pull toward gangs?

>> most mostly, yes.

They got little they make little gangs, little names for it.

But it's not really big.

So they just always in a group with each other doing.

>>, sure.

>> Bad things or breaking into houses or like stealing cars, stealing from stores, just doing a lot of things to have fun because there's nobody teaches them anything.

And showing them the right path to go down.

So what they do is just go outside with each other, have fun, and just be kids that don't get learned.

>> Yeah.

>> To do good.

>> Shantaram, when we had the group from Rock the future on recently, they were talking about the state of our children community report card.

And so we were looking at a number of different measures that they compile.

And in general, in the city of Rochester, girls are doing better than boys when it comes to attendance in school test scores, graduation rates, and then the one that was a big change and a big jump.

So in the last decade, more girls than boys, young women than young men are going to college from the city of Rochester.

But it's close until the most recent year when the gap got huge, it was like 31% of RCSD young women graduating planned to go to college.

9% of young men.

It's a huge change in general, this TE experience.

Is it harder to get through and have success with young boys and young men than it is with girls and women or no.

>> no, that's not something that we typically experience.

I mean, I could understand why the statistic would be what it was.

when we think about the impact of the pandemic, we are still dealing with the impacts of that.

We will be dealing with the impacts of that for years to come.

Right.

We're talking about a major interruption in social development, right?

Where we are learning how to engage and interact with one another.

And so if you are a young person, whether you are male or female, and you are struggling before that, you are struggling even more after that.

and I think oftentimes in some instances, young women get more support.

and young men oftentimes are left by the wayside.

but one of the things that I really want to make abundantly clear is that young people in our community, they're not a monolith, right?

And that every young person is not the same.

Young people are coming to Teen Empowerment and different organizations and programs around our city.

With the plethora of of different experiences, with different knowledge and expertise.

And I think when we start to highlight that and not focus on all of the negative, but say, okay, you are powerful.

And when you ask Sahara the question, the thing that I always ask young people and if you know me, you know my favorite word is dope.

I always ask them, do you know how dope you really are?

And if they don't, my next, my next word to them is that, well, let me show you how dope you really are.

Let me show you how powerful you really are.

Because whether you are in the streets or in the classroom, whether you are in lockup or sitting in a Teen Empowerment group room, you have leadership potential.

And so how do we transform that leadership potential so that it is impacting our community in a very positive way?

if you can move people in a game, if you can move people on a block, you can move people in front of a room, you can move people in government.

And so how do we take that leadership and we transform it so that we can really create change in our community?

>> Well, I asked the two colleagues across the table from Amara, you know, what they want to be doing in the future.

Amara at 15.

Now, what do you see for yourself in in ten years?

>> I actually don't know what I want to be in the future.

I saw a lot of stuff.

Like, at first, I wanted to be a lawyer, but then I had to think about how if I was a lawyer, then I could be possibly fighting for the wrong person.

And that just didn't sit well with me.

So I decided to scrap that idea.

Then I wanted to be somebody who helps women give birth to children, but I. I didn't really like the sight of blood and stuff.

So I'm like, okay, that can't happen.

Then I was like, maybe I want to be a therapist.

But because people usually come and they talk to me and they give me what's going on, and I help them with it.

But I don't really like doing that in general to too many people because, you know, sometimes it gets overbearing because sometimes I have my own issues.

And then who's going to help me with that?

Nobody comes and say, hey, what's going on with you?

So I decided that I didn't want to be a therapist.

So I'm really just exploring my options, seeing what can I be, what do I want to be and what will make me happy.

It's not really about how much I'm making.

It's just like, I want to work at a job that makes me happy in the future so that I'm not, like 40 years old and getting out of bed like.

>> You guys got to stop talking.

>> About 30s and 40s like it's washed.

I mean, that's really tough.

>> I'm sorry, but 40 years is a far place for me.

I'm gonna be.

It is far.

>> 25 years from you.

>> For you.

Hopefully when I'm 40 years old, I'm over.

I don't know where I'm gonna be.

I'm gonna be like Hawaii, sipping some.

I don't know what.

>> You know.

The most people.

>> At 40, like, not like retired.

They're not like, you know, like, unable to walk and stuff.

They're still, like, mobile.

>> I mean, I mean, yeah, but I'm 40, but when I'm 40, I want to be in Hawaii.

>> All right, well that's good.

See, either way.

>> The point is, here's the cool thing.

Obviously you're 15.

You don't have to have it all figured out now, but you clearly are thinking about your future, and you're thinking through the options.

And even if you've eliminated stuff, it means that you think you're going to find something.

>> Yeah.

>> The future for you is going to be bright with something.

You don't look at the future and think, there's nothing.

You know, I don't care, nobody cares.

You care.

>> I have a huge family.

I just know that's why I got to get.

When I get my car, I gotta have a big car.

I got too many little cousins going to be asking to go to McDonald's all the time.

I gotta get, I gotta get something.

They're just going to be coming everywhere.

Me.

>> Hey, Mira, here we go.

>> No, they don't even call me my name.

They'd be like.

They be like, Mira, Mira, can can you take can you buy me this?

I'm like, I'm broke right now.

I don't get paid to two weeks.

You want me to buy you a whole waterslide in the middle of the winter?

So I don't even know.

>> All right, I'm glad.

>> I asked.

And I'm glad you know what?

You're going to be fine because you have all these ideas, and it's awesome to hear that.

It really is.

I mean, I'm not I'm not trying to pander to you.

I think it's really important that you think about the future in a way that is positive.

And clearly you do.

And I think that that's great.

And so Chantara Mitcham is program director at Teen Empowerment.

We're hearing these stories of the way that young people are not only seeing their own lives improve for TE, but trying to improve the lives of their peers.

That's what you guys are all about.

What do you need from what is TE need from the city state government policy like society?

What do you guys need to do the the job more effectively or to see more success?

>> So glad that you asked Evan.

but one of the things that we tell people all the time is donations.

Right?

we hire young people, we employ them we pay them minimum wage to do this work.

And so, of course, any financial support that the community is willing to give in order to sustain the work that we are doing with young people to create a pipeline into leadership into careers is so important.

And also finding opportunities to be able to engage young people, not just from Teen Empowerment, but from across our community, because what I would love to believe in my heart of hearts is that Teen Empowerment is a microcosm of the power that young people have throughout our entire community and where we can only engage 50 to 60 young people each year.

Other folk can engage young people.

And so we create that ripple and that tip, that tipping effect in our community.

So valuing youth voice and not just listening but actually actualizing what they hear from what young people are needing and not just looking at young people and labeling them, but inviting them to the table, helping, allowing them to help to prepare what is on the table.

Right.

engaging and thinking of them as a before thought and not an afterthought.

is what I really need from our community.

So for us, it's oftentimes, of course, first financial opportunities to support the work that we are doing at Teen Empowerment.

But if you cannot give financially, taking opportunities to get to know our young people for who they are and inviting them to the table.

>> So let's.

>> Just again, I'm I'm not anything other than asking for people who are listening right now and want the answer.

If someone wants to to send you a check, where are they going to go to get online?

>> Or yes, you can go to WW Teen Empowerment.

and click the donate button on our website.

If you would like to contribute to the work that we are doing at Teen Empowerment.

>> Okay.

And what do you think is possible if you get the support that you love, a realistic amount of growth and support, how much more can TE grow?

>> Shan I think we have the potential to continue to grow.

I think our focus because this is our newest location, is to create stabilization, right?

To stabilize and to maintain and sustain what we are currently doing.

I believe with the three locations across the city and the program that we have in our headquarters, the Reconnections program, we have an opportunity to really, like I say, have a tipping point where we are impacting citywide and not just neighborhood specific.

So we are really at a tipping point right now in our work.

So when you donate, you are donating to help to continue to employ young people in this community, to help to provide them with opportunities to get professional development, to travel.

They go to Albany.

They are lobbying for legislation.

They're doing a lot of tremendous and amazing work.

They are brilliant leaders.

And so when you give you support, the sustainability of that work.

>> Well, let.

>> Me close with this.

When you say to people, do you know how dope you are?

Is that what is that?

>> What?

Yes, that's what I say.

>> All right.

Do you know how dope you are?

>> I'm very dope.

I'm all swagged out.

Y'all ain't even know it, man.

Y'all just gotta know.

Okay, let me tell y'all.

Y'all.

Y'all are very funny, right?

Everybody laugh.

You coming?

Room.

I'm funny.

I'm smart.

My grades.

I'm very smart and funny.

I'm smart.

I'm very cool.

If y'all didn't know, do y'all know now I'm very cool.

I'm.

I'm low key tall.

There's a lot of other people that's shorter than me.

People call me.

I'm not sure.

And I'm very.

I'm very friendly and I'm very lovable.

I'm just.

I'm just a cool person.

I'm doped out.

>> All right.

That's good.

And you said your grades are good, too.

>> Yes.

Very smart.

Right now, I have one of my classes.

I literally have a 167.

>> Now that seems impossible, but.

>> All right, I thought it was impossible till I checked my school tour, and I'm like, ain't no way.

>> I guess that's how dope you are.

Very dope.

There you go.

Paul, briefly.

Do you know how dope you are?

>> Yes.

I'm dope.

>> Pretty dope.

>> Nah, I'm more dope and chill.

Just a relaxed dope.

>> Okay.

That's good.

Nothing wrong with that.

And, Sahara, do you know how dope you are?

>> I'm beyond dope.

>> Oh, my God.

>> Shannon, do you know how dope you are?

>> You know it.

>> I mean, like, it's a little cheesy, but sometimes you have to be around people who will remind you that you are loved and that you are, that you're worthy.

And I think that's awesome.

Shannon and I really want to thank you for coming in and helping bring this group together, because you're meeting some of them, but there's a lot more in the TE program who we have not met on this program yet, and we'll continue to talk to them in the months to come.

Shannon Mitcham, program director at Teen Empowerment.

It's Teen Empowerment.

Org is the website.

Yes.

Good to see you.

Thank you for being here.

And to the TE team here.

It's Emerra Moore it's Sahara Dillard, it's Paul Ross junior speaking for a lot of their colleagues there.

Thank you guys for coming in.

Thanks for being here.

Good to meet you.

Good to have you.

>> Nice to meet you too.

But wait, do you know how dope you are?

>> Yeah.

Some days.

>> You're dope.

>> You know, some days not so much.

It depends.

I appreciate.

>> That we're on dope.

Uninspired.

>> Thank you.

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