Hope Collaborative - Blog

Watch Kids Make a Video About Becoming a Leader

6/16/2017

Kids and teens in the Hope leadership program make a video of their leadership journeys at the end of each semester.

We often find the results surprising, and so have curated here for your enjoyment some of the more exciting moments from Spring 2017.

You will see that some kids who struggle with confidence come to find their voice in the process.

Others who struggle with self esteem sometimes become pretty good teachers as they present on camera.

The goal is for participants to present their leadership stories, so that an audience can connect to their struggles, achievements, and experiences.

We try to capture their process of storytelling--victories, difficulties--warts and all.

It's never dull, you can imagine, when kids and teens produce videos of what it means for them to become a leader.

Watch the Video

Hope and the Art of Leadership

6/2/2017

Storytelling is a key success factor in becoming an influential leader.

Successful leaders discover and then tell their leadership stories to connect to the hopes and struggles of the people in their communities. Where young leaders activate a shared vision for a better future, they can engage others in a shared leadership journey.

We believe that the best way to tell stories is to free kids up in various artistic media. Some gravitate to drawing--others to poetry, songwriting, storytelling, and videography.

Hope participants pick their favorite medium and bring to life through it the conflicts and stories that drive them in their leadership work.

The end of the semester finds us reflecting on some of the more inspiring pieces of art the young developing leaders in the Hope program have delivered-- photographed here.

We hope that the kids' stories help bring out your leadership stories in a cycle of hope and change.

Hope Graduates

5/26/2017

There are not many times in the year to just sit back and enjoy what you have accomplished.

Graduation season is one of them.

We thought we would share with you some photographs from around the Hope Collaborative network today.

May your graduations be equally full of life and well-earned pride for the kids and young adults who have achieved so much!

Hope Springs Eternal - Anytime a Kid Becomes a Leader

5/19/2017

Happy spring to all of you.

In the midst of warmer weather, we are excited to share these moments of kids and teens finding their voice across the Hope network from this past semester.

In each of these kids is a story of struggle and perseverance. In each location, onsite teachers and facilitators are creating spaces where kids and teens are developing an understanding of what it means to contribute to their communities in new, powerful, and meaningful ways.

We want to thank our partners, facilitators, and administrators for the stories, the memories, and all of your energy and focus.

Hope at Malik Academy,
Roxbury, Massachusetts USA

"Be a leader. You can change your country, your community. Start small. Build up. Start small, exceed yourself, exceed your limit.”
- Mujadid, Hope Participant at Malik Academy

Hope at Boys and Girls Clubs,
Dorchester, Massachusetts USA

"I can really express myself.
That's how I'm a leader."
- Nayeliz, Hope Participant
at Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester

Hope at Presidency High School, Nizamabad, India

“I chose to join the Hope program
to develop my leadership qualities and implement those qualities in my daily life.”
- Ganga, Hope Participant
at Presidency High School

Hope at Family Life Academy,
Bronx, New York USA

Hope at African Girls
Child Advocacy Program,
Sierra Leone, Africa

Hope at Diller Teen Fellows,
Haifa, Israel &
Newton, Massachusetts USA

When 12-Year-Old Leaders Advise Like Top Leadership Coaches

5/12/2017

We developed Hope’s leadership development program so that kids living in low-income neighborhoods could develop and connect to their lives in powerful, innovative ways.

An early question in building the program was whether middle schoolers could learn the complex and dimensional aspects of leadership.

It turns out that the young, aspiring leaders we set out to help develop sometimes demonstrate a clarity and mastery of the subject that is truly eye opening.

Consider Riyaz and Ganga from the Presidency School in Nizamabad, India.

Riyaz learned in the Hope program that in order to lead a team he should interact with as many members of a team as possible.

"A leader needs to interact with everyone," he explains.

"If I don't interact with everyone, I can't understand their problems. And I can't make a team successful. If I interact with them, I can understand their problems, and then I can lead the team."

Ganga explains why he chose to join the program in heartfelt fashion.

“I chose to join the Hope program to develop my leadership qualities and implement those qualities in my daily life.”

We are proud to be part of Riyaz and Ganga’s evolution as leaders.

Their brave insights took us to a new level of connection as we listened to their moving and meaningful stories.

Watch Riyaz and Ganga's Story

Hope Launches with Teen Leaders from Haifa, Israel

5/5/2017

I am thrilled to report that Hope Collaborative recently partnered with The Diller Teen Fellowship to develop teen leaders from Haifa, Israel. Diller is an international organization that “develops future generations of leaders with a strong Jewish identity, a commitment to the Jewish people, and respect for pluralism and love of Israel.”

Their international development program emphasizes social justice and change across borders as a way to galvanize the energies of youth. They operate in 32 communities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Israel.

We started with a group of 40 teens from Haifa, Israel joining their compatriots at a JCC community center in Newton, Massachusetts.

Striking in the conversations was a universal drive for peace, decency, community, civility, kindness and fellowship.

That said, kids and teens from different cultures and geographies bring variegated philosophies, experiences, and ways of delivering value.

So far for us and the young leaders in the room, a lot of the work is to listen, appreciate, and understand each other—before we seek common vision and deliver leadership capacities at a high level.

Where there is social injustice, the aspiring teen leaders you see in these photos are active. Some come by it naturally. Others are energized by the Diller program. They bring practical solutions in their Diller work, and now a Hope leadership framework and a set of skills for resolving conflict.

These photos represent new friends for the Hope program—and the energy and vision of youth.
We hope you enjoy them.

When Kids Build a Foundation First

4/28/2017

“If you know your values, you know where you come from, you know what you have to do, you know your languages, and you know everything about yourself,” begins Shayan.

“Then you know that you're worth something,” says Youssef, finishing his friend’s thought.

Imagine kids and teens building a foundation of values and self-awareness as a platform for living a connected and purposeful life as a leader. This is how youth participants at Malik Academy in Roxbury, Massachusetts describe their Self Awareness work with Hope in today’s “Stories of Hope and Leadership.”

We see our work as empowering young, developing leaders to tell their stories—and to teach each other the fundamentals of being a leader and live an enriching life.

Today, Youssef, Mujadid, and Shayan pick the title Know Your Values as their team theme. They emphasize that knowing yourself allows you to truly know others, as you become comfortable with your makeup, strengths and weaknesses, background, and heritage.

“Be a leader,” Mujadid explains at the end of today’s piece. “You can change your country, your community. Start small. Build up. Start small, exceed yourself, exceed your limit.”

“Go up, build, become even better. Become a better human being.”

Watch "Know Your Values"

Hope Launches in Sierra Leone

4/20/2017

I am excited to announce the launch of Hope Collaborative's leadership development programming for at-risk kids and teens this week in Sierra Leone, Africa.

Working with the passionate and committed leaders of The Africa Girl Child Advocacy Network has been a real pleasure for our team here at Hope.

Kids and teens discovering their authentic leadership voice is a thrill anywhere. Crossing oceans to work with youth advocacy agencies who succeed despite substantial odds is a hopeful challenge that drives us and our mission.

We are inspired to work with the leaders at Child Advocacy Network Advocate who advocate for the rights of girls in their journey to self expression, freedom in education, and authentic leadership every day.

And we thought you would enjoy their photos of transcendence from Freetown!

Kids in India Sing about Humor in Leadership

4/14/2017

Humor can be a powerful tool in a leader's tool box.

It was exciting for us to hear Hope participants at the Presidency School in Nizamabad sing about humor in becoming a leader in this week's Hope Clip.

Shravani says that the import of humor in one's life cannot be overstated. "It is just like salt in a dish," she says.

Similarly, Daksha sees it as a powerful method to redirect the energy of a tense situation.

"We can divert people with this powerful tool."

Srikar effectively uses humor in his home life. "I use humor in different situations," he reports. "Like when I quarrel with my brother." (But not at funerals, Srikar emphasizes. Which is funny in itself.)

Watch the Hope participants create a leadership skill building outline for humor that includes:

Redirection methods
Understanding your surroundings
Assisting others with humor
And learning from one's mistakes

At the 2:50 runtime marker, Shravani breaks into an original song, explaining that humor in leadership is the spice of life.

It's certainly the spice of life at Hope for us to be able to watch these amazing kids tell their leadership stories some 8,000 miles away.

Greetings from Hope in the Bronx!

4/7/2017

I am excited to report that we successfully launched the Hope Collaborative youth leadership development program with the Family Life Academy Charter Schools in the Bronx, New York.
FLACS, and its parent organization LPAC, have served disadvantaged, low-income families and youth for over 40 years in one of the poorest zip codes in the United States.

Reverend Raymond Rivera who founded the organization recently celebrated 50 years in ministry. The powerful and lasting impact that he and his team of visionary professionals have had can be counted in the people you meet in the streets who have been touched by their work. And they are counted in the thousands. Sometimes, they have been lifted up for an afternoon. Sometimes, they have been transformed by the work the organization does.

The Bronx is a different place as a result. For Hope, partnering with them to deliver outstanding leadership development has been a privilege. Each visit brings new wisdom and insight.
This week, we met with middle school kids who are now scaling the height of leadership development. Our belief is that kids and teens who self-actualize—and find a calling and purpose bigger than themselves—are leaders.

Whether they are centers on their basketball team or rap dancers in the neighborhood who inspire those who watch, the young developing leaders at FLACS inspired us this week with their stories of struggle and perseverance, joy and creativity.

From hope and self confidence, and with the guidance of exceptional mentors, they are finding their voice—identifying as leaders—and blazing new trails uniquely their own.