Usher made a surprise visit to a volunteer training workshop hosted by Usher’s New Look (UNL), the youth development foundation he launched 23 years ago to provide access, training, mentorship, and support of Black youth. Since then, UNL has evolved into one of the nation’s leading charitable organizations, having helped transform the lives of 50,000 young people around the world through its comprehensive financial literacy and education programs as well as mental health, wellness, and professional development initiatives.
Footage from the Powered by Service Training can be viewed below:
Video highlights include:
- B-Roll (Centennial Academy, Atlanta, PBS event, Usher in various places at the school)
- Usher speaking on navigating success and encouraging students to learn all they can for a brighter future and “new look” on life.
- Interview with Stephanie Hodges, Associate Head of School at Centennial Academy
ABOUT POWERED BY SERVICE
- Powered by Service is a Leadership Development program that Usher’s New Look Peer Leaders conduct with rising high school freshmen.
- Each year, the UNL team conducts these trainings at the end of the school year with the goal of youth transitioning into UNL’s Leadership Academy for high school students.
- Training took place 4-days this week, so Usher decided to surprise the trainers and students at Centennial Academy in Midtown during the all-day event on May 10, 2022.
- Usher engaged with the teaching and support staff and stopped by each Powered by Service classrooms to give students a brief overview of the UNL history and why he started the nonprofit 23 years ago.
- He told students he wanted to make a change in the lives of youth who need guidance on how to become leaders in their chosen fields and encouraged them to use their “spark” (UNL’s term for talent) to make the world a better place.
- He challenged them to aspire to be leaders who go back into their community to teach other youth how to navigate from college and into their chosen fields to find success.
- After doing his initial rounds, Usher engaged with the youth during their lessons on various topics including, Building Your Brand, Financial Literacy, and Networking 101.
- Powered by Service has been endorsed by Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.
ABOUT USHER’S NEW LOOK
Founded in 1999 by Usher with the goal of providing educational resources and developmental tools for underserved youth in need of a “new look” on life, UNL has helped transform the lives of more than 50,000 young people around the world. UNL offers comprehensive programming that develops passion-driven, global leaders from middle school through college. UNL offers a robust curriculum of educational programming year-round. Since its founding, UNL has been at the forefront of driving conversation into action by mobilizing youth and their communities, as well as the private and public sectors to work together around the issues of financial empowerment, youth development and economic disparities and health.
To view the video, please click play below.
