Follow the Money Tour

Usher’s New Look (UNL) hosted its inaugural “Follow the Money Tour” in Washington, DC, during the February 18th-21st mid-winter recess school break.  The tour, made possible by a grant from SunTrust Foundation, is part of UNL’s Financial Literacy training infused into the organization’s Powered By Service (8th grade), Leadership Academy (grades 9-12) and Moguls-In-Training (college/postsecondary) programs.  The 25 10th- and 11th-grade Leadership Academy youth from the Atlanta and New York chapters of the organization learned about financial principles by visiting a variety of stops.  The Office of Financial Education at the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau presented a workshop on budgeting and credit fundamentals. The students had the opportunity to tour the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and learn some of the history of our currency.  Students visited the original location and indulged their taste buds at one of the historic DC family-owned restaurants, Ben’s Chili Bowl. They learned the story of the family’s journey from starting a small business to earning national recognition. They discussed the impact a business, no matter the size, can have in building a strong community.  Students also participated in a Networking Social where they heard from community leaders and entrepreneurs, Nikki Howard and Jaqi Wright, also known as The Furlough Cheesecake Sisters. The “Sisters” shared their story of how they used their sparks (talents) to launch a business during the recent government shutdown. The students were able to take advantage of the proximity to another historic landmark, taking a tour of Howard University and learning about financial aid processes and student life on campus.

 

“With only 16 percent of Americans ages 18-26 being optimistic about their financial future, it is important that the youth we serve in Usher’s New Look begin to develop financial well-being habits early.  This trip presented a tremendous opportunity for them to understand the impact of financial decisions in various aspects of their lives. We are confident that the SunTrust Foundation investment in our youth will transform their futures as they prepare to become leaders of the next generation,” said Careshia Moore, CEO, Usher’s New Look.

 

Youth also had an opportunity to take in the sights including a visit to the National Museum for African American History and Culture, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and Lincoln Memorial.

 

“This trip gave me a lot of financial wisdom that enabled me to be aware of credit cards, budgeting, and knowing how to spend money for the right situations,” said Neil, an 11th-grade Leadership Academy youth.  “This trip also gave me the opportunity to be more of an explorer. It allowed me to step out of my comfort zone. It also gave me the wonderful opportunity to try new food and meet new people.”

 

Through a grant from the SunTrust Foundation, UNL has been able to add the financial literacy component to other programs offered. The new curriculum focuses on helping students identify core life values, gain practical experience in making wise financial decisions, and real-life application to improve their quality of life. The “Follow the Money Tour” is the first of two financial-focused trips this year.  The next will be in New York and will focus on investing.

 

“My mission for this trip was to give the students another perspective on how money works, to go beyond the classroom and see how money is used in our government, in the lives of entrepreneurs and the world around us. It is my hope that as a result of this experience, these students will apply the wealth building principles they were exposed to and take full responsibility of their financial futures,” shared Jessica Washington, director of financial literacy who spearheads the program.

WeWork

On February 13, UNL NYC got a tour of the WeWork Montague Street space and heard from panelists – Janelle Stiell with Nickelodeon, Jermaine Buchannan with Everyday People, Kristen Rich with Fox Sports, Michael McConnell with Mastermind Connect, Syreta Oglesby with SJO PR & Consultancy, and Qimmah Saafir with Hannah Magazine.

We had a great group of professionals who shared their journey with us for Career Day. They talked about how they created their lives based on their individual talents and passions including what they currently do, what they needed to do in order to get there (character qualities, educational requirements, assistance/relationships, challenges) and advice for someone looking to walk a similar path. Thank you to our panelist for sharing their paths to success.

2019 MLK Day of Service

We had a total of 15 participants who helped serve at Brook Run Park, in Dunwoody, GA. We broke up into 3 groups to plant trees for the Trees Atlanta Organization. Kamera and I were able to capture some of the best moments of the service project (SEE PHOTOS BELOW).

The students fought through the cold weather and enjoyed collaborating on the service project. After the service project, we ate lunch at the office and played some games before we left for the movie.

We saw Canal Street and the movie was fitting for MLK Day. The students were receptive to the movie as it was relevant to their day-to-day lives as high school students. One of the main messages throughout the film dealt with confronting the racial stereotypes in America that we all struggle with to this day. 

Overall, I believe it was an exceptional MLK Day of Service for UNL Atlanta and I am glad to have been a  part of it.

– Avery Floyd, Atlanta Program Coordinator

Powered by Service

Powered By Service is a UNL program where businesses and UNL staff go into a school and conduct training sessions for middle or high school students. The program uses peer-to-peer interactions and highlights the benefits of servant leadership combined with enhancing talent, exploring career paths and nurturing education by focusing on one area of expertise per session. We work in conjunction with sponsor businesses to bring these beneficial programs into the school setting.

UNL just started up our 2019 PBS season and we have two participants who wanted to share their experience.

PBS Review by Jamila Jeffers

Powered By Service (PBS) season has officially begun!  My name is Jamila Jeffers, Sophomore, International Business Major at Howard University from Brooklyn, NY.  We kicked off PBS season with training over 300 freshmen at Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, Georgia and it was ultimately a great experience. I was granted the opportunity to train these students just one week before I began my second semester of Sophomore Year and it has been the kick-start, I need to fuel me into finishing strong.

During this week of training, I was challenged with working and bonding with individuals from different backgrounds and with different learning styles. Through this experience, I was able to use my leadership skills to teach three consecutive classes, while maintaining the energy and flow of each class.  It was a difficult and challenging week but, in the end, it was a rewarding experience.

Along with fun, interactive learning activities we immersed students in practical sessions on leadership, personal brand development and the most popular Financial Literacy. Students were able to learn about credit, balancing a budget, networking with a purpose and proper money management. Overall, what mattered most to me was that I was sowing a seed into every student.  Affirming that they are important, along with their interests and the things they enjoy doing most.

PBS Review by Harley Vinsonhaler

From January 8-11, 2019, Usher’s New Look partook in a fun-filled week at Pebblebrook Highschool in Atlanta, GA. The UNL Moguls in Training program had multiple leaders from across the United States come teach lessons to the freshman class on basic life skills such as networking, personal branding, leadership, and budgeting.

Throughout the week of Powered by Service (PBS), students were not only able to play games, express themselves and their talents to their fellow peers, but they were also able to explore their future careers, what their “spark” and or passion is, and had the opportunity to work with members from Suntrust Bank. This gave the students a chance to be engaged and hands on with their peers and leaders to solve problems for the assigned activities. In result, students received a certificate of completion to show that they had completed the week of PBS.