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CHAMPION -- Inspiring youth to prepare for their futures is one of the goals of Inspiring Minds, which is celebrating 16 years of helping teens and children in Trumbull County and seven years in Mahoning County.
Inspiring Minds held its 16th annual fundraising gala "A Caribbean Experience" Thursday at Kent State University at Trumbull with more than 500 people able to sample different foods from the Caribbean.
Jessica Winters, program administrator, said the event unites students and supporters of both the Warren and Youngstown chapters of IM.
In the past 16 years, IM has provided after-school and summer enrichment programming to thousands of students and over 500 annually in the Mahoning Valley while expanding services to five chapters and four states.
Winters said IM has exposed students to 75 cities in more than 20 states, toured over 90 colleges and explored more than 80 companies across the country. The program has graduated 100 percent of IM students who continued their education at college or with the armed forces.
She said in the past 16 years, more college visits and trips have been offered.
"Every year we try to grow in different areas and do a little bit more for the kids," she said.
Trips by IM have taken youth to Africa, El Salvador and Puerto Rico with plans this year to possibly go to Jamaica.
"The trips are both educational and cultural and expose the youth to other parts of the world. They see different cultures," Winters said.
Jaylan Johnson, a senior at Warren G. Harding High School, said he has participated with IM since eighth grade.
"Inspiring Minds gets you involved in different activities and in high school being part of college visits. The college visits open your eyes to different career options. Visiting the colleges showed me that I wanted to go to college," Johnson said.
He said he wants to study business in college, noting the IM staff have graduated from college with many in business and marketing.
"I tell people Inspiring Minds has really opened my eyes to different careers," Johnson said.
Amirah Hudson, a seventh- grader at McGuffey K-8 School, has taken part in IM for four years.
She said IM has inspired her to look at her future and what she may want to do.
Hudson said in addition to college visits, there also have been trips to Florida, Columbus and other places in the United States where the students learn about history.
"I tell people Inspiring Minds is fun and you really get to know people and make friends," she said.
The Rev. A.M. Odom of Friendship Baptist Church in Warren said he was impressed at how disciplined the IM participants are and the directions they have established for their futures.
"They are examples of the strength of this program and how it has been able to endure for 16 years," he said.
Event organizers said while many youth today see the violence in both counties, they learn that gaining education and training will help them succeed in their lives. Mentors help steer youth to succeed in their future endeavors.
Warren Harding graduate Deryck Toles is the founder of the nonprofit, with the gala raising funds to allow for programs to continue.