Hey welcome to the last episode of Empower
Sessions for this season. Today we are going
to talk about connecting with our role models.
You will remember from the last two weeks
that we talked about connecting with friends
and family. Today we will talk about connecting
with people like your teachers, coaches and
mentors. Are you ready to get started? Come on
First let's talk about who is a role model?
A role model is someone who you admire and whose
behavior you want to copy. Some role models
are also mentors. Some common role models are:
Sometimes role models are famous and
sometimes they are not. They might also be
people like your parents, your grandparents,
an older sibling, your teacher, your coach,
a religious leader, or your neighbor! Role
models are great to have because they can
help show you a road map to different kinds
of success. You can copy some parts of their
journey. Like maybe you want to study the
same subject as them in college or some of
their traits like kindness or confidence.
You can have lots of role models that teach
you about different parts of your life. Teachers
may help you prepare for success in school
while a coach may help you learn important
skills like persistence and flexibility. Think
about some role models in your life. You may
also call them heroes or mentors. Can you
write down three role models you have? A few
of my role models are my mom because she always
supports me with everything that i do and
Kobe Bryant because he was such a hard worker.
Let's do an activity to connect with our role
models.
You can pick someone from the list
you just created or think of a different role
model. Let's write them a letter about our
experiences while social distancing. To help
you think of what to write, we put together
this outline. Start with an introduction.
Tell them how you've been feeling and what
you've been doing. Be sure to ask how they
are too! Pick one thing you've been working
on, maybe it's something you learned in Empower
Sessions. Maybe it's your remote schoolwork?
Maybe it's a skill like being able to shoot
a free throw? Tell them about your progress
so far and think of a question to ask them
about how you can improve. Finally, make a conclusion.
Maybe you'll tell them that they are your
role model and why. Maybe you'll thank them
for being your mentor. Or you can tell them
about something you want to do together when
we can visit each other again. Finish your letter
with sincerely and your name!
I know Coach Reggie has a few ideas about his perfect role
model. Let's call him so he can share his
thoughts with us. Hey Coach Reggie, how's
it going? Hey, Coach Eugene! Good to hear
from you! I am doing excellent! How are you?
I'm doing well. I was just thinking about
the importance of having a good role model.
Can you share a few characteristics that you
look for in a role model? Yes, absolutely,
Coach! There are definitely characteristics
in public figures and leaders that I strive
to develop in myself. I think it's important
to look at people that have achieved a certain
level of success and let that be the guiding
light for where I want to go. Sort of like
a north star. So for example I look toward
President Obama and how well he's able to communicate,
lead and inspire others to take important
action. I love how Michael Jordan has a tireless
work ethic and the ability to raise the level
of his teammates so they can achieve team
success. He puts the needs of the team ahead
of his own. Lastly, I really respect how
athletes like Dwayne Wade and Lebron James
use their platform to speak up and out about
social justice issues and give voice to those
who are not always heard. They stand up for
what's right and never forget where they came
from. I also love how athletes like Dwayne
and Lebron use their platforms to speak up
about social justice. On the same topic, is
there an issue that's happening right now
that you feel strongly about or an issue that
you would like to see resolved? Yeah, definitely.
That's a great question. This goes without
saying, but I'm definitely passionate about
creating opportunities and empowering young
people to take their future in their own hands.
Young people have so much to share and so
much potential to do amazing things in this
world and I like to be able to support that.
That's really great to hear. Once again, Coach,
thank you so much for taking the time to share.
I know that we are going to catch up soon.
Alright, I'll see you later. Sounds good,
thanks Coach Eugene! Take care.
One of the things we can all be doing while home is improving
on our skills. It can be really motivating
to think of one of your role models and a
skill that they do really well and then try
to practice that skill. Some examples might
include: practicing math so you can tell your
math teacher about your progress. Practicing
dribbling so you can show your coach your
skills when we go back to practices. Practicing
listening so you can show your mom or dad
how you are being more focused. When you have
a role model to help show you the way and
keep you accountable, you're even more likely
to accomplish your goals.
For our next activity, we are going to make some role model cards.
These are like baseball cards, but for role
models that you aspire to. You can share these
with friends or family when they need a boost
of encouragement, or you can keep them as
reminders of people you look up to. You'll
need paper, scissors, coloring utensils, a
phone, or a computer and maybe even some old
magazines for this activity. First, you'll
research some role models. They can be in
your community, from a long time ago, or living
right now. You don't have to know them. We
will pick Kobe Bryant as our role model. Find
out where they are from, what they are most
known for, or maybe a quote or fun fact about
them. Then, you will cut your paper into six
pieces like the size of a playing card.
First,
add a picture that will remind you of them.
You can draw a picture of their face, draw
a symbol that will remind you of them, or
cut a picture out of an old magazine. Put
that on one corner of your card. Then, write
their name. I'm going to add their birthday
and where they are from. Then I will include
what they are most known for. Finally, I am
going to add a quote that they said. This
is a fun way to learn about new role models
and be creative. When you look at your cards,
think of a small thing you can do to be like
your role models.
I know it can be feel lonely
to spend so much time at home, but connecting
with your role models by researching them,
writing them a letter or even asking an adult
to schedule a call with your coach or teacher,
we can stay connected to the people that inspire
us to grow and learn. Even though social distancing
has interrupted our lives, we can still continue
to learn, grow, and have fun doing so while
at home. That's what Empower Sessions are
all about. I know I've learned a lot with
you and I've had so much fun. Remember that
these videos are here for you all the time
and there's even more games and activities
in our activity guides at urbaninitiatives.org.
I am so proud of you for continuing to learn
no matter what. You're doing an awesome job.
Thank you for being a part of the Empower
Sessions team!
