This article was written by Brianna Lindahl, Power of People Leadership Institute staff and Susan Curnow Breedlove, Henry High Community Liaison
Aspiring biologists, multimedia animators and entrepreneurs recently gathered in the
Patrick Henry High School cafeteria. It was recruiting day for Girls Taking Action and Boys of Hope.
Girls Taking Action (GTA) and Boys of Hope (BOH) are the Power of People Leadership Institute (POPLI) Youth Programs that mentor middle school and high school girls and boys. Youth are mentored on a weekly basis and taught how to use their personal power through career development, mentorship, leadership training and activities.
GTA has been at Henry since 2008 when the then girls’ basketball coach, Cynthia Coleman, asked Dr. Verna to bring the program to PH. “I believe everyone was put on this earth for good,” said Dr. Verna Cornelia Price, Co-Founder of POPLI. “Through Girls Taking Action you’re going to see so many different women. You’re going to get to go so many different places. You’re going to get to do so many different things. You’re going to get out of this school and go to corporations, go to colleges, go to places, go to do things, and get a vision for who you want to be.”
GTA has a 15-year history with Patrick Henry, and this year they are launching their BOH program for the first time, with a goal to recruit 25 students for each program. When asked why she was excited to return to the GTA program this year, Henry senior Tahira, said she was excited to see her mentor, Ms. Felicia.
“It was a success from the beginning,” said Dr. Verna. From 2008-2020, the program impacted 700 girls. “The girls were all in it,” Dr. Verna said. GTA caused a positive change at Henry. Girls who were fighting every day started getting along. Girls who were failing classes, started passing them.
GTA’s success has created a full-circle legacy of successful Henry graduates. Shadow Rolan is a Henry alum who holds a master’s degree and is the director of multicultural development at Metro State. Mary Davis, a first-generation college student, works for the office of Black Student Achievement for Minneapolis Public Schools while she pursues her masters at the UMN. Henry alum Alexus Emory studied education and is an elementary math teacher. Alumnus Savannah Joy holds a masters and works at the UMN Research Center; she wants to be a lead mentor for GTA at Henry.
“I think Patrick Henry is loaded with incredibly gifted young people,” Dr. Verna said. “We bring a way for them to explore that brilliance and connect them to professionals who they can see and want to be like. The raw talent is there in that school.”
POPLI Youth Programs are always looking for community mentors and professionals to be speakers or career coaches at Henry. If you are interested in getting involved, contact 763-535-5711 or popli-frontoffice@jcama.com.