ANNOUNCEMENT:
Our next M.E., Inc. Workshop will be held Dec. 28, 2019 from Noon - 2:30pm Eastern Time.  We will be hosting the workshop both in person, at 6820 Main St. in Columbia SC, and live, online via ZOOM Webinar!  Admission is FREE for participants, but space is limited (12 in person, 12 online).

BUSINESSES, PARENTS, ORGANIZATIONS:
SPONSOR ONE OR MORE SPACES FOR YOUTH TO ATTEND
THE M.E., INC. YOUTH EMPOWERMENT WORKSHOP HERE

STUDENTS/YOUTH/YOUNG ADULTS:
REGISTER FOR THE 12/28/19 ONLINE WEBINAR HERE
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what is m.e., inc.?

M.E., Inc. (Mission Empowerment, Inc.) is a youth empowerment workshop series designed to engage, encourage, and empower Afrikan/Afrikan-American youth between the ages 16-24 as it relates to employment, self esteem, life skills, and entrepreneurship.  Afrikan American youth, while the numbers are improving, are still the most unemployed, non-disabled, demographic in the United States, with an unemployment rate nearly 3 times that of the national average.  Further, the jobs that our youth are getting do not pay a liveable wage, nor boast much room for advancement.  Add to that the disproportionate high school drop out rates and mass criminilization of youth culture, and it doesn't take long to realize that Afrikan American youth continue to face unique challenges on the path to sustained success in this country.  That being stated, Mission Empowerment workshops are developed based on the enormous potential and continued achievement, in spite of the circumstances, of youth of Afrikan descent.  Today, our youth are starting and growing successful businesses, earning college degrees and vocational certifications at an increasing rate, using technology to build national and global relationships, and seeking to become economic, cultural, and political assets for their families, communities, nation, and global village.  To that end, there is a dire need of more opportunities for our youth to attend and engage in forums and safe spaces where they are provided and/or made aware of the resources (mental, cultural, economic, etc.) needed to convert very legitimate dreams and aspirations into comprehensive, detailed, short term and long term plans.  Our youth don't want to be enabled.  Our youth want to be EMPOWERED.
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m.e., inc, founder & facilitator

Baba Amin Imamu Ojuok (formerly Steven Richmond) is an internationally recognized independent educator, lecturer, and education conultant with 28 years experience working with youth and families.  "Baba Amin" is an expert at youth engagement who is passionate about helping young people unlock their full potential.  He is currently the Director of the Uhuru Academy, an independent, Afrikan Centered/Empowerment Based private school that he founded, along with his wife Nkoyo Ojuok, in 2010.  

engage

M.E., Inc. workshops engage our youth via interactive icebreakers and activities that involve dialogue, role play, and opportunities for participants to share both their unique and common experiences trying to navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with being an adolescent in America.  Interactive icebreaker activities like "Who Am I", which teaches the importance of asking the right questions, and "Values Voting", which provides participants with an opportunity to express and examine personal values, help to establish and maintain a culture and atmosphere of safety, freedom, and non-judgment inside our workshops that allows students to focus on the task at hand.

ENCOURAGE

M.E., Inc. workshops encourage young people via interactive dialogue and discussions that help them identify their strengths and how to utilize those strengths to take on their challenges.  Our "Resource Inventory" form assists students with painting a realistic and balanced picture of the skills, allies, and information at their disposal "right now" with workshop facilitators aiding students with strategies on how to build on those strengths. Further, our "Sankofa 4 Success" curriculum uses cultural relevance to encourage participants by exposing students to little known, yet powerful, accomplishments made by previous generations of Afrikan American youth (ie the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement, etc.)

empower

M.E., Inc. workshops empower students via interactive activities that challenge participants to utilize soft and transferrable communication skills in real time.  Our "Due Diligance Derby", for example, tasks students with using the internet and phone to research the costs of living on a fixed budget.  We also utilize the US Dept. of Labor's O*NET website to allow students to match their current interests with potential careers.  Most importantly, we task students with crafting a short term vision plan that will include action steps and due dates that participants can engage in immediately to embark on a journey to success.  Whether it's entering college, returning to high school, seeking and maintaining employment, launching a small business, or getting certified in a viable skill, M.E., Inc. students will come away with a comprehensive path and plan that will empower them to not only see the destination, but to also see the road ahead.  

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