Originally posted in The Rawlings-Blake Review, Issue #195

Today I was joined by author and educator Stedman Graham, as well as representatives from Kaiser Permanente to announce our intention to bring a new youth-focused program to Baltimore City. Mr. Graham has taken the program, known as Identity Leadership Training, to communities all across the country, and it has shown tremendous results in teaching life lessons to help our young people succeed.

I want to emphasize that our investment in Identity Leadership Training will be another initiative in a long line of efforts that my administration has made to empower our young people. Whether it was in fighting for and winning $1 billion in school construction funds, or through the countless hours that I personally spend each year visiting classrooms to promote reading skills and school attendance, my goal has always been to provide the very best resources to support our youth and to let them know how much we care about and love them.

So when the opportunity came to work with Mr. Graham and Kaiser Permanente to bring this program to Baltimore, I jumped at the chance. Kaiser has stepped up to the plate to provide $25,000 in funding, and we are actively working to identify additional partners to assist us in these efforts. We will continue our outreach to the Baltimore City School system to work in a coordinated fashion to ensure these resources reach those youth who are most in need. There are still a few details to finalize but we anticipate having the program up and running in Baltimore this coming fall.

Identity Leadership Training will be a great addition to existing programs like our recently announced B’More Night Hoops. This competitive basketball league will provide young people with quality recreation and constructive activities to help keep them on the right path. In addition to the physical exercise they receive, players will attend life skills and education seminars each week, prior to the start of the week’s first game. Registration for the league closes today, but there is still time for teams ages 15 – 17 and 18 – 21 to get in on the action if they hurry!

We have a great opportunity to do something positive for our youth, and I’m honored to be joining Mr. Graham and Kaiser Permanente. Baltimore’s rising generation has great potential, and I am committed to making investments that support their success.