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Culturally Speaking: The South Florida Sunday Podcast
The EJS Project: Investing in Palm Beach County’s Next Generation
00:17:57
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- [00:00]
A
Sharina, back with you and speaking with another amazing organization right now, the EJS Project from Boynton Beach. Not only creating safe spaces for teens and young adults to thrive, but providing them with the tools, the knowledge, and the support that they need to become future leaders. Joining me right now is Dupree Jackson. Thank you so much for joining the show.
- [00:19]
B
Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me.
- [00:21]
A
So let's talk about it, the EJS Project. What inspired you to kind of start this organization?
- [00:26]
B
Well, first of all, EJS stands for Emmanuel Jackson. Seen it? So it's my father's name. And he passed in 2011. And right before he passed, I had my first child in 2010. I went through a series of kind of health issues and challenges, which, you know, life was just life. And during the time and all those things combined, I had already been feeling like I was underachieving and not really living up to the potential, or at least what I thought was my potential. And, you know, just looking around, looking around at my community, looking around at things, I always wish that if I was to be successful or making it in the NFL to get rich, that I would come back and change in my community. I had that epiphany like, well, the rich part did come true, but you still got life and health, so maybe you can get busy doing something. And that's what I did. Just got busy trying and giving back to my community. And here we are.
- [01:21]
A
And it's so great that you're honoring your father in this way and the things that he instilled into you, doing that for other young people too. Um, now this is described as, you know, creating a safe space for teens. What does that look like in practice? And why is it so important in today's environment?
- [01:37]
B
A lot of our kids come from disadvantaged backgrounds. And when you learn about, like, aces adverse childhood effects, I remember my first time even hearing it and learning about that, thinking, wow, that's just a normal day of my life. When they were kind of describing all the numbers and how you rank them and how I was like, well, I call that a normal day. And then, you know, you know, I realized that a lot of the kids that I work with, they will be able to relate. And so for me, a safe space looks like on a daily basis, we pick our kids up from school and the first thing we do, we greet them, dap up a fist bump or hug, because that recenters us, let them know they switch it from whatever public school they attend. Because we work with kids from about 14 different schools throughout the county that you leave in that space and you come into ejs, these are people that love you, who genuinely care about you in your best interest. So it starts with that. A hug, a greeting that's genuine. So we don't just ask, how you doing? How was your day? As a, like, just a courtesy statement, we really want to know. And they feel in return that they really can open up and explain it. And another big piece is it's a space for just teams. So when they come into the EGS Project Teen center, they don't feel like they're competing with younger kids, or we're just providing a space for them in the corner. It really feels like their space. It's their quotes, it's their pictures, it's their artwork or their projects that we've done in the past. And it just really feels like a
- [03:08]
A
second home and a community. You're their friend. You're that person that they can go to when they need help. Or, you know, they're just, you know, afraid to talk to their parents or someone else. That's amazing.
- [03:18]
B
Absolutely.
- [03:19]
A
And your mission emphasizes building and empowering tomorrow's leaders. How does your programs help teens develop leadership skills both in and outside of the classroom?
- [03:28]
B
Well, it starts with building their confidence first. Right. And that happens in a number of different ways, but it's really through just repetition and practice, giving them chance to participate, be leaders. We have something we call restorative circles, and we consider ourselves restorative space. And basically what that means is every voice that's a part of our community, our village matters. So we're intentional about making sure everyone is heard. And once you start doing that, you realize kids more times do not rise to the occasion. Right. So if you set a high bar or set a goal that's challenging, and you walk with them and support them and help them set smaller points or objectives in order to reach that goal, you realize they achieve. That's really what it looks like. We introduce our kids to things that they probably aren't would normally do on their own. We expose them to different environments and Environments. Yeah, all those good things. Just trying to expand their mind.
- [04:28]
A
Right. And I really love what you just pointed out to confidence, because you don't realize how important confidence is. You could be an adult and not be confident and just be failing at life because of your lack of confidence there. So to help children understand that their voice matters and that. That, you know, confidence is key, and to be confident in themselves, that is going to lead them a long way.
- [04:48]
B
It is and it does.
- [04:51]
A
And then you also have five core areas. And let's talk about those. The physical, mental, social, spiritual, financial development. Wow. Can you actually start a brand for adults? Because we need this too.
- [05:05]
B
Yeah. And I'll tell you, we updated and we switched out spiritual, for me, is strong, but we realized for all of our kids, it's not as strong. So we just switched that one out with academics. But really, it started off as spiritual. We have strategic plans, we have board members, and everybody get feedback. But for me, that spiritual piece was really faith, and we could have just said faith. So it's not really so much of teaching them about a religion. It's just teaching them the power of believing in something bigger than yourself. That's what that come from.
- [05:34]
A
Okay. And so why is it important to take such a holistic approach to youth development?
- [05:39]
B
Oh, my God. That's probably the best question I've ever been asked. It's important because we're working with teams, but we're working with humans. And you and I are humans. And it's a holistic approach, right? Yes. Yeah. Academics is one thing, but, you know, mental health support is another. Confidence building is another building. Trust. Right. Is another. Like, it's just so much that goes into supporting a child that we couldn't just focus on one, especially when you spend as much time as we do with our kids. So we're not a traditional once a month or twice every other month or two hours type mentoring program. We're every day. We're every day, most weekends, always a phone call away, really, extended family. And you mentioned me as a friend. That's a role I play sometimes, but sometimes I play the script. Mentor, the father figure, the uncle figure, the brother, you name it. It has to be a lot of different things to these kids, which is why I try to, you know, provide wraparound services.
- [06:36]
A
Yeah. And it sounds like you're really doing that, especially being available as much as you are and, you know, just being that. That steady presence that they need in their lives because, you know, a lot of people don't have that. And when you have that, it just. It just elevates your life. Just knowing someone has your back at all times. That's amazing.
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B
Amen to that. Amen.
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A
And then you also have programs like Teen Career Readiness Initiatives. You also have events like the Teen Career Day that connects people and students to, like, real life opportunities. What impact have you seen with these experiences?
- [07:07]
B
Well, first of all, we give them a head start on failure. So, like, from the first mock interview with Kids back to the word confidence right when they not sure how to give a firm handshake, how to look people in the eyes and say their name, or when they ask the question during the interview, not knowing because they don't have the experience that this is the time when you brag a little bit on yourself. So no short one word answer. So that's the first thing we give them Again, repetitions of learning. If you start doing this when you're 13, 14, when you go for your first real job at 16, 17, most of our kids get hired on the spot because they say wow. The feedback is wow. You came with a resume, you had a firm grip, you looked me in the eyes, you were detailed with your responses, you were able to share about your past volunteer experience. That's all things that we taught and they didn't know and they failed a couple times learning it. But when they were able to go through the real act of doing it, they see or they separate themselves from their peers. So that sums it up. We really just give them a chance, give them a head start.
- [08:13]
A
Yeah. And I love that they have the opportunity to fail in a safe space.
- [08:17]
B
That's right.
- [08:18]
A
That's amazing. So this organization also offers such unique programs like about that Action, Purpose, Pace, Project Hub. How do these different programs work together to support the teens at various stages in their growth?
- [08:32]
B
Everything that you just named, we add our touch, our identity, our brand to it. So about that Action is really our community engagement, civic muscle building part of our program which is getting kids out of the community, giving back, doing cleanups, attending city commission meetings, learning about hot topics, things that are going on that don't necessarily benefit them directly, but it affects their community. So getting them to start thinking like a resident and not just being so self centered or worried about themselves. I believe that no matter how educated you are, how rich you are, whatever the case may be, if you show up and constantly act, you're again, you're separating yourself from a peer and you're closer to a solution than someone who's brilliant or have all the money but are contemplating when or how to do it. So action is a great separator for me. So being about that action is huge. Similar purpose paid. That's just our nickname for our workforce readiness and internship program, which is if you go through all these workshops like Toastmasters, Financial Literacy Etiquette, everything we do to prepare you for the workforce of these interviews, then at the end, which we're going through right now, you're rewarded with a chance to Interview with a local business and get an internship over the summer. And the cherry on top of that is this is not a free internship. So our funders were able to pay these kids. And that goes back to just our approach, knowing the demographic of who we're working with. And I remember the very first time we brought up during the summer internships, it wasn't even my idea, but we had a board member that was invested and knew our philosophy and said, well, if we're looking at the numbers in our household, you know, more than 60% single parent, over 90% live below the poverty line, which all our kids get free and reduced lunch, then yeah, we're helping them gain experience. But if they're taking time away from being home, helping support family and doing all those things and not making any money, then I don't really think we're helping these households. And I was like, you're right. And that's what led me to write a grant. And one of our Saunders Community foundation, you know, believed in what we had wrote, which is that these kids need more than just experiences in workforce, they need a paycheck. And so for the last six years we've been providing paid internships. So that means again, confidence. That means a level of I work, I achieve, I earned this money and now I'm able to take pressure off my mom who has multiple kids and I could buy my own school clothes and I can save a little money and I can open up a bank account. What is the other one? Each one teach one. That's all of our academic and personal development stuff. So all of our tutoring Saturdays, all of our mental health, whether it's group growth and reflection sections, which we used to call therapeutic sessions, but our attorney told us we can't really call them therapy. So it's really just talking about health and what you're going through in a group setting so that our kids can better understand their peers and be able to recognize when one of them is having an off day. And then whenever there's a need, we have an in House clinician, Mr. Darius Murray. So we're able to provide at no cost to the families, one on one therapy and support.
- [11:58]
A
Just so impressed with all the things that you do for the kids in their community, like even just sending them out to, you know, the board meetings and stuff. Like I'm an adult, I haven't been to a board meeting. This is amazing.
- [12:11]
B
Yeah, I'm telling you it is. And you hit it on the head and you can relate in things that you Know now if you could teach kids, you would try to just teach them earlier. Right. And just like you, I don't know how old you are, but it wasn't until I was 27, 28, I rarely start attending city commission meetings and I learned the power that every resident has three minutes to address the commission, ask questions, make statements, and if you ask a question, it's recorded on paper and they have to respond, whether right there in that meeting via email or have you come back to the next meeting. That's power in that. And people fought to implement those policies to give us this power. So our kids not being aware of that, not knowing about that, we're doing them a disservice in our community.
- [12:54]
A
Disservice, exactly. And just being involved in general, like a lot of adults don't know what's going on in their communities. These laws are being passed, they don't understand what's happening and they're just living with it and they don't know how to address it. So you're just, you're teaching the kids to do this. It's amazing.
- [13:10]
B
Yeah, that's exactly what we're doing. That's part of it.
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A
Exactly. And you know, I joked earlier about, you know, starting an adult brand as well, but you kind of sort of have that because you also believe in strengthening and supporting families as a part of your mission.
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B
It's a balance because our job is to build empower to Mars Legion. We work with teams, but when you do that and you realize that once kids leave our space and go back home, it's kind of like every day reset and restart, restart. Going back to the same environment, same thing, same had the same activities. So we spend a lot more time inviting parents into our space. One thing that's the most consistent is our quarterly family nights. We tap in with one of our partners, which is Tomorrow Rainbow. They do like horse therapy and things like that, and they do other activities. So we have them come in that night. So all our parents with other, you know, younger kids, they don't have to worry about childcare. They're out there with tomorrow's rainbow and then we're in. And what we do during those nights is we have special guests. Whether someone talking about health care plans or insurance or real estate, first time home buyers or credit, you name a lot of stuff that families and parents can use to help improve their quality of life. But also we highlight their kids success over that quarter. Like most improved GPAs, most community service hours, kids get certificates, they get to be Celebrated in front of their peers and other family members. And the parents get the clap a lot of times for some of these kids for the first time. Because, you know, when kids join our programs, they're about to get kicked out of school, their grades are bad, they don't have any social life. One of those reasons, and now seeing them in a different light, achieving, meeting things and being recognized that that's one of the biggest ways we get back to our family right there.
- [15:02]
A
Looking ahead, what is your vision for expanding EJS and continuing to create opportunities for teens across Palm Beach County?
- [15:09]
B
One of my goals is I love the space that we are now. We're on Campus of St. Joseph Episcopal Church and we have our own building space there. But our goal has always been ejs to either own a building or being a long term lease somewhere a little bigger space than we have so we can serve more kids and then selling the model or sharing whichever word we will use. Because I get asked all the time. Oh man, I wish we had a program like this in Rivera. I wish we had a program like this in Pompano. I wish we had a program like this in Tallahassee. Wherever I go, they always wish we had a program like this. And it very much can be duplicated because the formula, after, you know, 10 years of failure and challenges and successes, I find it relatively easy. It's all about the approach, which is putting families and kids first and working backwards. I have a lot of best practices, a lot of data to support the work. So that's what I see us doing. Having little, you don't even have to keep the name ejs, but having little sub stations of EJS just pop up everywhere. So that's the vision really, just sharing
- [16:19]
A
the model, you know. Thank you for sharing it with us because this is such an amazing thing and what you're doing for the future of Palm beach county in general. I'm just, like I said, in awe about this. How can the community get involved? How can businesses help? How do we find you online, all that?
- [16:35]
B
Yeah, I tell you, we're real. When I say grassroots and community based, I like to leave with that because if any business owner, any parent, any potential student of ejs, when they hear that, I hope they just know they're part of something bigger. But we can't do it alone. So if I was talking to someone, I would say, first thing to do is go to our website and just sign up for our newsletter. That's a big deal because we meet with our marketing person once a week to talk about what's new, what's happening, what we want to share what's coming up. So that's a great way to just keep up. And if you're a business, remember that a big part of our goal is to make every interaction mutually beneficial. Just as much as we need money to keep the mission going, we need to provide our kids with access and opportunity. So a lot of these businesses can do that. Like our internship program, we pay the kids. So giving them the opportunity to be managed or work on your site, that's a win. It's another set of hands for you and it's giving our kids experience, which is the goal of ours. So it's ways to support and partner with ejs that aren't always financial. If a business believes in the power of investment and planting seeds now so that we can all reap the benefit of the shade later, then I would encourage them to give me a call or even come stop by for our site. Visit www.ejsproject.org.