Bridge Builders program sets out to encourage young leaders

PEARL, Miss. (WLBT) - A non-profit in Pearl is building the confidence of young people across the metro.

Part of its mission is to help students become the best leaders in their communities.

“Everybody says be considerate of each other. Be considerate of each other.”

Young minds are learning about team building.

Students in grades 6 through 12 are part of the after school program Bridge Builders Leadership Initiative.

“Those teenage years are critical for young people. We want to make sure we as adults are investing the time to put into them the character, the skills, the development and leadership qualities they’ll need.”

Pastor Jamane Williams is co-founder of the non-profit.

Every week, teams break out into different sessions and talk about self-esteem integrity and other topics.

“We teach the children to build each other up, and we teach them to build out in the community. So building themselves up they learn new things to make them a better person and in turn they’ll go out in the community and build the community up.”

Kenydi O’Neal,11, is glad she signed up for the program.

She’s learning about certain qualities that are not taught at school.

“It teaches you how to be trustworthy, forgive and forget and it teaches you a lot of different things.”

Other students echo that same sentiment.

Proving that Bridge Builders is certainly connecting and could possibly have a generational impact.

“It means the world to me to know that the sacrifices that we are making an impact in them that will not only affect their lives but eventually their children’s lives.”

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