Our youth in low-income communities were already struggling with finding opportunities to become more upwardly mobile before the pandemic. And now they’re struggling even more to find resources and often turn to the workforce, delaying higher education. For the last 30 years, Spark the Journey has been creating such opportunities in D.C., providing mentorship and community support to help black and brown students continue their education or find careers they enjoy.
This week on the podcast, I’m talking with Khari Brown about his own journey from his ah-ha moment as a basketball coach, seeing the great divide between the opportunities of his white players versus those of color. That led him to Spark the Journey, which he has grown to supporting more than 1,000 participants and volunteers alike.
In this conversation, we talk about volunteerism, racial inequality, creating partnerships of nonprofits, and more. Tune in now!
Khari Brown is the Chief Executive Officer of Spark the Journey, a 30-year-old nonprofit organization that provides mentorship and a community of support to young adults from DC’s low-income communities. When Brown joined Spark the Journey, he was its only employee. He has since built Spark from a small-scale scholarship program to a renowned mentorship organization that has served 1,000+ program participants and engaged 1,000+ volunteer mentors.
[2:01] - Where this journey began for Khari
[3:57] - What Spark the Journey is
[4:53] - How kids and volunteers can get involved
[6:16] - What it looks like to be part of the program
[7:21] - It’s hard to focus on being a student or pursuing a career when your basic needs aren’t being met
[9:12] - What workforce development looks like for Spark the Journey
[13:01] - Town for Tomorrow Alliance
[13:41] - What it takes to engage and retain volunteers
[16:00] - Roadblocks that Spark the Journey is experiencing right now
[18:15] - Ways you can support youth with what they need to succeed in life
[19:24] - Turbo Time
[25:15] - Khari’s Magic Wand
[27:08] - Maureen’s Takeaways
Connect with Khari on LinkedIn
Workforce resources at the Debruce Foundation, episode 136
Maureen’s TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools
Facebook: Follow Education Evolution
Twitter: Follow Education Evolution
LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution
Maureen’s book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids
Micro-school feature on Good Morning America
