RISING LEADERS OVERVIEW 2021 - THIS DESIGN INCLUDES A PHOTO BY WILL M. STEVENSON - WORDISBOND
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This design includes a photo by Will M. Stevenson
Rising Leaders Overview 2021
Word is Bond Rising Leaders 2021 Picture Me Thriving Welcome to Rising Leaders 2021, the dynamic rites-of-passage leadership experience for young Black men in the Portland metro area. The theme for this summer’s internship is Picture Me Thriving. Picture Me Thriving is about visualizing and manifesting your best and fullest version of yourself. We are going to be exploring powerful questions on our quest for excellence including: What does it mean to thrive? What would my life look like if I were thriving? What resources and support do I need to thrive? Let’s talk about community safety. The trial of Derek Chauvin is concluding, but the march for justice is only beginning. What is the best path forward to true community safety? In Rising Leaders, you will engage with a cohort of police officers for a series of weekly workshops around race, police use of force, and community safety. You will have a chance to not only share your truth and ask tough questions, but also get a behind-the-scenes look at the wide roles of police agencies, take part in law enforcement trainings, and discover other roles within the criminal justice system. By the end of the internship, you will have a deep understanding of the criminal justice system and the tools to make change and impact community safety in your community. Rising Leaders is open to individuals who identify as a Black male between the ages of 16 and 21. Interns, known as “community ambassadors,” are selected for the program based on their leadership skills and desire to create change in their community. This is a rites-of-passage program where you will discover your Blackness with other young men, learn the skills to be successful in your life, and engage in dynamic dialogue and action around policing and community safety. Program highlights include a tailored suit, personal photoshoot, poetry writing, ropes course, hiking, law week, Black Women’s Luncheon, exploration of local law enforcement agencies and the Portland Fire Department, and development of leadership, public speaking, and professional etiquette skills. Join Rising Leaders this summer to grow your leadership, learn to tell your personal narrative, and make a difference in your community. ©Word is Bond 2021. All rights reserved. www.mywordisbond.org
Format of Rising Leaders 2021 Rising Leaders 2021 will operate in a hybrid in-person/online format this year, which is return to a more normal format after a completely online program last summer. Leadership workshops will continue to take place online while other activities including the ropes course, police engagement days and Black history tour will take place in-person. Community Ambassadors will need a laptop, tablet or cellphone, internet, and Zoom account for the online components which will compromise two of the four days a week. Rising Leaders is designed as a three-year Rites-of-passage program that guides young Black men into adulthood. We are excited to offer the second-year internship experience for returning ambassadors who will work off-site with a company or organization working on social justice issues. In this role, ambassadors will learn valuable experience in working in a professional environment three days a week while continuing to take leadership and Black-excellence workshops with Word is Bond two days a week. Professional Dress Code Word is Bond has a professional dress code for all workdays. This means dress pants, a collared shirt, belt, and dress shoes are required. For online days, interns must wear a dress shirt. Each intern will receive a suit and other dress materials from Word is Bond, free of charge. Digital Archive In the summer of 2020, Word is Bond community ambassadors launched the Word is Bond digital archive. This online repository contains journal entries, poetry, and stories of youth leaders and police officer participants. This summer, first-year ambassadors will add to the archive their own personal stories, pictures, and narratives from community members. The digital archive is a community resource available to the public to preserve stories, art, and other digital artifacts that represent the richness of communities across Portland. Police participation This summer’s Rising Leaders law enforcement cohort will again be our largest to date. We now have a total of nine agencies participating in the program. This summer’s participating agencies include the following: Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Oswego Police Department, Hillsboro ©Word is Bond 2021. All rights reserved. www.mywordisbond.org
Police Department, Oregon City Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and three new agencies; Beaverton, Gresham, and Tigard Police Departments. Applying for Rising Leaders Applications are due Tuesday, June 1 at 5 pm PST. Early submissions are highly encouraged as interviews will be ongoing during the application period. Applicants will be scheduled for an online interview with WIB Staff and current youth leaders. Applicants selected for the internship will begin orientation and onboarding in mid-June. Apply here. Questions and comments Please contact founder and executive director Lakayana Drury at lakayana@mywordisbond.org Pictures Black History Tour with Kent Ford ©Word is Bond 2021. All rights reserved. www.mywordisbond.org
Community Ambassadors David and Sebastian give a Know Your Rights training to local high school students. Word is Bond ambassadors posing with framed portraits of themselves. ©Word is Bond 2021. All rights reserved. www.mywordisbond.org
Community ambassadors and police officers sharing a laugh at the ropes course. Community ambassadors filming a Know Your Rights video. Watch the completed video here. ©Word is Bond 2021. All rights reserved. www.mywordisbond.org
Word is Bond debut poetry book, I Got A Story to Tell
In the summer of 2020, Word is Bond community ambassadors and law
enforcement officers wrote poetry during one of their workshops. The original
works on topics of race, community safety, and Black life were then published into
a full-length poetry book. Buy your copy today on our website here.
Photo by Lorenzo Lowe III.
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