Teens met with Ohio Supreme Court Justice Sharon L. Kennedy.

The summer of 2020 did not look the same for Angela Bennett's Public Safety Career Pipeline Program with the Cleveland Police Foundation. "We usually host 60 teens, but in order to maintain social distancing, we had to reduce the group to 20," says Bennett. That also meant no group bonding or team building activities like a field trip to a rope course.

Despite the challenges that COVID-19 presented, Bennett and her colleagues found ways to pull off an enriching summer while staying safe. Fifteen of the 20 teens were returning from last summer, so they knew the culture and were able to mentor the five new participants.

The program pivoted this year to be remote for two days and in-person three days. On the remote days, groups of four were challenged to identify a social determinant of health and research and develop some solutions to the problems they identified. As a part of the program, every student was enrolled in a Microsoft Office PowerPoint Certification course. To apply the knowledge they gained from the training, the teens were required to create their presentation in PowerPoint and present it virtually to judges.

“These students were serious! They created a program on Zoom etiquette. They dressed professionally from the waist up for their presentations. They were supportive of each other and gave constructive feedback on each other’s work.”

— Angela Bennett

The teens also took part in several enriching activities designed to help them with personal development and wellness. These included:

Future Plans Career Assessment Program and One-on-One Coaching Community service project where they painted an art mural for the St. Francis Elementary School community garden. The mural represents peace, unity, and human connection
Our Voices Matter workshops with Recovery Resources, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, and DigitalC's Brand Ambassadors addressing topics, such as healthy relationships, consent, healing from trauma, and toxic masculinity
Through the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Officers (NOBLE), students engaged with Sergeant Charmin Leon on the topic of "Advocacy and Finding Your Lane."
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland workshops on financial literacy topics, such as budgeting and credit

A cookout on the last day wrapped up the Public Safety Career Pipeline Program. Winners of the capstone health disparities presentation received prizes, and gift cards were passed out to those who completed the Microsoft credential program.

Bennett says, "We were committed to maintain the integrity of the program no matter the challenges. I appreciate the help of the Y.O.U. job coach and Community Partner Specialist Caleb Hicks for keeping us up-to-date, being honest and forthcoming, and helping us make this year happen. I also want to thank the Cleveland Browns, KeyBank, and the City of Cleveland for sponsoring the program."

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