By Erin Meade
On Thursday, December 8th, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States joined the Baltimore Office for Promotion of the Arts (BoPA) to celebrate the graduation of the very first class of Light City Teen Scholars. The 12 outstanding students participated in a ceremony with their families, mentors, and internship hosts. These future leaders of Baltimore have inspired each other and the adults working with them throughout the year. In addition, as one of the scholars said at graduation, they “have found a home with one another.”
As a sponsor of the inaugural Baltimore Light City Festival this year, Kaiser Permanente joined BoPA to create the Light City Teen Scholars Program. The 10-month program included an internship and mentorship program along with personal and professional development workshops. The scholars also participated in a filmmaking workshop with a local non-profit organization dedicated to teaching media skills to teens. For their final project of the year, they created their own community-engagement campaign addressing self-care and depression among their peer groups. After the program, the scholars are awarded scholarships of up to $1,500 towards their continuing education.
“These 12 students have impressed all of us with their enthusiasm and dedication to learning,” said Kim Horn, President of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic “My Kaiser Permanente colleagues and I are so proud of their hard work, and we are excited to see them emerge as leaders in Baltimore.”
Kaiser Permanente is committed to advancing education and economic opportunity for the next generation of Baltimoreans. The Youth Leadership Program is a key component of this work, allowing the students to engage directly with area employers and business through internship, mentorship and other engagements. Kaiser Permanente will continue the program in 2017 with a new cohort of students, bringing the total to 22 students. If you or anyone you know would be willing to host an intern, be a mentor, or a provide a tour of your organization, please visit this site for more information: etpmidatlantic.org/?youthmentorship or contact Renana Fox (renana.y.fox@kp.org).
