The “Power Up Network”

Empowering Young Men of Color to: Lead, Exceed, &Succeed

The “Power-Up Network” is a culturally relevant professional training program that seeks to build Young Men of Color in the areas of (YMOC) confidence, self-worth, and leadership skills to better position them for top-level positions in their chosen fields.

Through The “Power Up Network” we will promote the success of Young Men of Color by preparing them for careers while addressing their unique experiences and challenges.

Program Goals:

• Promote asset-based narratives that emphasize the strengths of YMOC instead of the challenges they face focusing on positive group qualities and highlighting their achievements
  
• Promote asset-based narratives that emphasize the strengths of YMOC instead of the challenges they face focusing on positive group qualities and highlighting their achievements
• Foster the agency and leadership of YMOC
• Elevate YMOC into leadership roles on campus
• Increase economic opportunity to close equity gaps for YMOC.
• integrate culturally appropriate supports into their programming to promote retention
• Establish connections to racially and economically diverse social networks that might facilitate post-graduate employment opportunities
• Provide individualized guidance and mentorship to help YMOC better understand and make choices about their career options
• Prepare YMOC to secure paid internships or apprenticeships to allow them to earn income while they gain skills.

Target Areas for Personal Development

Entrepreneurial Acumen

Entrepreneurial Acumen refers to an innate ability to be creative and innovative in the face of change and economic adversity.

Contextual Intelligence

Contextual Intelligence is defined as an acute sensitivity to the social, political, technological, economic drivers of change that define and drive future economies. (Sertl, 2014).

Personality Traits Commonly referred to as “soft skills,”

Personality traits encompass the ability to think critically, reason analytically, solve problems, communicate clearly both orally and in writing, and collaborate and work in diverse teams that, increasingly, will transcend international boundaries.

Cultural Elasticity

Social capital is critical to building the appropriate relationships and networks that help to facilitate economic and social mobility. Youth whose personal and institutional networks extend beyond the local neighborhood are likely to be more adept at code-switching than their counterparts whose networks are limited to the local neighborhood (Putnam, 2004).

The ability for YMOC to comfortably “code switch” and interact with a diversity of people from different cultural/ethnic and economic backgrounds is a critical competency and skill in a twenty-first century economy.

Positive Racial, Cultural Identity

Surround participants with activities that are culturally affirming to positively affect their identity development. Activities that will cultivate an understanding of structural racism and that would also prepare them for a myriad of biases they will encounter in the larger society.

Basic Human Developmental Competencies

These competencies encompass three domains:

1) Cognitive Development, which refers to skills like analytical and critical thinking and planning and problem solving skills;

2) Physical Health, or the ability to engage in healthy behaviors, diet and exercise, and risk avoidance behavior related to specific family/cultural factors; and

3) Emotional/ Behavioral, which refers to healthy coping skills, the ability to self-manage and regulate behavior, and emotional intelligence and self-efficacy

Program Strategy

• Recruit YMOC from diverse backgrounds
• Educate through a structured programs designed to help them navigate
• Retain YMOC through continued support programming
• Support and challenge YMOC to achieve academically
• Promote involvement in leadership development activities on and off campus
• Promote engagement in community service
• Facilitate and promote professional development
• Facilitate the establishment of peer and professional networks

Curriculum

• Clifton Strengths Finder
• “Pathways Project” – Goal setting and career mapping
• The 5 “Wells” (Read, Dressed, Spoken, Traveled, Balanced)
• Resume building
• Dress for Success
• Job Search Strategies
• Interview techniques
• Financial Literacy
• Gaining and managing wealth
• Professional and Social Etiquette
• Building and sustaining professional networks
• Empowerment Conversations (Conversations with professional Men of Color)