A Workshop Worth Taking!!!

On January 9, 2016 Project Brownstone held its semester end workshop for students participating in the Textbook Stipend Project. It was an amazing day filled with great ideas and insights into their new college environments. We heard stories about campuses, roommates, and even food plans. Quite enlightening!

We started the day with a visit from the West Harlem District Leader, Alicia Barksdale. She came and spent a good deal of time speaking about civic duty registering our students to vote. She also took time to enroll our students with the local NAACP. She explained what the connection to this agency can be for each of them. Did you know students can summer internships? Go figure...they have their finger on the pulse of what's going on in the community.

Margarita Cruz of Open Moments NYC conducted a workshop that consisted of role play. Students were able to confront some of the stereotypes they encountered during their first semester in these new environments known as college. Some of it was shocking. Sadly, some of it is a continuation of what we hear and see in the media. By expressing and acting out these false stereotypes, we dispelled some of the myths told about young people of color. To conclude the workshop, each of the students created a 'declaration' of what their world would consist of if they set the standards. Illuminating!

The afternoon was just as amazing with a panel of professionals that came by to sit and talk with each of the students. We had an array of talent to present. We had Suzanne Rust, the Lifestyle Editor of Family Circle Magazine as well as TV Personality; Crystal Hall, Broadway Actress and Singer/Songwriter; Carol Watson, Consultant with Tangerine-Watson with a pulse on advertising, media and marketing; the Honorable Sheila Abdus-Salaam, Appellate Judge of NYS; and, Marc Wilson, of MWD Lifestyle. They each brought their stories to the students and showed them how they made a life out humble beginnings with tenacity, professionalism, a positive attitude, and hard work. What was supposed to be an hour and a half panel went on for three hours!! The students were enthralled.

Each student walked away from the workshop satiated with new ideas of where their lives can go. From each of our panelist, they took away with them gems of information that will make a huge difference in their futures. And something even more valuable than gold.....they now have access to information and people that will propel them into powerful lives. What more can we ask for?!

Bravo!!!