According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, stereotyping influences the ways in which young people are dealt with by authority figures and adults in general. In a context of racism, stereotyping/racial profiling and discrimination thrive and limit the opportunities and possibilities of young racial minority people.  Furthermore, we live in a society in which social injustice is constantly in the media and being viewed by youth.  Madison County 4-H recognized an opportunity to help minority teens of the Richmond Teen Center to express their concerns while learning more about history and becoming a positive leader in their community.  4-H wants these teens to be proud of who they are and to be examples of young empowerment ambassadors in their schools and community. 

Through a National 4-H Mentoring grant, Madison County 4-H has purchased several leadership games and curriculum and have led several lessons to promote positive leadership activities. The grant also paid for several field trips to help the teens learn about leadership through challenging times throughout American history. The first field trip was to the National Underground Railroad in Maysville, Kentucky.  This was a trip to learn about how the Underground Railroad worked and also the unexpected leaders who ended up saving many lives.  Our tour guide gave the group tons of information about the process and the backstories to some of the unsung heroes.  The teens were engaged looking at the pictures and all the historical and significant artifacts the museum had to offer.  Then when we traveled downstairs to the basement which was used as part of the Underground railroad, it began to sink in with the teens.  They were able to see how the process was as our tour guide acted out from the initial knocks on the backdoor and the tiny trap door in which they crawled down into the five foot tall basement.  The tour guide challenged our teens to keep fighting through knowledge and being a leader for equality.  This was an extremely powerful trip for these teens. Near the end of the presentation the teens were asked to think about ways they can improve communication in our community to help improve relationships with all types of people.  

The CES Agent along with the Director of the Richmond Teen Center, worked to find this experience. The CES scheduled this field trip through researching the historical significance. The CES sought permission from the National Grant to include this field trip in the annual budget along with transportation. 

Furthermore, the CES will continue to search trips and speakers to challenge the teens to seek out leadership in their families, schools, peer groups, and even their community. CES is hoping to create a spark of change for these teens and improving their futures. Trips such as this one is only the beginning for tough conversations that need to take place for a better understanding and the sense of empowerment for a group of kids that some did not believe in! This is one of the most powerful experience I have been a part of since I started working in Extension.