Youth Group

Youth Groups: Odọ (Means ‘youth’ in the Yoruba language from West Africa, Nigeria). Youth meet weekly in closed and open groups that run between 4-12 weeks (4-6 weeks for our youth mentorship and leadership program) each season: Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring. Facilitators working from a cultural lens promote positive race-based experiences through topics such as Soft Skills Development, Healthy Self-Esteem, Racism and Anti-Black racism, Peer Pressure and bullying, Feelings and Emotions, Stress Management and Conflict Resolution, Developing and Maintaining Healthy Relationships, Empowerment and Leadership Skills, Promoting and Maintaining Black Excellence, and the Social Groups/Activities that feature Dance, Cultural Meal Prep, Drumming, Book Club (Book swap and monthly meetings), Music, Poetry and Spoken Word, Comedy, and Art. Our well-known Cross-Cultural Leadership workshop promotes our recognition of the importance of providing Black-identifying youth with proactive, cross-cultural leadership opportunities. We hope that this workshop allows youth to share their voice and perspectives while empowering them to invest in the discovery of leadership skills they can offer their school and the larger community. Please email us to find out when our subsequent free sessions are happening, or contact us if you would like to purchase this workshop for a group of youth you support. -

KMFW’s Black Youth Impact Program (BYIP): Leadership and Entrepreneurial program is a culturally grounded psychoeducational and social programming designed to empower and foster the collective resilience and well-being of one of the most vulnerable age groups within the Black community: youth between the ages of 12 and 21 (Grades 7- 12). With support from our regional partners and collaborators, this hybrid programming model will consist of virtual and in-person group sessions, workshops and discussions, trips to local businesses, hands-on learning, and one-on-one meetings with mentors and instructors as needed. A message about BYIP from our Founding Director, Ajirioghene Evi: “As a leader and a bridge builder myself, it was with great emotion that I put this program together for Black youth. The joy of beholding the conveyance of it was one of the best feelings I had over the summer months. As Darrius Garrett puts it, “no greater place to be than in a leadership position to lead young minds to prosperity.” The KMFW team of educators worked well with our youth facilitators to ensure that the objectives of this program were achieved. We remain open to ongoing development and modifications based on the ample participant feedback.” Interested? Please be sure to watch out for our next call for registrations.