New Look can expose and inspire millions of disadvantaged youth to explore corporate careers in the sports and entertainment industries.
Youth Program Summary
Usher’s New Look
An Urgent Call to Service
A significant percentage of low-income, minority youth will graduate high school without the skills necessary for success in college and careers. These young people face challenges that range from poverty to school drop out to single parent homes. More troubling, this is the population rarely engaged in high quality service and leadership opportunities. Most of the opportunities to engage are either inaccessible or do not appeal to these groups. It is imperative to engage these young people in service that enhances their skills and talents while meeting their personal interests and needs. Without opportunities to invest in their own communities through service-learning these young people face paths that at best lead to low paying jobs, debt and teen pregnancy and at worst to crime, jail and death.
The Response: Powered By Service
Founded in 1999, Usher’s New Look (UNL) empowers youth from under-served communities by providing them with the economic and educational building blocks necessary to become corporate and community leaders. Now in its tenth year, UNL is poised for expansion of programs, and more importantly, impact. By launching the Powered By Service initiative UNL hopes to make service more diverse, relevant and accessible to all young people. As a result young people can find their power in their ability to create change in their lives, their communities and the world.
UNL is Different
UNL recognizes that young people need the skills, experiences and awareness to be leaders in an increasingly global community. Skills, experiences and knowledge in leadership, business, creativity, teamwork and personal power can give young people the tools they need to be successful community and corporate leaders. Once young people have these skills they have the capability to incite and inspire countless other people in their communities to find their power as active citizen leaders. Three unique components of the model make UNL different from the myriads of other youth leadership programs in communities today:
• Changing the face of service – Young people, just like adults, have a variety of interests, skills and talents. They are seeking more than predetermined activities that they can “plug into.” At the same time, young people are confronted with the pressures to socially fit in and find popularity with their peers. UNL offers young people the opportunity to combine their personal interests in arts, dance, music, sports, business, etc. with leadership and action opportunities that build transferable skills and competencies. Furthermore, because an internationally renowned celebrity endorses it, UNL has the potential to redefine community service and action as a popular activity for all young people. Especially through the Powered By Service initiative, UNL is changing the face of service to include young people from diverse and often underrepresented populations.
• Encouraging a global view of leadership and action – It is no longer a flippant cliché to say the world is getting smaller. Political boundaries are less and less important in the growing global economy. UNL understands that this generation of young people must be equipped with the skills and analysis to become corporate and community leaders in this new and evolving climate. The curriculum used in UNL programs offers young people the opportunity to learn about and, most importantly, practice these skills by launching large scale social entrepreneurship campaigns addressing major global issues.
• Positioning young people as change agents – It is not only young people who need exposure to a global analysis of leadership and action, but whole communities who often misunderstand how their actions affect issues around world and vice versa. UNL prepares young people to implement widespread Powered By Service campaigns addressing global issues on a local level. These campaigns are unique because they will give young people the ability to define their own innovative solutions to any issue facing communities around the world. Thousands of young people engaged in Powered By Service campaigns can incite other young people and adults to think and act globally, ultimately changing the mindset and behaviors of whole communities.
How it Works
The foundation of the UNL model is Camp New Look. Camp New Look is a year long program where young people gain exposure, experience and opportunity to learn and practice the skills they need as corporate and community leaders. With the foundation, young people go on to participate in a broader movement through the Powered By Service initiative.