FANNIE LOU HAMER INSTITUTE

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Fannie Lou Hamer Institute fosters understanding, respect, and civic engagement among other leaders. Leadership development expands the capacity of individuals to perform leadership roles within organizations. Leadership roles facilitate the execution of a strategy by building alignment and growing the capabilities of others. In the Fannie Lou Hamer Institute, students will participate in workshops, community service activities, team-building exercises, meetings with community leaders, and leadership development activities. The Fannie Lou Hamer Institute is a (4) month leadership program beginning the 2022-2023 academic school year. Our primary focus is advocacy and social action.

For Brown Girls, Inc. believes that youth development is a process that prepares a young person to meet the challenges of adolescence and adulthood and achieve his or her full potential. Youth development will be promoted through activities and experiences that help youth develop social, ethical, emotional, physical, and cognitive competencies. 

 Interested youth scholars must be:

• U.S. Citizen - based on the guidelines utilized by the U.S. Department of Education for Federal Financial Aid eligibility
• Current high school students attending a school in Jackson Metro Area are classified as a sophomore and junior in the upcoming academic school year.
• Cumulative academic GPA of 2.5
• Minority status is a significant factor in acceptance decisions

 The Fannie Lou Hamer Institute is committed to creating positive environments that empower, inspire, and educate all teens to discover and maximize their unique leadership potential and embrace everyone's diversity and equal value.

"Never to forget where we came from and always praise the bridges that carried us over." ~ Fannie Lou Hamer

For Brown Girls, Inc. Program Goals:

Physical development

• Good health habits
• Good health risk management skills

Intellectual development

• Critical thinking and reasoning skills
• Knowledge of essential life and vocational skills
• Good decision-making skills
• School success
• In-depth knowledge of more than one culture

Psychological and emotional development

• Strong moral character
• Positive personal and social identity
• Good emotional self-regulation skills 
• Good conflict resolution skills
• Mastery motivation and positive achievement
• Confidence in one's efficacy
• Sense of personal autonomy
• Optimism coupled with realism
• Prosocial and culturally sensitive values

Social development

• Perceived good relationships and trust with parents, peers, and some other adults
• Sense of social place/integration
• Ability to navigate in multiple cultural contexts
• Commitment to civic engagement

Introducing the Fannie Lou Hamer Institute as our new initiative will recognize youths' strengths and promote positive development rather than address isolation risks. Youth who are constructively involved in learning and doing and connected to positive adults and peers are less likely to engage in risky or self-defeating behaviors.

As children move through their developmental stages, they acquire a set of personal assets or supports that help them face the challenges and opportunities ahead. These assets allow youth to become resilient. Their ability to thrive depends significantly on the support and assistance from the people and institutions around them. 

Providing the conditions for positive youth development is a responsibility shared by families, schools, and communities. The requirements for healthy youth development reside in families, schools, and communities. For Brown Girls, Inc. will promote healthy youth development by:

• advocating for youth
• monitoring youths' behavior
• modeling positive, responsible, and healthy behavior
• youth model positive, trustworthy, and healthy behavior

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." 

~John Quincy Adams

Youth leadership is part of the youth development process. It supports the young person in developing: (a) the ability to analyze his or her strengths and weaknesses, set personal and vocational goals, and have the self-esteem, confidence, motivation, and skills to carry them out, including the ability to establish support networks to participate in community life fully and affect positive social change; and (b) the ability to guide or direct others on a course of action, influence the opinions and behaviors of others, and serve as a role model.