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WE ARE SO EXCITED TO HAVE YOU HERE TODAY IN THE LEGACY ROOM AT CITY HALL.MY NAME'S AISHA LEVINE SKINNER, AND I'M FROM BLANTON CT HIGH SCHOOL.
I AM KO AND I ATTEND THE KIN K SCHOOL ASIA, AND I ARE BOTH CITY OF HOUSTON YOUTH AMBASSADORS AND WE'LL BE YOUR HOST FOR TODAY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US AS WE CELEBRATE THE INCREDIBLE WORK AND BOLD IDEAS OF HOUSTON YOUTH.
PLEASE WELCOME HOUSTON METAPHOR UPSTAGE.
SORRY, I JUST, WE'RE WAITING FOR LIKE SUPER LATE, SO WE'RE GETTING STARTED WITH THE POETRY.
I AM THE ASSISTANT COACH OF METAPHOR HOUSTON.
IT IS A SLAM HU A SLAM POETRY TEAM BASED IN HOUSTON, UH, WHERE WE TAKE THE TOP SIX POETS FROM AROUND THE CITY AND THEY ARE PULLED INTO A SLAM TEAM TO COMPETE IN A NATIONAL POETRY COMPETITION WHERE THIS YEAR'S COMPETITION WILL BE IN MADISON, WISCONSIN IN JULY.
BEFORE THAT, WE WILL BE IN A REGIONAL, COMING UP NEXT WEEKEND, ACTUALLY JUNE 19TH THROUGH THE 21ST, WHERE WE WILL HAVE WORKSHOPS FOR THE YOUTH.
WE WILL HAVE, UM, OPEN MICS AND SLAMS. WE WILL BE COMPETING AGAINST HAMPTON ROADS, UM, ON THE 21ST WILL BE THE SLAM, WILL BE THE ACTUAL SLAM.
UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU A, A LITTLE, LITTLE SNIPPET OF WHAT WE DO, WE WILL HAVE PERFORMANCES CURRENTLY.
UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU A BACKGROUND METAPHOR, HOUSTON IS THE SLAM TEAM.
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS IS THE PARENT COMPANY, UM, WHERE WE INSERT CREATIVE WRITING TEACHERS INTO THE SCHOOLS TO ENCOURAGE THE YOUTH TO HAVE ANOTHER AVENUE OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION.
UH, WE TRY NOT TO LIMIT THE FELLOWS TO WHAT THEY CAN SAY.
WE LIKE TO HAVE IT WHERE THEY ARE EXPRESSIVE.
I WAS ON THE TEAM BACK IN 2017 WHEN I WAS A YOUTH.
SO IT IS FULL CIRCLE FOR ME TO BE UP HERE AS THE ASSISTANT COACH JUST TO GIVE BACK TO THESE FELLOWS.
IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO LISTEN TO THE YOUTH, TO LISTEN TO THEIR MESSAGE AND TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO BE WHO THEY ARE THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFE.
INTRODUCING ONE OF OUR FEW FELLOWS TO DO A PIECE.
WE HAVE DIVYA COMING TO THE STAGE.
IF Y'ALL COULD PLEASE GIVE THE ENERGY BACK THAT Y'ALL RECEIVE.
IF Y'ALL HEAR SOMETHING Y'ALL LIKE, Y'ALL COULD CLAP.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, PLEASE BUILD Y'ALL'S ENERGY FOR DIVYA.
YOU HAVE BEEN DRAFTED FOR SERVICE IN THE WAR ON YOUTH.
NON-COMPLIANCE WILL RESULT IN DETENTION, DEDUCTION, OR DELETION OF YOUR FUTURE.
EVERY AUGUST I REPORT FOR DUTY RISE AT OH 600 MARCH IN HALLWAYS LINED WITH LOCKERS LIKE BUNKERS, BACKPACK, HEAVY LIKE ARMOR PEN AT THE READY PENCIL SHARPENED LIKE BAYONETS.
I SKULK OVER SCANTRONS AND WORRY ABOUT THE CLICK OF LANDMINES.
ONE WRONG SLIP OF THE GRAPHITE.
I'VE LOST FRIENDS TO BURNOUT, PEERS WHO'VE DISAPPEARED UNDER PILES OF PAPER.
I'VE SEEN SOLDIERS FALL IN THE HALLWAY.
THE BATHROOM STALLS ARE LINED WITH TEARS.
WE BLEED ANXIETY AND MEDICATE INTO SILENCE.
WE KNOW STUDENT IDS AREN'T FOR SAFETY, BUT RATHER HOW THEY IDENTIFY THE FALLEN.
THEY HOLD FUNERALS FOR THE FAILED, FOR THE FINALLY FREE FOR THE FINALLY GRADUATED.
EXCEPT LEARNING SHOULD BE LIBERATION.
WE'RE TRAINED AS SOLDIERS, BUT WE'RE ONLY STUDENTS.
WHEN WILL THE WORLD REALIZE WE AREN'T MADE TO FIGHT THE ENEMY? NO.
WE'RE MADE TO FIGHT FOR OUR FUTURE.
THIS CLASSROOM WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE A BATTLEFIELD FIELD.
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TO BE A TEACHER IS TO WALK THE TIGHT ROPE OF TIME TO BALANCE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE ON YOUR SHOULDERS, AS IF YOU WERE BORN OF THEM BECAUSE YOU WERE BORN OF THEM.BECAUSE YOU ARE A BLANK CANVAS OF LIFE OVERFLOWING WITH WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE.
BECOMING BOTH MEDIATOR AND MENTOR ON TOO LITTLE A SALARY TO COVER ALL OF THE LOVE YOU HAVE WITHIN YOU.
TO BE A TEACHER IS TO BE CONSTANTLY LEARNING TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS SO MUCH THAT YOU DON'T KNOW AS YOU TRY YOUR BEST TO SHOW US THE WORLD STUCK IN A CLASSROOM AS YOU WATCHED YOUR STUDENTS GROW BEYOND IT.
YOU HELP US UNCOVER EVEN OUR WILDEST DREAMS, CONSTANTLY REMINDING US THAT THIS MUNDANE DAY TO DAY IS NOT ALL THERE IS TO BE SEEN.
TO BE A TEACHER IS TO BE A CREATOR OF EXPERIENCES OF INDIVIDUALS, OF FAMILIES.
WHILE YOU MAY THINK THAT IT'S THE POSTERS ON YOUR WALLS THAT MAKE YOUR ROOM THE PLACE TO BE, THE WAY YOU DECORATE OUR SOULS WITH KINDNESS, KINDNESS IS WHAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN REALITY.
TO BE A TEACHER IS TO BE MOTHER, FATHER, FRIEND AND FOE ALL WRAPPED INTO ONE, BUT LACKING THE BOW.
SOMEHOW YOU MANAGED TO KNOW YOUR STUDENTS BETTER THAN WE DO.
MANAGED TO UNDERSTAND THE STORMS WERE WEATHERING AND OFFER US REFUGE, WHICH IS WHY TO BE A TEACHER IS TO BE A GIFT AND IRREPLACEABLE HEIR BOOM.
AN INDISPENSABLE PASSAGEWAY TO A BETTER FUTURE THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW EXISTS.
TO BE A TEACHER IS TO BE OF MORE VALUE THAN YOU'RE GIVEN CREDIT FOR AND I'LL TRY MY BEST TO GIVE IT WITH THE REST OF THIS POEM.
BUT PLEASE KNOW THAT YOU DESERVE MORE, THAT YOU DESERVE THE WORLD AT YOUR FEET.
THE RESPECT YOU'VE BEEN LACKING IS NOT DUE TO A LACK OF ABILITY.
HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH AND REMAIN STRONG IN YOUR DIGNITY BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO YOU THAN WHAT MEETS THE EYE.
SEE, I KNOW THE JOB DOESN'T STOP WHEN THE CLOCK DOES, BUT RATHER KEEPS GOING UNTIL YOU HEAR THE NEXT ALARM BUZZ TO CUE YOU IN ON ANOTHER DAY OF ASSIGNMENTS WITH MEETINGS, PLANNING, PAPERWORK AND GUIDANCE.
I'M SURE THAT LUNCH BREAK GOSSIP THOUGH ON TV SEEMS EXCITING.
IT'S MORE STRESS THAN IT'S WORTH.
WHEN YOU'VE GOT SIX CLASSES WITH 70 DIFFERENT DUE DATES, THERE'S NOT MUCH TIME TO MEET UP WITH THE GIRLS TO TAKE A BREAK WITH THE GUIDES.
WHEN YOU CAN BARELY TAKE BACK YOUR OWN LIFE, I'M SURE THAT THE EXHAUSTION THAT RESTS IN YOUR BONES ONLY DEEPENS WHEN YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS GO UNKNOWN.
THE TRUTH IS, THIS IS NO ABBOTT ELEMENTARY.
YOU CAN'T LOOK AT THE CAMERAS AND CALL HOLD WHEN YOU NEED A BREAK.
THERE'S NO CROWD OF FANS SURROUNDING YOU TO SAY YOU'RE DOING GREAT.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE AND IN RETURN FOR YOUR HARD WORK, MY HEART, YOU'VE WON.
SO TO MY TEACHERS, TO MY MENTORS, MY PARENTS AND MY FRIENDS, I SAY THANK YOU.
YOU'VE SHOWN ME THAT THIS LIFE IS SOMETHING WORTH VALUE.
SO LONG AS I LEARN TO LEARN AND LOVE LIKE YOU DO.
CAN WE GIVE IT UP ONE MORE TIME FOR THE POSE? COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, COME ON.
COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, COME ON.
OKAY, AGAIN, TO EMPHASIZE NEXT WEEKEND, SPACE CITY SLAM IS FOR Y'ALL WHO ARE HERE RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS.
WE HAVE ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF WORKSHOPS, DIFFERENT TYPE OF OPEN MICS.
EVEN IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE A POET, PLEASE SHOW UP AND SHOW OUT BECAUSE IT IS FOR Y'ALL.
IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY CON, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ANY CONCERNS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO OUR OUTREACH COORDINATOR.
HE IS HERE WITH HIS HAND RAISED.
WE CAN GET Y'ALL HIS CONFIRMA, HIS CONTACT INFORMATION.
Y'ALL JUST PLEASE COME SEE ME.
WE WILL GET ALL OF THAT INFORMATION TO Y'ALL.
Y'ALL WANNA HEAR WE FEEDING? I'M TALKING ABOUT WE FEEDING Y'ALL.
Y'ALL GOT UP TO, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MANY MEALS WE HAVE.
Y'ALL JUST PLEASE COME WITH A OPEN MIND AND WANT TO LEARN AND BE CREATIVE YOUNG PEOPLE.
CAN WE COMMIT TO THAT? DO Y'ALL, DID THAT SOUND GOOD? COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, COME ON.
Y'ALL WANNA HEAR SOME MORE? YEAH.
SO WE HAVE TWO MORE, UH, POETS COMING UP.
FELLOWS, LET'S, THEY ARE FELLOWS.
WE, THIS IS ACTUALLY A FELLOWSHIP AND IT'S NOT JUST A SIMPLE SHOW UP IN YOU ON A TEAM.
THEY HAVE TO COMPETE TO BE HERE.
THEY HAVE TO WORK THEIR BEHINDS OFF TO BE HERE.
IT TAKES SO MUCH TO GET UP ON THIS STAGE AND SPIT YOUR HEART OUT AND EVEN WRITE ABOUT ANYTHING THAT YOU FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT.
SO TO SEE THESE YOUNG PEOPLE UP HERE DOING THIS, IT SHOULD BE INSPIRING NO MATTER HOW OLD YOU ARE.
SO PLEASE BUILD THAT ENERGY BACK UP.
FOR CHRISTINA AND HERMA AND EVICTION NOTICE S MI IS CODED IN WHITE.
PAINT THE MEMORY OF WHAT ONCE WAS PUERTO RICO SCRAPED FROM THE WALLS REPLACED BY SHINY BUILDINGS.
A LIFE THAT WAS NEVER MEANT FOR US.
I HAVEN'T SEEN SOMEONE WHO SPEAKS
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WITH MY CADENCE SINCE I ARRIVED IN HOUSTON.I SEE TWO WORLDS WHEN I TURN MY HEAD LEFT AND RIGHT.
ONE HAS PEOPLE WITH OPEN ARMS, THE OTHER USES ARMS TO CAUSE HARM ON LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES.
GENTRIFIERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THE PRICE SPIKES, BUT THIS TOURIST TRAP IS SELF INFLICTED.
LUPITA BOUGHT A NEW BUILDING FOR ENA, BUT IT'LL SOON BE WHITEWASHED BY A RESTAURANT THAT SELLS OVERPRICED TACO MADE BY UNDERPAID HANDS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO DONITA DOWN THE STREET, BUT I STOPPED HEARING THE SQUEAK OF THE FRONT DOOR EVERY MORNING.
TOTON LASTING FROM A HONDA CIVIC AS IT'S BED AWAY FROM A STREET THAT WAS NO LONGER HERS.
OUR PEOPLE WALK IN THEIR HOMETOWNS WONDERING HOW THEY CAN CONTINUE LIVING ON A CORNER CORRUPTED BY CONTRACTORS, BROKEN INTO BY BROKERS, DESTROYED BY DEVELOPERS WHERE PEOPLE KEEP BEING EVICTED TO MAKE ROOM FOR LUXURY HOUSING.
ESCAPING THE HOOD TAKES ON A NEW MEANING.
WHEN THE CITY TRADES HOODIES FOR CARDIGANS, YOU MAKE US STRANGERS IN OUR OWN CITIES.
THE WELCOME MAT OF MY CHILDHOOD HOME SAYS GENTRIFIERS ONLY MY ENTIRE LIFE STRIPPED AWAY.
BY A 30 DAY NOTICE, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TURNED INTO GRAVEYARDS INTO CONSTRUCTION SITES.
PROJECTS TURNED TO PARADISE FOR FOREIGNERS WITH MONEY.
GHETTOS BECOME GETAWAYS FOR MILLIONAIRES BECAUSE WE WERE BORN BURIED UNDER THE FOUNDATION THAT WAS MADE FOR THE OPPRESSOR.
OUR HOME SOLD BEFORE WE KNEW THE
THE CONTRACT ON OUR LIVES WAS UP.
HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GROW OUR MUSTARD SEEDS TO MOVE THE MODERN HOUSING THAT SURROUNDS US WHEN WE CAN'T HAVE FAITH IN HOUSTON? MY PARENTS TRAVELED HOURS SITTING ON TOP OF BEAST TRAINS HOPING TO NURTURE A SEED.
YEAH, OUR ROOTS CHOKE US FROM PAST COLONIALISM.
HOW EASY WAS IT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM TO DISMISS US TO BELIEVE PEOPLE WERE THE SAME? THE MOMENT WE STARTED SPEAKING, WE GREW IN DIFFERENT CITIES.
NO MATTER THE SUNLIGHT, WE NEED THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT SATISFY US.
FIND A WAY TO MAKE OUR BRANCHES COME TOGETHER TO FORM TRAUMA BONDS.
WHETHER YOU WANT TO MOVE AND GROOVE TO SALSA OR MARIMBA, WE HAVE SOMETHING HERE FOR YOU.
COME CATCH A TAN, APPLY A ZOO AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE LOCALS BOTHERING YOU.
PLEASE GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR MAY.
I MEAN, WHAT AM I DOING? ALRIGHT, START AGAIN.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, ED TALKS IS A PLATFORM FOR YOUTH-LED INNOVATION WHERE WE TAKE BIG IDEAS AND PAIR THEM WITH REAL WORLD ISSUES AND IMAGINE BOTH SOLUTIONS THAT UPLIFT YOUTH VOICES AND IMPROVE THE LIFE OF ESTONIANS.
OVER THE PAST YEARS, WE'VE LEARNED, GROWN AND LED PROJECTS ACROSS THE CITY.
AND TODAY YOU'LL GET TO SEE JUST A FEW OF THE POWERFUL IDEAS OUR FELLOW CITY OF HOUSTON YOUTH AMBASSADORS HAVE DEVELOPED NOW, WHO IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON AMBASSADORS PROGRAM.
IT'S A YOUNG GROUP OF CHANGE MAKERS FROM BARRY SISTERS ACROSS HOUSTON WHO COME TOGETHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN A YOUTH LOCAL COMMUNITY, DO COMMITTEES.
ONE THING I LOVED ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS HOW IT ALLOWED ME TO FIND MY VOICE TO SPEAK UP AND TO BECOME THE WOMAN WHO I AM TODAY.
C-O-H-A-Y-A GAVE US THE
NOW IT'S OUR HONOR TO WELCOME SOMEONE WHO LEADS BY EXAMPLE, CARER HOUSTON YOUTH, AND SHOWS UP FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
PLEASE HELP US WELCOME THE MAYOR OF HOUSTON.
DO YOU WANT ME TO START BROWN? OKAY.
AND SO BEFOREHAND, MY FELLOW YOUTH AMBASSADORS WHO ARE HERE TODAY, COME JOIN US TO COME TAKE A PICTURE WITH THE MAYOR.
AND I THOUGHT Y'ALL WANTED MY SIGNATURE
HOW Y'ALL, WELL HOW ARE Y'ALL? WHAT THE HELL DID IT SAY ON THE FRONT?
[00:15:13]
WOW.WHEN I LEFT THE HOUSE THIS MORNING, I KNEW THIS WAS ON MY SCHEDULE, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW EXCITED I WOULD BE TO BE WATCHING TALK ED AND LISTENING AND MEETING.
UH, THE ADVISORS, MISS AVERA, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING FRIENDS IN REAL TIME.
THIS IS NOT JUST AN EVENT OR GRADUATION OR COMPLETION.
WE ARE SEEING WHAT MAKES HOUSTON SUCH A GREAT CITY.
I DON'T THINK THEY'RE HAVING A PROGRAM LIKE THIS IN OTHER MAJOR CITIES.
'CAUSE FIRST OF ALL, THEY'RE PRETTY BUSY WITH A LOT OF TURMOIL IN OTHER CITIES, WHICH WE REGRET.
BUT WE'RE MAKING A STATEMENT THIS MORNING.
WE'RE NOT ONLY THINKING THE PARTICIPANTS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS.
AND I'M GONNA STOP RIGHT HERE AND SAY, THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE ACADEMY.
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF MORE RESPONSIBILITY BY EACH OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE.
IF THERE'S NOT A FUTURE MAYOR, GOVERNOR, OR PRESIDENT AMONG YOU, I'M GONNA BE REALLY DISAPPOINTED.
SO WE'RE MAKING A STATEMENT THIS MORNING ABOUT WHO WE ARE AS A CITY, A CITY GOVERNMENT.
AND WE KNOW WE LIVE IN A GREAT CITY WITH GREAT PEOPLE.
WE ALSO KNOW WE HAVE CHALLENGES, BUT WE'RE MEETING OUR CHALLENGES.
AND THAT'S WHAT REALLY BRINGS US TOGETHER TODAY.
THE CHALLENGE IS TO ENGAGE THESE BRIGHT, DIVERSE YOUNG PEOPLE AND SEND THEM OUT IN OUR COMMUNITIES TO HELP OTHERS, TO RECRUIT OTHERS INTO NEXT YEAR'S ACADEMY.
SO, YOU KNOW, LEMME GIVE YOU A PERSONAL STORY.
WE NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GONNA CHANGE OUR LIVES FOREVER.
HOPEFULLY THIS EXPERIENCE WILL HAVE AN IMPACT.
AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE AND EXPOSURE TO GOVERNMENT DID FOR ME.
I HAD ALREADY SHOWN AN INTEREST IN, IN GOVERNMENT, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE MONEY TO TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON DC BUT A FRIEND OF MINE'S CLASSMATES, GRANDPARENTS, WERE GONNA TAKE HIM TO WASHINGTON IN THE SUMMER OF 1963.
THEIR SON HAD GONE TO MED SCHOOL AND WAS WORKING AT THE WALTER REED, WHICH IS THE MILITARY HOSPITAL IN WASHINGTON, DC.
DIDN'T, DIDN'T FLY NECESSARILY IN THOSE DAYS.
AND THEY ASKED ME TO GO 'CAUSE THEY WANTED THEIR GRANDSON, WHO WAS MY CLASSMATE, TO HAVE A COMPANION.
LONG TRIP TO DC I THINK WE STAYED IN TWO DIFFERENT HOTELS, MOTELS IS WHAT WE CALLED 'EM BACK THEN.
FIRST OF ALL, I LEARNED ABOUT SOCIETY AND JOHN F. KENNEDY HAD BEEN TRAGICALLY KILLED IN DALLAS JUST LESS THAN A YEAR BEFORE.
WE SAW AS WE CROSSED AND WENT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE US THE BIAS AGAINST DALLAS.
'CAUSE THEY WERE KIND OF BLAMING THE COMMUNITY FOR THAT TRAGEDY.
BUT ANYWAY, I HAD THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME AND I'VE GOT SOME POSTCARDS THAT I WROTE BACK HOME TO MY BROTHER WHO WAS FOUR YEARS OLDER.
AND MY PARENTS, YOU CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT THE CAPITAL LOOKED LIKE.
I'VE NEVER SEEN A BUILDING OF THAT STATUTE.
THEN I ENDED UP, THE LAST LINE SAID, IT MAKES YOU WANT TO BE A SENATOR.
SO FOLKS, I SPENT 40 YEARS IN THE STATE SENATE.
SO TODAY I HOPE YOU'LL SEND SOMEBODY A NOTE OR TELL YOUR PARENTS, YOUR SIBLINGS, YOUR CLASSMATES, THAT YOUR EXPOSURE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE ACADEMY MAKES YOU WANT TO BE THE MAYOR, MAKES YOU WANNA BE THE MAYOR OR
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GOVERNOR.THIS IS WHAT THE ACADEMY IS ALL ABOUT.
AND SO THERE'S SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE HERE TODAY, THE SUCCESS OF OUR CITY, THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND I CAN'T LET YOU KNOW ONE, THE RESPONSIBILITY.
YOU NOW HAVE HUNDREDS OF OTHER CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE WANTED IN THIS PROGRAM.
SO NOW YOU'VE SUCCESSFULLY BEEN EXPOSED TO CITY GOVERNMENT.
YOU'VE OBVIOUSLY DESCRIBED SOME OF THE CHALLENGES TO THESE JUDGES.
SO NOW I'M GONNA TELL YOU ONE MORE LESSON THAT IMPACTS ME DAILY.
WHEN I WAS IN AUSTIN A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I WAS INVITED TO THE LBJ LIBRARY.
IT WAS THE FIFTH, FIFTH ANNIVERSARY.
PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS A SPEAKER THERE.
AGAIN, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GONNA TO EXPOSE YOU TO, TO, TO DECISIONS IN YOUR LIFE.
HE WAS TALKING ABOUT LBJ AND WHAT THE LIBRARY STOOD FOR.
AND HE CITED A BOLD DECISION BY LBJ.
NOW, LBJ HAD BEEN A STATE, NOT A STATE SENATOR, A US SENATOR FOR YEARS.
VERY POWERFUL, BECAME THE VICE PRESIDENT WITH PRESIDENT KENNEDY.
THE TRAGEDY OF THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT KENNEDY MADE HIM THE PRESIDENT.
NOW, LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE BETTER FEEL FOR THIS.
SOUTHERNER FROM TEXAS WAS A SEGREGATIONIST.
HE BALANCED A TICKET WITH PRESIDENT KENNEDY FOR SOMEONE THAT COULD DELIVER ELECTORAL VOTES ACROSS THE SOUTH.
BUT OUR SOCIETY WAS MUCH, MUCH DIFFERENT.
PRESIDENT KENNEDY HAD BEEN WORKING WITH MARTIN LUTHER KING TO COME UP WITH THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT, WHICH WOULD TRANSFORM AMERICA.
AND IT'S MADE HUGE DIFFERENCES.
WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
BUT PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS TELLING THIS PACKED HOUSE AT THE LIBRARY ABOUT ONE OF THE DECISIONS THAT PRESIDENT JOHNSON MADE.
SO HE HAD A HISTORY OF REPRESENTING THE SOUTH, BEING A SEGREGATIONIST, REPRESENTING SOCIETY IN TEXAS BACK WHEN HE WAS PRIMARILY THE SENATOR IN THE FIFTIES.
SO THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT HAD BEEN COMPLETED.
AND ALL OF HIS ADVISORS SAY, MR. PRESIDENT, IF YOU SIGN THAT ACT, YOU'LL NEVER GET REELECTED.
AND PRESIDENT OBAMA SAID THAT LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON LOOKED UP AT HIS ADVISORS AND SAID, WHY BE PRESIDENT IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO SOMETHING BOLD? AND YOU KNOW WHAT? WE HAVE THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT AND HE GOT REELECTED AND SOCIETY IS BETTER FOR IT.
SO I ACTUALLY ABSORBED THAT MESSAGE.
AND I THINK ABOUT, I WASN'T LOOKING TO BE MAYOR.
I WAS HAPPY IN AUSTIN BEING A STATE SENATOR, MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
BUT I WAS ASKED BY HOUSTONIANS TO COME MEET SOME OF OUR CHALLENGES, HELP FIX HOUSTON, PUBLIC SAFETY, INFRASTRUCTURE, HEALTHCARE, AFFORDABILITY.
I CAN GO THROUGH THE LIST OF THINGS THAT I WAS ASKED TO HELP HOUSTON WITH.
AND SOME DAYS, HOW ABOUT A RECENT EXAMPLE? WE'VE HAD TWO MARTIN LUTHER KING PARADES FOR THE LAST 32 YEARS.
AND I'M TELLING YOU THESE STORIES 'CAUSE I WANT YOU TO ABSORB IT AND LEAVE OUTTA HERE AND SAY, I'M READY TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS.
I WAS TOLD LAST YEAR WHEN I LEARNED WHY WE HAVE TWO MARTIN LUTHER KING PARADES, BECAUSE TWO ORGANIZATIONS CANNOT GET TOGETHER TO HONOR MARTIN LUTHER KING.
SAN ANTONIO HAS A LARGER PARADE IN CELEBRATION THAN HOUSTON.
AND I SAID, WHOA, WE CAN'T CONTINUE THAT.
SO I WENT TO BOTH PARADES LAST WINTER, IT WAS COLD, AND I COMMITTED MYSELF TO MAKING THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS SIT DOWN AND HAVE ONE UNITY PARADE.
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BY PEOPLE IN MY OFFICE, LEAVE IT ALONE,BUT I KNEW IT WAS NOT HONORING DR. KING WITH A UNITY PARADE.
IT WAS UNSAFE BECAUSE WE WERE SPREADING OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TOO THIN.
THEY COULDN'T BE AT TWO PARADES.
IT WAS EXPENSIVE AND IT DIVIDED OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WHAT DID I DO? I TOLD 'EM THE DAY OF THAT PARADE, THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN.
AND I WASN'T WORRIED ABOUT THE NEXT ELECTION.
I KNEW IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
SO I TELL YOU MY SMALL EXAMPLE OF BEING BOLD, PRESIDENT JOHNSON'S MAJOR DECISION OF BEING BOLD.
SO HERE'S THE CHALLENGE, YOUNG PEOPLE, YOU GOTTA BE BOLD AND YOU'LL GET, YOU'LL HAVE CRITICS, BUT ONE, IT FEELS REALLY, REALLY GOOD TO BE BOLD BECAUSE YOU GET TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE IT MAKES.
AND SO I HOPE THIS EXPERIENCE IS GIVING YOU AN APPETITE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.
AND LET ME JUST, ALSO, I KEEP SAYING I'M GONNA CLOSE, BUT I'M, I'M, I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE.
WHETHER YOU'RE EVER ON THE BALLOT OR NOT, YOU'RE A PUBLIC SERVANT.
EVERYONE THAT CAN HEAR MY VOICE TODAY, I BELIEVE IS A PUBLIC SERVANT.
WHETHER YOU'RE EVER ELECTED TO ANYTHING, AND I DO BELIEVE SOMEDAY WE'RE ALL GONNA BE JUDGED.
WHAT DID YOU DO WITH YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE? SO YOU'VE GOT YOUR LIFE IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU HAVE WONDERFUL SUPPORT SYSTEM.
YOU'RE SMART, YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY.
SO TAKE THE BATON AND RUN WITH IT AND DO SOMETHING BOLD.
IF YOU DO THAT, I WILL HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
CERTAINLY MISS OLIVERA AND ALL OF YOUR SPONSORS, OUR JUDGES AND EVERYONE PARTICIPATED, AND THEN HELP US RECRUIT YOUNG PEOPLE GOING FORWARD.
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOUR PLANS FOR FURTHERING YOUR EDUCATION AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
AND WHAT I WAS TELLING MS. OLIVER THIS MORNING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, THE SCHEDULE IS, BUT ABOUT A YEAR FROM NOW, I WANT TO HEAR FROM EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
MAYBE YOU'LL COME TO THE COMPLETION OF THE NEXT CLASS.
I WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU DID WITH THIS GREAT EXPERIENCE AND LESSONS THAT YOU'VE BEEN LEARNING WITH THAT SAID, LET'S GO TO WORK.
AND MS. OLIVER WAS IN MY OFFICE EARLY THIS MORNING.
AND, UH, IT JUST, IT JUST, WE ALL FEED OFF EACH OTHER, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO CLOSE.
AGAIN,
YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT DEPARTMENTS, FIRE POLICE, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
WE THOUGHT YESTERDAY WE WERE GONNA HAVE A LARGER STORM THAN WE DID.
WE GOT ACTIVE PROTESTS TOMORROW, WHICH WE INVITE PEOPLE TO EXPRESS THEMSELF PEACEFULLY.
SO I DEAL WITH A LOT OF CHALLENGES.
DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY IDEA HOW I NEED A DAY LIKE TODAY TO SEE SOMETHING? I'M, I'M GETTING TO PARTICIPATE IN SOMETHING THAT IS WORKING AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
AND IT JUST, LIKE I SAID WHEN I STARTED, THIS IS LIVING PROOF OF WHY HOUSTON IS SUCH A GREAT CITY.
I SAW THAT DOG WHEN I WALKED IN HERE.
PLEASE JOIN US IN WELCOMING HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ.
UM, UH, JUST, I JUST WANNA SAY FIRST AND FOREMOST, UM, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE A HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL
[00:30:01]
MEMBER.I GOT THE EXPERIENCE, UH, A GREAT, UM, VIRTUAL MEETING THAT WE HAD ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, MAYBE A MONTH AND A HALF AGO, WITH THIS YOUNG GROUP OF, UH, OF INDIVIDUALS.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS, I WAS ABLE TO SEE WHAT HOUSTON IS DEFINITELY GONNA CONTINUE TO BECOME.
UH, IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT DIVERSE GROUP OF, UH, YOUNG FOLKS THAT REALLY HAVE A PASSION FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH THEM ON, AND I WAS JUST TALKING TO 'EM, WHERE, WHERE WE AT WITH THE UPDATES, UM, IS A YOUTH CONFERENCE.
AND THE YOUTH CONFERENCE THAT, THAT WE WANNA FOCUS ON IS REALLY HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE YOUNG FOLKS IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS OF, OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OR JUST GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL.
UH, SOMETIMES WE HAVE THIS, UH, THIS, THIS, UH, PERCEPTION THAT GOVERNMENT IS KIND OF ARM LENGTH AWAY FROM FOLKS.
UH, THE WAY I'VE BEEN RUNNING MY, MY OFFICE WITH MY TEAM IS THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE.
UH, MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT THIS GOVERNMENT, UH, THAT WE WORK, WE WORK AT IT AT LOCAL LEVEL, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HELP AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, THAT, UM, EVERYBODY'S VOICE MATTERS AS WELL.
AND SO I WAS HAPPY TO, UH, SPEND SOME TIME WITH THEM.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER VIRTUAL MEETING.
IT WAS A LATE EVENING, SO I'M GONNA JUST LET Y'ALL KNOW I WAS TIRED.
THERE WAS SOME FOLKS THAT WERE IN THE CHAT ROOM OR SAYING, MAN, THIS MAN IS TIRED.
UH, BUT IT WAS HONESTLY, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS, I WAS A BIT TIRED, IT WAS DEFINITELY WELL WORTH IT, WELL WORTH IT.
AND IT ACTUALLY LEFT ME WITH, UH, MORE ENERGY LEAVING, HONESTLY, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S JUST INSPIRING TO SEE YOUNG FOLKS DO THIS, THIS KIND OF WORK.
UM, I HISTORICALLY WAS MANAGING YOUTH PROGRAMS BEFORE, UH, WORKING AT THE CITY.
AND SO EMPOWERING YOUNG FOLKS, MAKING SURE THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THEIR WORTH IS, HOW TO CLAIM THEIR SPACE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, AFTER YOU DO THAT, WHAT IS THE WORK THAT YOU DO TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE IN A, IN A, IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU CAN BE HAPPY TO BE IN, UH, WITH OTHERS AS WELL.
IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I JUST, UH, STRIVE FOR AS WELL.
SO, UH, CONGRATULATIONS ON TODAY ON YOUR ED TALK.
UH, MAKE SURE THAT, UM, EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE, AND I'LL JUST SAY THIS, MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU'RE HERE, YOU TAKE THAT AND YOU SHARE THAT WITH OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE NOT HERE, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE.
UM, THERE'S HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YOUTH THAT ARE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND YOU'RE THE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE HERE.
AND SO YOU, YOU, IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY NOW TO TAKE THAT BACK TO WHERE YOU'RE FROM, WHATEVER NEIGHBORHOOD, AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE EMPOWERING OTHER FOLKS.
COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, FOR THOSE WORDS AND ENCOURAGEMENT AND BELIEVING IN THE VOICES OF YOU.
WE ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE A VERY SPECIAL GROUP THAT WILL BE HELPING US CHOOSE TODAY'S WINNING ED TALK.
PLEASE JOIN US IN WELCOMING OUR JUDGES.
FIRST UP WE HAVE JOEY SEG, INNOVATION CHALLENGES AND PROGRAMS MANAGER AT SPACE CENTRAL HOUSTON.
NEXT UP, NEXT UP WE HAVE IVONNE IPI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UNITED FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER SUCCESS, AND ALSO MARIANNE, JUAN JA SENIOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ASSOCIATE AT UNICEF.
JOINING US AS WELL IS BLAKE HELLER, PROFESSOR, PROFESSOR AT UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON'S HOBBY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
AND FINALLY, TED IRVING, WHO SERVES AS THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON TELEVISION.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND INVESTING YOUR TIME AND EXPERTISE.
WE'RE HONORED TO HAVE YOU HERE TO UPLIFT THE VOICES OF YOUTH.
AND NOW THE MOMENT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR OUR YOUTH ED TALK PRESENTATIONS.
EACH GROUP YOU'LL BE HEARING, HEARING FROM TODAY HAS WORKED HARD TO TACKLE ISSUES IMPACTING OUR CITY.
THINGS LIKE HEAT SAFETY, YOUTH HOMELESSNESS, AND EQUAL ACCESS TO COOLING RESOURCES.
EACH GROUP GETS FIVE MINUTES TO PRESENT, FOLLOWED BY QUICK Q AND A WITH THE AUDIENCE.
AFTER EACH TALK, WE'LL HAVE ABOUT THREE MINUTES TO RESET BEFORE THE NEXT GROUP.
READY TO BE INSPIRED, EVERYONE.
LET'S WELCOME THEM TO THE STAGE.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED WITH OUR FIRST PRESENTATION, I REALLY WANT TO GIVE A CHANCE FOR OUR PRESENTATION COACH, MS. LEGINA HARRIS, TO INTRODUCE HERSELF AND SHARE ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE.
I'M TRULY, TRULY GRATEFUL HER, GRATEFUL TO HER FOR EXTENDING HER TIME, HER EXPERTISE WITH ALL OF OUR YOUTH PRESENTERS TODAY.
THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAPPEN WITHOUT HER.
SO JUST THANK YOU AGAIN, AND IF NOTHING ELSE, I INTRODUCED MS. LAINA HARRIS TO YOU ALL.
I AM A LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR HERE IN HOUSTON.
UM, I'M THE FOUNDER OF THE US SPACE, SO WE HAVE ABOUT 10,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE
[00:35:01]
IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.ALL CENTERED AND FOCUSED AROUND GROWING, MAINTAINING, SCALING YOUR BUSINESSES.
UM, AND I ALSO HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF MENTORING AND ADVISING A LOT OF, UH, ENTREPRENEURS HERE IN THE CITY THROUGH RICE UNIVERSITY, THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, TECHBRIDGE, AND, UM, ALSO A LOT.
I HAVE A LOT MEMBER IN HERE THAT DID LEADERS OF TOMORROW.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS GROUP.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE ADVISORY PROGRAM FOR ABOUT THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
SO I SEE SOME OF THE YOUNG LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IN THE AUDIENCE AS THEY GROW.
THIS IS A DEDICATED GROUP OF STUDENTS.
THEY, UH, LIKE, UH, OUR COUNCIL MEMBER SAID, UH, THEY MEET AT NIGHT AND THEY'RE HERE, THEY'RE DEDICATED.
UM, THEY'VE NOT ONLY COMMITTED TO THE PRO THE PROJECTS THEY'RE WORKING ON BUT EACH OTHER.
UM, SO THESE ARE THE LEADERS FOR HOUSTON.
AND IF NOTHING ELSE, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND WELCOME OUR FIRST GROUP WITH THEIR PRESENTATION BEATING THE HEAT.
OUR NAMES ARE SWAMI, VE S AND ALISE, AND TODAY WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING SIMPLE BUS STOPS.
BUT IN HOUSTON, THEY'RE GETTING DANGEROUSLY HOT AND WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE OUR PROJECT, URBAN COOLERS BEATING THE HEAT AT HOUSTON BUS STOPS.
AND WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE IT WITH YOU TODAY.
OKAY, SO, UM, HERE'S THE PROBLEM.
HOUSTON'S, COULD YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE? WHOEVER'S DOING IT? OKAY, THANK YOU.
JUST PASS THE MIC TO EACH OTHER.
SO SUMMERS IN HOUSTON ARE GETTING DANGEROUSLY HOT.
AND I DON'T MEAN BRING A FAN HOT, I MEAN FRY YOUR EGGS ON THE SIDEWALK.
HOT HOUSTON SUMMERS ARE SEEING RECORD BREAKING HEAT WAVES, TRIPLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES AND DANGEROUS UV EXPOSURES.
AND THAT'S WHAT OUR PROJECT SOLVES.
EVERY YEAR THERE'S NEARLY 76 MILLION METRO BOARDINGS IN HOUSTON, AND THAT'S 76 MILLION OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOUSTONIANS TO GET EXPOSED TO DANGEROUS CONDITIONS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SOLVE, AND I'M GOING TO MOVE IT, GIVE THE MIC TO MY COLLEAGUE.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO? WELL, WE'RE INTRODUCING URBAN COOLERS.
THEY'RE SOLAR POWERED KIOSKS BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR HIGH RISK BUS STOPS.
EACH ONE FEATURES SOLAR FANS IN LIGHTING, POWERED BY HOUSTON'S OWN SUN, A FILTERED WATER STATION, AS WELL AS RECYCLED MATERIAL BENCHES THOUGHTFULLY DESIGNED WITH SHADE.
THEY'RE NOT JUST SHELTERS, THEY'RE CLIMATE READY PUBLIC HEALTH TOOLS.
WE'LL USE HEAT MAP DATA AS WELL AS METRO RIDERSHIP STATISTICS TO INSTALL THEM WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED THE MOST.
OKAY, AND HERE IS WHY IT MATTERS.
SO WE DID NOT COME UP WITH THIS IDEA IN A LAB.
WE CAME UP WITH IT BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN IT BEFORE, PEOPLE STRUGGLING IN THE HEAT AT UNCOVERED BUS STOPS.
AND SOME OF US HAVE ALSO RIDDEN THE METRO OURSELVES.
SO WE KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO WAIT 10, 15, OR EVEN 20 MINUTES INDIRECT HEAT WHILE YOU'RE SWEATING, DIZZY AND JUST WAITING TO GET TO SCHOOL OR WORK.
AND THIS MADE US ASK, WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS? AND OUR SOLUTION NOT ONLY HELPS, UH, EVERYONE, BUT IT HELPS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AFFECTED THE MOST AND FORGOTTEN BY CITY DESIGNERS, SUCH AS LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS, THE ELDERLY AND YOUTH WITHOUT ACCESS TO CARS.
AND IT ALSO PROMOTES SUSTAINABILITY BECAUSE IT MAKES PUBLIC TRANSIT HEALTHIER AND MORE HUMANE.
AND HERE'S OUR INNOVATION AND IMPACT.
SO WE'RE NOT THE FIRST TO COME UP WITH THIS IDEA.
IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN EXPERIMENTED WITH IN MANY DIFFERENT CITIES SUCH AS LOS ANGELES, PHILADELPHIA, AND AUSTIN.
BUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE COMBINING ALL THE CURRENT ASPECTS INTO AN INNOVATIVE NEW SOLUTION THAT COULD SOLVE THE HEAT PROBLEM.
AT METRO BUS STOPS IN LA, THE LAS SOTA SHADE HAS CREATED COMFORT FOR ALL PEOPLE RIDING THE METRO IN PHILADELPHIA.
MISTING STATIONS HAVE COOLED DOWN RIDERS RIDING THE METRO.
AND IN AUSTIN, MANY SHADED PANELS HAVE HAVE PREVENTED EXPOSURE TO THE HEAT, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE AIMING TO DO TODAY.
COMBINING ALL OF THESE INTO ONE INNOVATIVE SOLUTION, HOUSTON NEEDS A HOLISTIC APPROACH COMBINING COOLING, WATER, HYDRATION, AND MANY OTHER FACTORS INTO A NEW APPROACH THAT COULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TODAY, AND HOPEFULLY IT CAN EXPAND.
[00:40:01]
IF YOU'VE NEVER HAD TO WAIT IN THE A BLISTERING SUN FOR A METRO, YOU CAN EITHER CONSIDER YOURSELF RICH, LUCKY, OR BOTH.AND OUR COOL ZONES, OUR URBAN COOLERS WILL BENEFIT HOUSTON'S MOST VULNERABLE KIDS WHO, UH, KIDS WHO COMMUTE TO SCHOOL BY WALKING EVERY DAY, PEOPLE WITHOUT ACCESS TO AC ELDERLY PEOPLE COMMUTING TO CLINICS, AND, UH, ESSENTIAL WORKERS WHO USE THE METRO TO GET TO WORK.
THAT'S WHY WE NEED COOL ZONES BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE HAVE VERY LIMITED ACCESS TO AC AND THEIR HEALTH IS AT STAKE.
THIS IS A MATTER OF EQUITY MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
AND OUR SOLUTION DELIVERS CLIMATE JUSTICE DIRECTLY TO THE SIDEWALK PARTNERS AND COMMUNITY.
TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, WE'LL COLLABORATE WITH HOUSTON METRO FOR INSTALLATION AND SITE DATA.
WE'LL ALSO TEAM UP WITH NONPROFITS SUCH AS AIRLINES, HOUSTON AND TEXAS HOUSERS FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY, AS WELL AS, UH, WORK WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS LIKE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY.
THESE PARTNERSHIPS ARE ALL ABOUT A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE CLIMATE SOLUTIONS SHOULD BE ROOTED DEEP INSIDE THE COMMUNITY.
HERE'S OUR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
SO OUR IMPLEMENTATION WILL START WITH A PILOT, THREE TO FIVE HIGH RISK STOPS IN NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE KASHMIR GARDENS, UM, AND THE FIFTH WARD.
SO ALONG WITH THIS, WE'LL START BY ANALYZING HEAT DATA AND THEN WE WILL INSTALL OUR FIRST URBAN COOLERS.
AND THEN RIGHT AFTER THAT, WE'LL TRACK IMPACT THROUGH COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
AND WITH SUCCESS, WE WILL EXPAND ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY.
AND NOW THESE, THESE UNITS ARE BUILT WITH MATERIALS THAT ARE LOW MAINTENANCE AND DURABLE, DESIGNED TO SURVIVE VANDALISM AND HOUSTON'S TOUGHEST WEATHERS.
AND HERE'S OUR RESOURCES AND BUDGET.
SO THE ESTIMATED COST OF OUR PILOT IS $13,500, WHICH MAY SEEM LIKE A LOT, BUT IT'S LESS THAN, UH, THE AVERAGE RENOVATION FOR A BUS STOP.
AND WE PLAN TO GET THE MONEY FOR THIS THROUGH, UH, GRANTS AND, UH, FUNDS FROM OTHER COMPANIES.
AND, UH, FOR MAINTENANCE, WE PLAN TO WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, UH, AND WE PLAN TO USE DURABLE MATERIALS TO RESIST VANDALISM.
SO AS WITH ANY OTHER SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM, WE DO EXPECT CHALLENGES AND CHALLENGES ALONG THE WAY, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO CREATE SOLUTIONS.
FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE MAINTENANCE.
OUR, UH, OR FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE, UH, BUDGET LIMITS.
OUR URBAN COOLERS WILL PARTNER WITH LOCAL NONPROFITS AND APPLY TO GRANTS SO THEY DON'T STRAIN THE HOUSTON CITY BUDGET WHILE, UH, PROVIDING THE MAXIMUM COMFORT FOR EVERY HOUSTONIAN THAT WANTS TO RIDE THE METRO.
SO WE'RE GOING TO USE PUBLIC WORKS AND OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO GET TO MAKE SURE OUR URBAN COOLERS ARE MAINTAINED AND CONTINUE TO WORK AND FUNCTION.
SO WE HAVE TWO SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESSING VANDALISM.
FIRST OF ALL, USING TOUGH MATERIALS, WHICH MAKES VANDALISM ITSELF HARD PHYSICALLY.
BUT SECOND OF ALL, WE'RE GOING TO COLLABORATE WITH THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WHEN SOMEONE FEELS OWNERSHIP, THEY PROTECT SOMETHING.
AND THAT'S WHY WE THINK OUR URBAN COOLERS ARE GOING TO SURVIVE THE CHALLENGES.
HERE'S HOW IT COULD LOOK LIKE A HUN.
A HOT SUN SCORCHED CORNER IS TRANSFORMED INTO A SPACE WITH SHADE, A BENCH, CLEAN WATER, AND A SOLAR FAN.
IT'S NOT JUST A STRUCTURE, IT'S A STATEMENT, A MESSAGE THAT SAYS, WE SEE YOU, WE CARE FOR YOU, AND WE'RE DESIGNING FOR YOU.
OKAY? AND THIS ISN'T JUST A PRODUCT THAT I, OR PROJECT THAT I'M TRYING TO PITCH YOU.
IT BRINGS EQUITY, DIGNITY, AND COMFORT TO THE STREETS OF OUR VERY OWN CITY.
IT SHOWS THAT AN IDEA LED BY THE YOUTH CAN MAKE A REAL LASTING IMPACT.
AND LET'S BEAT THE HEAT TOGETHER BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE HOUSTONIAN DESERVES A CHANCE AT SHADE, COMFORT, AND SAFETY.
I'D BE VERY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANY OF YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE.
SO, UM, OBVIOUSLY I COULD GO INTO THE NITTY GRITTY TECHNICAL DETAILS OF IT, BUT I CAN PROVIDE THAT TO YOU LATER IF YOU'D WANT.
BUT WHAT I MEAN TO SAY IS WE'RE GOING TO USE MATERIALS THAT WILL SURVIVE ANY, UM, LIKE THAT WILL ALLOW, UH, PAINT OR ANY OTHER, UM, GRAFFITI WHAT NOT TO BE WIPED OFF.
WE'RE GOING TO MAKE MATERIALS THAT ARE USED, MATERIALS THAT ARE VERY HARD TO PHYSICALLY DAMAGE, SAY STAINLESS STEEL, THEY DON'T RUST, UM, SAY, UH, CARBON FIBER FOR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY, WHATNOT.
THERE'S PLENTY OF EXAMPLES AND I COULD TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT LATER IF YOU'D LIKE.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO COLLECT COMMUNITY? YEAH, SURE.
SO, UM, ONE THING THAT WE WANT TO DO AS THE SYSTEM STARTS TO DEVELOP IS, UH, INTEGRATE FEEDBACK PLATFORMS AND QR CODES IN EVERY SINGLE URBAN COOLER.
THAT WAY IF SOMEONE WANTS TO REPORT A BROKEN URBAN COOLER, IF SOMEONE WANTS TO GIVE US A SUGGESTION TO IMPROVE IT, WE'D BE VERY HAPPY TO TAKE IT AND INTEGRATE IT INTO OUR FURTHER DESIGNS.
[00:45:01]
YES, YES.SO CERTAIN AREAS ACROSS HOUSTON ARE MORE EXPOSED TO HEAT THAN OTHERS, AND THOSE ARE GENERALLY BECAUSE OF A LACK OF GREEN SPACE.
NOW, UH, HISTORICALLY POOR NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, TEND TO HAVE LESS GREEN SPACE AND ARE THEREFORE EXPOSED TO MORE HEAT, MEANING THAT URBAN COOLERS WOULD BE MORE IMPACTFUL THERE.
IN THE BACK, IS THE, IS THE FEEDBACK LIKE YOUR ONLY WAY OF MEASURING THE BENEFIT OR DID YOU HAVE LIKE ANY OTHER WAY OF MEASURING HOW ACTUALLY IMPACT? YEAH, SO MY COLLEAGUE ELOISE WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER THAT.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, MONTHLY INSPECTIONS OR KIND OF, UH, CLEANUPS TO SEE HOW, UM, THE URBAN COOLERS ARE DOING.
AND OBVIOUSLY FROM THERE WE CAN MAYBE EXPAND CITYWIDE IF WE'RE SEE, IF WE'RE SEEING THAT IT'S WORKING PERFECTLY OR OBVIOUSLY FIND SOLUTIONS, SOLUTIONS TO THE CHALLENGES THAT WE MIGHT BE FACING.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF, UM, THE GLASS THAT WE'RE USING, UM, BROKE DUE TO VANDALISM OR WHATNOT, THEN UH, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO USE MAYBE BULLETPROOF GLASS TO SOLVE THAT ISSUE AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
UH, SHOULD WE TAKE ONE MORE? IS THAT OKAY? YEAH.
IT DOES NOT REQUIRE FOR THE INSTALLATION OF NEW METRO STOPS.
AND ONE THING THAT I DO WANT TO MAKE CLEAR IS THAT CURRENTLY COOLING CENTERS DO EXIST IN HOUSTON, BUT THEY DON'T HELP PEOPLE IN TRANSIT.
THAT'S WHAT OUR COOL ZONE, THAT'S WHAT OUR URBAN COOLERS WILL DO WHEN THEY'RE IMPLEMENTED INTO METRO STOPS.
OUR TEAM AS A WHOLE REALLY DOES WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE THAT URBAN COOLERS CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE IMPACT ACROSS ALL OF HOUSTON'S TRANSIT, PUBLIC TRANSIT USERS.
UM, WE THINK THAT IT CAN GO A LONG WAY IN MAKING THE LIVES OF HOUSTONIANS BETTER EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR FEEDBACK.
ONE THING THAT WE WANT TO DO IS WORK WITH, UH, LOCAL LAW AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND, UH, LOCAL LEGAL JURISDICTIONS AND, UM, POLICIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE URBAN COOLERS ARE NOT MISUSED AWAY FROM THEIR INTENDED PURPOSES.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
BEATING THE HEAT FOR AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
UP NEXT, PLEASE GIVE IT UP FOR MAPPING HOPE.
IMAGINE TURNING 18 AND SUDDENLY LOSING EVERYTHING, YOUR HOME, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR SAFETY NET.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS TO MORE THAN 200 HOUSTON YOUTH EVERY YEAR.
AGING OUTTA THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM ACROSS TEXAS AND THE US TENS OF THOUSANDS FACE THE SAME HARSH REALITY.
HELLO, MY NAME IS DANIELLA MATSA AND I'M THE LEADER OF THIS PROJECT.
I'M JOINED BY AISHA, UM, WHO BROUGHT OUR VISIONS TO LIFE THROUGH IMPACTFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNS, CREATING ALL OF OUR VISUALS, PRESENTATION, MATERIALS AND WEBSITE.
AND I'M ALSO JOINED BY CHRISTINE, WHO LED OUR RESEARCH AND GATHERED KEY DATA.
COMING UP TO THE PODIUM IS AISHA TO DISCUSS OUR MISSION STATEMENT.
AND OUR MISSION, WE WANTED TO MAKE A DIGITAL ROADMAP.
WE WANTED TO, SO OUR GOAL WAS TO MAKE A DIGITAL ROADMAP FOR YOUTH THAT'S COMING OUT OF FOSTER CARE.
WE REALIZED THAT A LOT OF YOUTH, ESPECIALLY COMING OUTTA FOSTER CARE, ARE ALONE.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND WE WANT TO HELP THEM FIND STABILITY.
WE WANT THEM TO FIND PURPOSE AND SUCCESS IN THEIR FUTURE.
AND THAT IS WHY WE CREATED MAPPING HOPE TO GIVE THEM GUIDANCE, TO GIVE THEM HOPE, BUT ALSO TO ALLOW THEM TO NOT, TO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER WITH SURVIVAL AND TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE SAFE, SECURED, AND PROTECTED.
SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE PARTICULAR NUMBERS, HERE ARE SOME OF THE PARTICULAR CRISES AND HARDSHIPS THAT FOSTER YOUTH HAVE TO FACE.
[00:50:01]
OF FOSTER YOUTH EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS WITHIN FOUR YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL.NEARLY 40% WITHIN EIGHT YEARS, MORE THAN ONE THIRD FAIL TO FINISH HIGH SCHOOL ON TIME.
FEWER THAN 5% EARN A COLLEGE DEGREE.
ABOUT HALF ARE STILL UNEMPLOYED BY THE AGE OF 24 AND 80% SUFFER SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES.
THESE NUMBERS RIGHT HERE AREN'T JUST NUMBERS.
THEY'RE, THEY REPRESENT WALLS BLOCKING YOUTH FROM A BETTER LIFE.
AND SO TO TALK ABOUT OUR SOLUTION, I INVITE AISHA BACK TO THE PODIUM.
SO WHAT IS OUR SOLUTION? HOW DO WE HELP THESE FOSTER YOUTH? RIGHT, SO MAPPING COPE IS AN EASY GPS ENABLED DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT IS DESIGNED TO DO ALL THESE MAIN THINGS TO HELP THEM FIND SHELTER, HELP THEM FIND ACCESS TO MEDICAID AND SNAPS.
AND WE BASICALLY BRING EVERYTHING TOGETHER TO MENTORS, TO OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH THAT ARE LOOKING FOR JOBS.
WE BASICALLY MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE YOUTH TO THE YOUTH TO FIND THE OPPORTUNITIES THEY NEED BY USING OUR APP.
AND IT WOULD BE NICE IF THE JUDGES, IF YOU COULD SCAN THE QR CODES TO ACCESS OUR ACTUAL WEBSITE.
THAT WOULD BE OUR VISUAL MOCKUP.
WE DECIDED TO CREATE AN ACTUAL LIVE WEBSITE TO SHOWCASE WHAT OUR APP WILL LOOK LIKE TO ACTUAL YOUTH.
SO TO BEGIN OFF, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE OUR PROFILE SET UP.
SO WHEN THE YOUTH OPENS THE APP, THEY'RE PROMPTED TO A BASICALLY SIMPLE BUT EASY SAFETY, UM, SAFETY SIGN UP TO GET IN.
TO GET INTO THE APP, ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS AN EMAIL AND A, AND A PHONE NUMBER.
THEN AFTER THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY GO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITY, OPPORTUNITY SEARCHES.
WE ACTUALLY MADE IT WHERE WHEN THEY COME TO IT, THEY CAN ACTUALLY HAVE THE THREE WE HAVE, WE ALREADY MADE IT, UH, EASY ACCESS WHERE THEY CAN SEE OPPORTUNITIES, SHELTERS, AND ALSO ANY MENTORS THEY'RE LOOKING FOR TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR OUR YOUTH TO NAVIGATE.
AND SO WHEN THEY LOOK INTO OPPORTUNITIES, THEY'LL HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF JOBS OPEN FOR THEM TO, UM, FOR THEM TO LOCATE.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR RESOURCE MAP.
SO SHELTERS, SHELTERS THAT WE HAVE ALL COMBINED.
IT WAS WE, WE BROUGHT TOGETHER LIBRARIES FOR TECHNOLOGY, USED FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY SIGN UP FOR CLASSES OR ANYTHING.
THEN WE ALSO BROUGHT TOGETHER, UM, CL UM, WE ALSO BROUGHT TOGETHER, WE ALSO BROUGHT TOGETHER UM, SHELTER.
WE ALSO BROUGHT TOGETHER NOT ONLY LIBRARIES, BUT WORKFORCE PLACES THAT CAN HELP YOUTH ACTUALLY TRAIN FOR THE WORKFORCE AND ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT TYPE OF JOBS THAT YOU WANT TO GO TO.
AND THEN LASTLY, SHELTERS WE LEFT.
SO WE MADE IT WHERE WHEREVER THEY CAN LOCATE ON THE GPS, THEY CAN ACTUALLY PUT THEIR LOCATION AND THEY'LL SHOW THEM THE CLOSEST SHELTER.
SO IN CASE THEY'RE IN DANGER IN THE DARKNESS, THEY CAN ACTUALLY TEST ON THE GPS AND THEY'LL LOCATE THE, LOCATE THE NEXT SHELTER AND THEY CAN, AND THEY CAN ALSO REQUEST FOR THE BED BEFOREHAND.
SO WHEN THEY COME IN, THE BED IS READY FOR THEM, FOR THEM TO SLEEP IN.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE HAVE OUR WELLNESS AND MENTOR SUPPORT.
WE ALSO MUST UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'VE HELPED MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS SO MUCH, ESPECIALLY A FOSTER CARE.
JUST IMAGINE YOU'RE ALONE, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, YOU DON'T HAVE SUPPORT.
WE MADE IT WHERE WE COMBINED ALL MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS ACROSS HOUSTON THAT CAN OFFER THEM SUPPORT, THAT THEY CAN WALK IN AND THEY CAN ALSO GET THERAPY.
WE ARE PLANNING TO FIND PARTNERS TO ACTUALLY HELP US WITH ACTUALLY ALLOWING YOUTH TO ACTUALLY FOSTER YOUTH TO COME IN AND ACTUALLY RECEIVE THE MENTAL WELLNESS CARE THEY DESERVE.
OKAY, I'M SORRY, BUT COULD YOU PLEASE GO TO SLIDES BACK THE INNOVATE FOR WHY, WHAT MAKES OUR PROJECT INNOVATIVE? SO I COULD TALK ABOUT THAT.
SO THERE ARE THREE MAIN THINGS WHICH I BELIEVE MAKE OUR PROJECT INNOVATIVE.
UNLIKE OTHER STATIC DIRECTORIES MAPPING, HOPE IS A DYNAMIC EVOLVING ECOSYSTEM.
IT PROVIDES UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON BOTH IMMEDIATE NECESSITIES AND ACCESSIBLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.
WITHIN ONE USER-FRIENDLY AND TRAUMA-INFORMED PLATFORM, IT'S STREAMLINED AND STABLE.
WHILE THERE ARE MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT OFFER VARIOUS SORT SERVICES TO FOSTER YOUTH, HOUSTON HAS YET TO CREATE A DATABASE THAT COLLABORATES WITH ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND INCORPORATES THEIR RESOURCES INTO A SINGLE SITE.
FOR FOSTER YOUTHS WHOSE LIVES THUS FAR HAVE BEEN DEFINED BY INSTABILITY, HAVING ONE STABLE DATABASE TO RELY ON CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
MAPPING HOPE'S, EMPHASIS ON DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AND VOLUNTEER TRAINING AS OPPOSED TO PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE MAKE IT MEANS IT CAN BE MORE EASILY REPLICATED.
SO ALTHOUGH OUR PRIORITY IS OF COURSE THE FOSTER YOUTH OF HOUSTON, THIS PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO HELP OTHER VULNERABLE POPULATIONS OUTSIDE THE PO, THE CONTEXT OF FOSTER CARE AND EVEN BEYOND CITY LIMITS.
SO YOU COULD GO BACK, HEAD TO THE TWO SLIDES.
OUT OF THE MORE THAN 1000 YOUTH WHO AGE OUT OF THE TEXAS FOSTER CARE SYSTEM EACH YEAR, 200 ALONE COME FROM HARRIS COUNTY.
AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS ACTUALLY VOLUNTEERED WITH FOSTER YOUTH IN THE PAST, I'VE HAD THE CHANCE TO HEAR SOME OF THEIR STORIES.
MANY IF NOT MOST OF THESE YOUTH ARE INADEQUATELY INFORMATIVE OF THEIR OPTIONS FOR AGING OUT.
SO WHEN THEY TURN 18, THEY FACE NOT A CELEBRATORY MILESTONE, BUT A TIME OF CRISIS.
200 YOUTH PER YEAR DO THE MATH OVER FIVE YEARS, A DECADE LONGER.
AND THAT ADDS UP TO THOUSANDS OF FORMER FOSTER YOUTH WITH STOLEN FUTURES STUCK IN SURVIVAL MODE WITHOUT HOPE.
[00:55:01]
THESE YOUTH CAN BE OFFERED A BRIGHTLY LIT WAY OUT.WE KNOW THAT WITH GREAT GAINS COMES GREAT CHALLENGES IN OUR CASE, ENSURING USER PRIVACY, MAINTAINING ACCURATE REAL-TIME DATA, RECRUITING QUALIFIED MENTORS, AND OF COURSE FUNDRAISING.
HERE'S HOW WE PLAN TO MEET EACH OF THESE CHALLENGES AS WELL AS THE PARTNERS WE'LL BE WORKING WITH TO DO SO.
TO ENSURE USER PRIVACY AND MAPPING HOPES DESIGN, WE PLAN TO REQUEST COLLABORATION WITH COMPUTER ENGINEERING STUDENTS FROM RICE UNIVERSITY, U OF H OR HCC TO MAINTAIN ACCURATE REALTIME DATA.
WE'LL SPEND THE FIRST PHASE OF MAPPING HOPES DEVELOPMENT, MAKING CONTACTS WITH OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AND DISCUSSING WITH THEM ABOUT IMPLEMENTATIONS OUR, OF OUR PLATFORM AND TO THEIR DAILY AFFAIRS.
WE'LL ALSO HAVE AN OPTION FOR USER FEEDBACK AS MAPPING HOPE IS BEING DEVELOPED TO ENSURE THAT OUR APP IS MEETING THE CURRENT NEEDS OF FOSTER YOUTH.
NOW FOR THE, THAT WAS THE FIRST TWO PROBLEMS. SO FOR THE NEXT TWO TO RECRUIT QUALIFIED DIGITAL MENTORS, WE'VE MAPPED OUT A FOUR STEP PROCESS.
MENTOR RECRUITMENT AND SCREENING, ORIENTATION AND CORE TRAINING, SIMULATION AND CERTIFICATION.
AND FINALLY, ONGOING SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT.
WE'LL COLLABORATE WITH ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS OPERATION ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS FOR MENTOR REFERRALS, DEVELOPING ORIENTATION CONTENT AND SUPPORT WITH DIFFICULT CASES.
WE'LL ALSO WORK WITH MORE, WITH MORE HOUSTON BASED ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS ANGEL REACH, BAYER BEER RESOURCE AND MOVE AND MAFIA FOR MORE SPECIALIZED NEEDS.
FINALLY, OF COURSE THERE'S THE ISSUE OF FUNDRAISING.
THESE ARE VERY ROUGH ESTIMATES, BUT WE'VE ESTIMATED THE PILOT APP TO COST AROUND 10,000 AND THE FULL APP LAUNCH WITH EXPANDED FEATURES TO COST SOMEWHERE FROM 40 TO 50,000.
MUCH OF OUR GRANT, MUCH OF OUR FUNDING WILL COME FROM ORGANIZATION REGIONAL GRANTS SUCH AS THE CITY OF HOUSTON YOUTH INNOVATION GRANT, WHICH WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT HERE.
THE HOUSTON ENDOWMENT, FEDERAL GRANTS, AND OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH RICE AND U OF H FOR WHATEVER COSTS ARE REMAIN, WE ANTICIPATE STARTING COMMUNITY CAMPAIGNS SUCH AS SPONSOR, YOUTH FUNDAMENTAL OR OTHER AWARENESS EVENTS.
WE PLAN TO START BUILDING MAPPING HOPE IN EITHER LATE JULY OR EARLY AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
OUR PROJECT BEGINS NOT WITH PHASE ONE, BUT WITH PHASE ZERO BEFORE THE APP OPENS.
WE'LL SPEND FOUR TO SIX WEEKS WORKING WITH OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO RECRUIT AND TRAIN THE FIRST BATCH OF MENTORS.
STARTING IN SEPTEMBER OF 2025, WE WILL ROLL OUT WITH PHASE ONE WHERE WE'LL BUILD A PILOT WEBSITE THAT INCLUDES MENTORSHIP CONNECTIONS, GPS FEATURES TO LOCATE SHELTERS, FOOD WELLNESS RESOURCES AND EVENT LISTINGS LIKE JOB FAIRS AND SKILLS TRAINING.
WE'LL TEST IT WITH 30 TO 50 FOSTER YOUTH AND OBTAIN FEEDBACK IN SPRING OF 2026.
DURING PHASE TWO WE WILL INTRODUCE KEY ENHANCEMENTS, INCLUDING A CUSTOMIZABLE CALENDAR AND SOS BUTTON WITH DIRECT HOTLINES, A SECURE DIGITAL WALLET FOR IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS, UM, AND MULTIPLE LANGUAGE OPTIONS TO BETTER SERVE DIVERSE FOSTER YOUTH COMMUNITIES IN HOUSTON.
ADDITIONALLY, WE PLAN TO EXPAND OUR MENTOR NETWORK AND GROW TO THE USER BASE TO OVER A HUNDRED YOUTH BETWEEN DECEMBER, 2026 AND THE BEGINNING OF 2027.
WE WILL INITIATE PHASE THREE, WHICH WILL BE A FULL CITYWIDE LAUNCH, FOCUSING ON SCALING THE PLATFORM THROUGH NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS AND SHELTERS.
NOW, YEAH, HOUSTON HAS A CHANCE TO BE THE CITY THAT PROTECTS FOSTER YOUTH AFTER THEY AGE OUT.
BUT THIS VISION DOESN'T STOP HERE.
WE WANNA STRIVE TO ENSURE THAT IN THE FUTURE, THIS DOESN'T ONLY HAVE TO APPLY TO FOSTER YOUTH, THIS CAN ALSO APPLY FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND LONG AS ALONG WITH KIDS WHO ALSO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, WE WANT TO, NOT ONLY THAT WE WANT TO SERVE ALL UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES ACROSS HOUSTON AND EVENTUALLY EXPAND BEYOND TEXAS.
LET'S STOP EXPECTING YOUNG CHILDREN TO YOUNG CHILDREN TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE.
TOGETHER WE CAN GIVE THEM THE TOOLS, THE SUPPORT, AND THE HOPE THEY DESERVE.
LET'S MAP HOPE AND WALK BESIDE THEM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IF YOU REALLY, WE DO WOULD LOVE SOME SUPPORT, WE DO WANNA MAKE THIS WORK BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY YOUTH IN NEED AND WE HAVE PUT A CONTACT INFORMATION AND THEN ONLY THAT FOR EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO SEE THE APP.
YOU CAN SCAN RIGHT THERE TO SEE ACTUALLY OUR INTERACTIVE APP.
AND IT WILL BE, IT WILL GIVE YOU MORE INSIGHTS OF WHAT, HOW OUR APP IS GONNA WORK.
UM, WE'RE OPEN TO QUESTIONS NOW.
UM, SHOULD THE YOUTH NOT HAVE ACCESS TO PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES, HOW WILL YOU MAKE THIS LIKE, ACCESSIBLE? UM, WE PLAN TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HCC LIBRARIES AND LIBRARIES ALL OVER HOUSTON THAT OFFER DIGITAL
[01:00:01]
RESOURCES AND A LOT OF, UM, DIGITAL, UH, PARTNERSHIPS WITH NONPROFITS OFFER.SOME OF THEM ARE DIGITAL, UM, PARTNERSHIPS.
THEY OFFER RESOURCES AND TECHNOLOGY.
SO WE PLAN TO REACH OUT TO THEM.
YES, WE DEFINITELY ARE NOT EXPERTS IN CODING, BUT THAT'S WHERE OUR COLLABORATIONS WITH STUDENT WITH COMPUTER ENGINEERING STUDENTS FROM LIKE RICE, U OF H OR OTHER HOUSTON UNIVERSITIES COME IN.
WE'LL, WE'LL TALK TO THE PROFESSORS AND THE STUDENTS OF COURSE WE'LL RELY ON THEIR EXPERTISE.
'CAUSE THEY WERE THE, THEY WERE THE ONES WHO KNOW THE ANSWERS TO THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND BECAUSE PRPR, AS WE TALKED ABOUT PRIVACY IS, IS DEFINITELY PRIORITY WHEN IT COMES TO THESE FOSTER YOUTH.
SO JUST F AT TALKING TO THEM ABOUT WHAT SORT OF DEVICES WE COULD USE TO ENSURE THAT THEIR ALL THEIR DOCUMENTS, THEIR INFO IS SECURE.
I, SO HOW ARE YOU GONNA, UM, WE PLAN OUT TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH CASEWORKERS AND WORK ONE-ON-ONE WITH THEM.
SO NONE OF THEIR INFORMATION GETS, UM, EXPLOITED, LIKE YOU SAID.
SO WE'LL BE REACHING OUT TO, UM, LIKE SPECIFIC CASEWORKERS AND WE'RE PLANNING TO TAKE OUR 50 FOSTER YOUTH FOR THE TRIAL TO WORK WITH DIRECT UM, HOMES.
SO ONE OF, OH ACTUALLY I THINK CHRISTIE WILL ANSWER THAT.
UH, 'CAUSE I AM THE RESOURCE COORDINATOR TECHNIC, SO I LOOKED A LOT TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, SO SORRY, JUST WHAT WAS THE LAST PART OF YOUR QUESTION? JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT I GOT IT RIGHT.
THEY WERE TRYING TO, WHEN THEY WERE SWITCHING ON THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SIDE, UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE LOOKED UP THAT SPECIALIZE IN THAT SORT OF THING.
LIKE I MENTIONED, UH, ANGEL REACH, I BELIEVE, UH, THEY HAVE LIKE WHEN YOU SAY UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, DO YOU MEAN LIKE IN TERMS OF SKILLS OR LIKE SPECIFIC JOBS? SPECIFIC JOBS? UH, CHRIS, THEY CAN GO INTO, UM, I WILL CONTINUE.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING THE SKILLS THAT THEY NEED, UH, TO GO INTO THE WORKFORCE.
SO WHATEVER JOB THEY WANT TO GO TO, THEY'LL HAVE THE SKILLS TO DO SO.
BUT IN TERMS OF SPECIFIC JOBS, WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING MORE WITH SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS LIKE I MENTIONED, LIKE ANGEL REACH, UH, LET'S SEE, OPERATION CHIEF INDEPENDENCE, HOUSTON PROS, AND LIKE TALKING ABOUT AND TALKING ABOUT THEM TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE RECEIVE, UH, FINDING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THEM SO THAT THEY CAN THEN TAKE THESE SKILLS THAT THEY'VE LEARNED THROUGH THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE'VE ALREADY DISCOVERED AND APPLY THEM TO ACTUALLY WAIT, NO, THERE IS ONE THAT WE'VE ALREADY FOUND.
UH, TURN, UH, TURNAROUND HOUSTON, I BELIEVE WITH, UH, THE HOUSTON URBAN AREA LEAGUE.
THEY HAVE JOB, THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE.
THEY HAVE JOB FAIRS, UH, SO THAT THAT'S ONE AVENUE THAT THESE, UH, YOUTH CAN USE TO FIND JOBS.
AND I'M SURE WE'LL, WE'LL DEFINITELY BE LOOKING FOR MANY MORE AS WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS PROJECT.
CLOSING THIS OUT IS HOT ZONES COOL SOLUTIONS.
LET'S GIVE THEM A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
BY A SHOW OF HANDS, HOW MANY PEOPLE AGREE THAT HOUSTON IS HOT? OKAY, THAT'S NEARLY EVERYONE IN THE ROOM.
SO THAT'S BECAUSE HOUSTON IS AN URBAN HEAT ISLAND.
MY NAME IS IMAN SAYED AND MY NAME IS HELENE WANG AND OUR PARTNER ISABELLA DIP COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY, BUT THIS IS OUR PROJECT HOT ZONE COOL SOLUTIONS WHERE WE'RE WORKING TO ALLEVIATE THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT IN HOUSTON.
SO URBAN HEAT ISLAND IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU THINK IT IS.
IT'S HOUSTON, IT'S WHEN IT'S SO HOT OUTSIDE BECAUSE OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT YOU'RE NOT EVEN SURE THAT IT'S SAFE ANYMORE.
SO WHEN YOUR ICE CREAM STARTS TO MEL, BEFORE YOU EVEN GET TO EAT IT, HERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC STATISTICS.
[01:05:01]
CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE OF HOUSTON'S URBAN KEY ISLAND.SO AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE HEAT MAP THAT THE SOUTHWEST AREA OF HOUSTON IS ACTUALLY MUCH HOTTER THAN THE SURROUNDING SUBURBS BY NEARLY EIGHT DEGREES.
AND JUST LAST YEAR, TEXAS LOST 300 LIVES DUE TO HEAT RELATED DEATHS.
THIS HAS BEEN THE HIGHEST SINCE THE STATE STARTED TRACKING THESE FATALITIES AND THE IMPACTS OF HEAT GOES BEYOND HEALTH BECAUSE RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT AN INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE IS LINKED TO AN INCREASE IN CRIME IN HOMICIDE RATES AS WELL.
CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? UM, IT'S SO HOT THAT PEOPLE ARE COOKING EGGS OUTSIDE.
SO IF WE DON'T STOP THIS NOW, UM, IF WE DON'T STOP NOW, THE CITY WILL EVEN GET HOTTER.
WE FOUND THAT SPECIFIC REGIONS OF HOUSTON ARE MUCH HOTTER THAN THE REST.
SO WE DECIDE TO FOCUS ON A LEAF GULFTON AND SHARPSTOWN WHERE TREE COVERAGE AND CANOPY ARE MUCH LESS THAN THE CITY AVERAGE OF 33%.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN, THIS SCARCITY OF SHADE LEADS TO EXTREME CONDITIONS LIKE THE A LEAF BLOCK THAT HIT 134 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT COMPARED TO THE AIR TEMPERATURE OF 102 FAHRENHEIT.
THESE TEMPERATURES DRIVE UP HEALTH RISK AND CRIME EVEN MORE.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT? WELL, OUR COOL SOLUTION IS THAT WE'RE PAINTING WALLS.
SO WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THAT? NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THE FIRST PART OF OUR PROJECT WILL BE TO HAVE WORKSHOPS.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE TEACHING PARTICIPANTS ON HOW TO COMBAT HEAT.
SO THIS MEANS IF SOMEONE IS HAVING A HEAT STROKE AROUND THEM, HOW TO RESPOND TO THAT SITUATION, OR IF THEY LOSE ELECTRICITY DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, LIKE A LOT OF US DID IN BARREL, HOW TO HANDLE THAT.
THEN FOR THE SECOND PART, PART OF OUR PROJECT WILL BE CHANNELING PARTICIPANTS ARTISTRY THROUGH MURAL PAINTING, WHICH HELENE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT.
SO IN THESE MURALS WE WILL BE USING REFLECTIVE PAINT.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THE AREAS THAT ARE UNPAINTED ARE MUCH HOTTER THAN THE AREAS THAT ARE PAINTED.
THIS IS BECAUSE SURFACES ABSORBS HEAT.
THE REFLECTIVE PAINT WILL STOP THE SURFACES FROM DOING THAT BY NEARLY 29 DEGREES.
OUR PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO LOWER THIS TEMPERATURE EVEN MORE.
WE CAN LOWER TEMPERATURES, IMPROVE COMFORT FOR ME AND YOU AND CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE HOUSTON.
SO IN QUARTER ONE WE WILL FINALIZE LOCA, UH, LO LOCAL ARTISTS AND LOCATIONS.
IN QUARTER TWO, WE'LL OBTAIN PERMITS AND CONTACT PROPERTIES.
IN QUARTER THREE, WE'LL START PROMOTIONS FOR OUR WORKSHOPS AND GATHERING VOLUNTEERS.
AND FINALLY, IN QUARTER FOUR, WE'LL LAUNCH OUR FIRST WORKSHOP AND MURAL IN A LEAF.
SO WHAT IS THE IMPACT THAT OUR PROJECT IS GONNA HAVE ON YOU AND THE CITY? WE FOUND THAT CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND IN HOUSTON PAY AROUND $1,800 IN THE HOME ENERGY BILLS, WHICH SPIKED DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS BECAUSE OF AC.
WE ALSO FOUND THAT THERE'S AROUND 416 EMERGENCY HEAT RELATED CALLS MADE IN HOUSTON, OUR CITY THAT SPIKE ALSO DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS.
SO THIS MEANS IF OUR PROJECT CAN BRING THE TEMPERATURE DOWN NEARLY 30 DEGREES, WE CAN SAVE THE MAN, THE CITY MANPOWER AND MONEY.
NOW WE ALREADY HAVE SOME ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE KNOW THAT COULD POSSIBLY HELP US WITH GATHERING VOLUNTEERS AND HELPING US WITH FUNDING.
THERE'S COIA, THERE'S THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL AND THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION.
THEY CAN HELP US GET VOLUNTEERS AND ALSO HELP WITH DONATING.
WE ALSO KNOW A MURAL PAINTER IN HOUSTON.
HE'S HAD WORKS OVER THE CITY AND WE BELIEVE THAT HE'D POSSIBLY BE INTERESTED IN OUR PROJECT.
NOW WE'RE ASKING YOU TO HELP US CONNECT WITH HOUSTON HEAT AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATIONS TO IDENTIFY KEY AREAS IN HOUSTON THAT NEED A LITTLE MORE HELP THAN OTHERS AND TO SECURE PERMITS.
AS FOR MURAL LOCATIONS, WE'RE FOCUSING ON HIGH VISIBILITY AREAS, SO AREAS THAT PEOPLE ALREADY GATHER IN.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ALE COMMUNITY CENTER, THE BAYLAND PARK AND PLAZA AMERICAS IN SHARPSTOWN.
WE WILL START IN ALE IN QUARTER FOUR JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THERE ALREADY.
AND WE WILL, UM, SINCE WE ALREADY HAVE COMMUNI THE SUPPORT THERE, WE'LL ALSO INCLUDE PAT MOUNTED TRANSFORMERS, IF YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN ALONG SIDEWALKS AND MAIN ROADS.
SO WE WOULD LOVE THE CITY SUPPORT, HELP US HELP HOUSTON LOWER DOWN TEMPERATURES AND INCREASE COMFORTABILITY FOR ME AND YOU.
IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SITE, PLEASE.
HERE'S OUR WORK SITE PAGE AND THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE FOR LISTENING.
OUR CONTACT INFORMATIONS ARE ON THE SCREEN ABOVE YOU GUYS.
IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, WE ARE HOT ZONES, COOL SOLUTIONS BECAUSE EVERY SOLUTION, EVERY PROBLEM DESERVES A COOL SOLUTION.
[01:10:03]
YES.AND WE'RE OPENING THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, SO YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW UH, YOU CAN PAINT ON WALLS TO MAKE HOUSTON COOLER AND IT A AND HOUSTON'S AN URBAN HEAT ISLAND, UH, FOR A LOT OF URBAN AREAS OF HOUSTON THAT HAVE LOTS OF BUILDINGS MADE OUT OF GLASS.
WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO FOR THOSE AREAS? OKAY, SO JUST AREAS, WELL, I MEAN WE'LL SPECIFICALLY BE TARGETING, UM, BUILDINGS THAT DON'T HAVE GLASS WALLS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AROUND, YOU WALK AROUND DOWNTOWN, YOU PROBABLY SEE A BUNCH OF STREETS THAT HAVE CONCRETE WALLS.
SO WE'RE MAINLY GONNA BE FOCUSING ON THOSE WAS YES, YOU AND THE MAC.
UM, SO HOW DO YOU PLAN LIKE MEASURING THE BENEFIT? SO HOW WOULD YOU ABLE BE ACTUALLY ABLE TO, UM, SO COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION REALLY FAST? SORRY.
HOW WOULD YOU, UH, BE ABLE TO MEASURE THE BENEFIT ON THIS? YEAH, SO I GO TO LIKE A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS, LIKE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS IN MY AREA ALE.
SO IN THOSE MEETINGS WE WILL TALK ABOUT LIKE DEATHS RELATING TO LIKE HOMICIDES, BURGLARIES AND ALL THAT.
SO I BELIEVE DURING UM, THESE COMMUNITY MEETINGS WE CAN HAVE ONE OF OUR PARTNERS BE THERE AND JUST REALLY TRACK DOWN THE DEATHS AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THAT DOWN.
SO IF YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO PAINT THE AREAS AROUND THE PARKS IN SHARP SHARPSTOWN A LEAF AND THE OTHER PLACE YOU MENTIONED, UM, HOW IS IT GOING TO DECREASE COSTS FOR EVERYONE ACROSS HOUSTON? WON'T IT ONLY LEAD TO LOWER TEMPERATURES IN THOSE PARKS? UM, WELL THOSE ARE THE SPECIFIC AREAS THAT WE'RE STARTING OFF WITH.
OBVIOUSLY IF THIS PROJECT ENDS UP WORKING, WE'LL BE EXPANDING IT THROUGHOUT HOUSTON, BUT WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS BECAUSE THEY'RE HIGH VISIBILITY AND THEY HAVE THE LEAST SHADE ACROSS HOUSTON.
SO YOU'LL HAVE MURALS IN ALL OF HOUSTON? YES, THAT IS THE END GOAL, YES.
SO DOES THE HEAT REDUCTION FROM THE MURALS AND THE TYPE OF PAINT YOU USE REDUCE THE HEAT OF THE SURROUNDING AREA OF THE MURAL OR DOES IT TEND TO REDUCE THE HEAT OF LIKE THE SURFACE? SO SAY IF I WANTED TO LEAN AGAINST A MURAL, UM, ACTUALLY IT'LL BE BOTH BECAUSE, SO IMAGINE LIKE YOU'RE SITTING DOWN ON A HOT BENCH AND IT'S SCORCHING HOT, RIGHT? SO OBVIOUSLY THE REFLECTIVE PAINT WILL KIND OF FIX THAT, BUT ALSO THE HEAT FROM THE SURFACES LIKE RADIATES OFF INTO THE CITY.
SO WITH THOSE REFLECTIVE PAINTS, WE CAN STOP THAT FROM HAPPENING.
UM, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO COMBAT THE IMPACTS OF VANDALISM? WILL THAT HAVE A LARGE EFFECT OR DO YOU THINK IT'LL BE VERY MINIMAL? WELL, MURALS TEND TO HAVE, ACROSS THE CITY THEY HAVE THIS SPECIFIC ANTI VANDALISM COATING.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA FINISH OFF OUR MURALS WITH JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
CAN I GET YOU IN THE BACK? OH, THE HI.
UM, I THINK YOU GUYS HAD A GREAT PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE OF YOU TACKLING HEAT.
MY QUESTION IS, UM, IN THE WINTER WHEN IT GETS EXTREMELY COLD, HOW CAN YOUR INNOVATION AFFECT HOW COLD IT GETS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ANY KIND OF SHELTER? UM, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION WAS, AS FAR AS YOUR PAINT, UM, HOUSTON IS PRONE TO HURRICANES AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FLOODING.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE PAINT IF WATER RISES? I'LL START WITH YOUR SECOND QUESTION.
SO MURALS ALSO HAVE, UM, THE ANTI GRAFFITI, UM, COATING ALSO HELPS WITH UM, IT SUSTAINING THROUGH EXTREME WEATHER AND EXTREME RAIN.
AND THEN FOR YOUR SECOND QUESTION FOR, UM, REVOLVING AROUND THE COLD, I BELIEVE.
SO, UM, HELENE, DO YOU WANNA PICK THAT UP? YEAH, SO WITH THOSE, UM, WITH THOSE REFLECTIVE PAINT MATERIALS, WE'LL ALSO USE LIKE AN INFRARED TEMPERATURE READER.
SO HOPEFULLY I THINK FROM A PAST STUDY IT HAS HELPED WITH THE COLD.
UM, I'M NOT REALLY SURE ABOUT LIKE SOME TECHNICAL STUFF, BUT I BELIEVE IN THE PAST IT HAS HELPED.
WE GOT OUR INSPIRATION FROM THIS YOUNG ARTIST IN VIRGINIA AND WE'VE, WE LOVE TO SEE THAT CARRY OUT IN OUR CITY OF HOUSTON.
[01:15:01]
WE GET ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ALL THREE TEAMS? THEY WERE AMAZING.NOW IT'S YOUR TURN AUDIENCE, PULL OUT YOUR PHONES AND SCAN THE QR CODE ON THE SCREEN.
WE'RE DOING A QUICK EE POLL TO HEAR WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE ALL YOUTH PRESENTATIONS.
TELL US WHICH PROJECT INSPIRED YOU THE MOST, WHAT YOU LEARNED, AND WHAT IDEAS YOU WANNA SEE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
IF YOU STILL NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT LOGGING INTO THE MENTEE, WE HAVE SOME INTERNS THAT ARE COMING AROUND TO ASSIST YOU.
RAISE YOUR HAND, THEY CAN HELP YOU.
THE CODE ONCE AGAIN IS 1 5, 2, 3, 2 2 4 3.
NOT LIKE MINT, M-E-N-T-I MINTY MINTY.COM.
THE CODE ONCE AGAIN IS 1 5 2 3, 2 2, 4 3 FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE LOGGED IN ALREADY, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH ONE OF OUR FIRST QUESTIONS AND WE CAN ALSO OPEN IT UP TO THE AUDIENCE.
IF YOU GUYS AREN'T ABLE TO LOG IN, IF YOU WANNA SHARE OUT AND ANSWER THE QUESTION.
IF YOU RAISE YOUR HAND, WE'LL COME AROUND WITH A MIC SO WE CAN HEAR FROM YOU AS WELL.
SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH OUR FIRST QUESTION.
WHAT IS ONE TAKEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE AFTER LISTENING TO THE FINALIST PRESENTATIONS? ONE TAKEAWAY YOU HAVE AFTER LISTENING TO THE FINALIST PRESENTATIONS.
WE'VE HAD SOME AWESOME PRESENTATIONS.
OUR YOUTH HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB, SO I'M SURE WE HAVE A LOT OF TAKEAWAYS AND WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THEM AS WELL.
SO SOME OF OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE ARE RECEIVING, I LOVED HEARING THE PRESENTATIONS AND ONE OF THE TAKEAWAYS IS HOW PASSIONATE THESE YOUNG INNOVATORS ARE.
ANOTHER ONE, BEATING THE HEAT WAS MY FAVORITE.
THEY EXPLAINED EVERYTHING VERY THOROUGHLY AND THEY WERE THE ONLY ONE WITH EVERYTHING MEMORIZED.
AS A STUDENT MYSELF, I'M INSPIRED AND I FEEL EMPOWERED TO SEE MY FELLOW PEERS UP THERE.
I LOVED EVERYONE'S PROJECTS, PARTICULARLY HOT ZONES, COOL SOLUTIONS.
THEIR PRESENTATION WAS REALLY CREATIVE AND IS MOST FEASIBLE OUT OF EVERYONE.
THE MAPPING, HOPING THE MAPPING HOPE PRESENTATION WAS GREAT.
I'D LOVE TO CHAT WITH THEM MORE.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GO TO OUR NEXT QUESTION.
SO FOR OUR NEXT QUESTION, SORRY, WHAT IS ONE WORD YOU WOULD USE DESCRIBE HOUSTON YOUTH LEADERS TODAY? THERE'S THREE WORDS.
DO YOU WANT ME TO TAKE OVER? THERE'S THREE SLOTS SO YOU CAN PUT THREE WORDS IF YOU, IF YOU WANT.
WE'RE GETTING SOME GREAT FEEDBACK.
THE YOUTH OF TODAY ARE POWERFUL.
THEY ARE BRAVE, PASSIONATE, EMPOWERED, STRONG, FUTURE-ORIENTED, ORIENTED, EMPOWERING, INCREDIBLE, KNOWLEDGEABLE, AMAZING, BRIGHT.
COURAGEOUS, DYNAMIC, SOLUTION ORIENTED.
INTELLIGENT, IMPRESSIVE, DETERMINED.
STRONG, IMPRESSIVELY INSPIRING, ASTOUNDING, PROACTIVE.
BRIGHT, BRILLIANT, BRIGHT, INFLUENTIAL, INFLUENTIAL.
YOU GUYS DEFINITELY PASSED THE SPELLING BEE.
AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TRANSITION TO OUR NEXT QUESTION.
WHICH ED TALK PROJECT IDEA DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST URGENT AND RELEVANT TO HOUSTONIANS? I GET ONE.
[01:20:02]
AS MUCH AS I LOVE NARRATING, WE'RE GONNA LET THE JUDGES EXPOUND ON THIS ONE JUST IN A LITTLE BIT AS THEY'RE DELIBERATING.NOW WE'RE GONNA TRANSITION TO OUR NEXT QUESTION.
SO NOW WE'RE GETTING TO THE FUN PART.
RANK THE FINALIST PRESENTATIONS BASED ON CREATIVITY.
OH, I'M NOT WEARING THESE SOCKS.
ALRIGHT, NOW WE'RE GONNA TRANSITION TO OUR NEXT QUESTION.
RANK THE FINALIST PRESENTATIONS BASED ON FEASIBILITY.
I THINK SOLUTIONS MIGHT TAKE IT.
IS THAT A TIME? I'M NOT SURE WHY.
WE SEE YOU GUYS NECK AND NECK.
SO COREY, DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE TUNES ON IT?
TO JUST GENERALLY RANK THE FINALIST PRESENTATIONS OVER OVERALL.
[01:26:58]
OKAY GUYS, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR VOTING AND PARTICIPATING IN THE MINTY METER.WE'RE NOW GONNA TRANSITION AND HAVE ANOTHER POEM BY THE METAPHOR TEAM.
SO LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR THEM ONE MORE TIME.
UH, CAN WE GIVE IT UP FOR THAT ALL THREE GROUPS ONE MORE TIME.
JUST TO RECAP AGAIN, I AM JORDAN RIDDLE.
I AM THE ASSISTANT COACH OF THE TWO TIME AWARD-WINNING METAPHOR, HOUSTON SLAM TEAM CHAMPION, CHAMPION, CHAMPION, CHAMPION CHAMPIONS TWICE.
UM, AGAIN, IT TAKES SO MUCH COURAGE TO GET UP HERE ON THE STAGE AND DO WHAT THEY DO.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THE YOUTH IN EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO.
UM, AGAIN, REGIONALS, SPACE CITY SLAM HOUSTON SPACE CITY SLAM WEEKEND IS NEXT WEEKEND.
IT WILL BE HERE IN HOUSTON, THE 19TH THROUGH THE 21ST.
WE HAVE OPEN WORKSHOPS, WE HAVE OPEN MICS, WE HAVE IT IS FOUR KIDS, 13 TO 19.
SO PLEASE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO MYSELF, MY HEAD COACH, ADAM MACK, UH, BEAN.
WE ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO BE HERE FOR THE YOUTH.
WE HAVE ANOTHER POEM FOR Y'ALL BY MAYA AND SHARON.
Y'ALL PLEASE BUILD THAT ENERGY.
IN 1969, THE BLACK PANTHERS CREATED THE FREE BREAKFAST FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM.
THEY BELIEVED THAT NO CHILD TO SIT IN A CLASSROOM WITH AN EMPTY STOMACH.
THE FBI CALLED THIS ACT OF KINDNESS, THE GREATEST THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY, TO THE LUNCH LADY WHO NEVER FAILED.
TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I HAD INSUFFICIENT FUNDS IN MY ACCOUNT.
I WONDER IF YOU EVER SAW ME AS MORE THAN A NUMBER ON A SCREEN.
IF YOU EVER NOTICED THAT MY BODY WAS BEGGING FOR THAT PROCESS.
I HOPE MAYBE YOU HAVE SOME EMPATHY.
I WONDER IF YOU KNEW WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO TYPE YOUR LUNCH NUMBER INTO THE KEYPAD KNOWING THAT YOUR MEAL WASN'T GUARANTEED.
MAYBE YOU KNEW THE WEIGHT OF LUNCH INTO EXISTENCE OF MAKING EMPTY FEEL FULL.
HUMANITY ON A TRAY YOU WERE MEANT TO PROVIDE.
FOR ME, THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN SECURE THE NATION IS BY TURNING MY BRAIN INTO A BATTLEFIELD.
BY MAKING MY STOMACH AN ENEMY OF MY EDUCATION.
IS IT TRULY A THREAT TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH THE TOOLS TO SUCCEED? IS IT REALLY OUR FAULT? WE WERE BORN INTO A SYSTEM INFESTED WITH POVERTY WHILE 60% OF FAMILIES ARE PICKING AND CHOOSING BETWEEN THEIR NEEDS.
157 HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES PICK AND CHOOSE WHICH STUDENTS GET TO EAT TO RICH MCCORMICK, THE CONGRESSMAN WHO SUGGESTED THAT SOME STUDENTS SHOULD BE WORKING INSTEAD OF RECEIVING FREE LUNCH.
YOU SAY WE LACK VALUE, BUT WE'RE FORCED TO DEPEND ON THE GOVERNMENT UNTIL
[01:30:01]
THEY STOP PROVIDING FOR US.THE FREE LUNCH PROGRAM HAS ALREADY REDUCED ME TO A WHISPER, TO A NUMBER IN A SYSTEM, TO AN ATTENTION SEEKING STUDENT WHO CAN'T FOCUS IN CLASS.
SORRY, I COULDN'T WORRY ABOUT YOUR MUSIC LESSON.
WHILE MY STOMACH GRUMBLED LOUDER THAN THE BELL RINGS.
I COULDN'T MEMORIZE THE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENTS WHEN THE ROOTS OF INEQUALITY WERE CHOKING ME.
NOW FOOD AND FOCUS ARE THE ONLY F'S I LOSE.
WHAT ABOUT ME BEING BLACK FED AND EDUCATED SCARES YOU? YOU GET MY ABILITY TO PROCESS THE POLICIES YOU PUT IN PLACE OR HOW I RISE ABOVE THE LIMITATIONS YOU PUT ON MY RACE.
BUT OUR EMPOWERMENT IS STOLEN FROM US, RIPPED OUT OF OUR BODIES AND BRAINS.
THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN LIMIT US IS BY SNATCH SNATCHING AWAY OUR LUNCH TRAYS.
THE FREE BREAKFAST FOR THE FREE BREAKFAST FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR FUEL, BUT THE SYSTEM MADE SURE WE DIDN'T GET PAST THE FINISH LINE.
WHY ARE OUR VICTORIES DETERMINED BY THOSE WHO'VE NEVER STRUGGLED A DAY IN THEIR LIVES TO THE BLACK PANTHERS? I WONDER, I WONDER IF YOU KNEW THAT PEOPLE WHO MAKE A BASE SALARY OF $174,000 WOULD BE IN A FRENZY OVER $3 TRAYS
I WONDER IF YOU KNEW THE POLICE RATES AND HATRED OF 1969 WOULD FORESHADOW OUR CURRENT SYSTEM.
I WONDER, I WONDER IF YOU KNEW THE REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE YOU ENVISIONED WOULD LEAVE US SPED UP BUT NEVER FULL.
THANK YOU ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE POLL? NOW LET'S GET TO THE MOMENT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 2025 ED TALK WINNERS TO HELP US CLOSE OUT THE PROGRAM.
PLEASE WELCOME ONE OF OUR AWESOME JUDGES, MARYANNE JI FROM UNICEF.
UM, FIRST WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS FOR YOUR AMAZING WORK.
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE TIME EFFORT THAT WAS SPENT TO THINK OF THESE IDEAS TO PRACTICE.
SO I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR JUST PREPARING AND BEING SO PREPARED TODAY.
UM, IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR US TO DELIBERATE AS YOU CAN ALL IMAGINE.
ALL OF THE PROJECTS WERE AMAZING.
UM, AND WE THOUGHT THAT THERE ARE POSSIBILITIES FOR TEAMS TO COLLABORATE.
UM, BUT TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS, UM, IN THIRD PLACE, WE HAVE HOT ZONE COOL SOLUTIONS.
UM, IN SECOND PLACE, WE HAVE COOL ZONES AND IN FIRST PLACE WE HAVE MAPPING HOPE AGAIN.
BEFORE WE HEAD OUT, JUST ONE MORE TIME, THANK YOU TO ALL THE YOUTH, THE PARTNERS, MENTORS, AND GUESTS WHO MADE TODAY'S POSSIBLE.
PLEASE GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
FINALLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO CALL UP ON STAGE ALL THE YOUTH PRESENT TODAY TO CELEBRATE OUR SHARED COMMITMENT TO YOUTH LEADERSHIP, ALL YOUTH AMBASSADORS AND ED TALK PARTICIPANTS.
PLEASE JOIN US FOR A GROUP PHOTO.
AND REMEMBER, AND REMEMBER THE FUTURE, THE FUTURE OF HOUSTON STARTS WITH YOUTH.
I JUST WANTED TO NOTE ONE THING, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NOTICED, BUT THERE WAS NOT MUCH OF US ADULTS SPEAKING.
IT WAS ONLY THE YOUTH SPEAKING AND I THINK THAT WAS THE POINT OF THE EVENT.
SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO THANK THE YOUTH AND EVERYONE ELSE.
SO LET'S CELEBRATE COOKIES AND REFRESHMENTS OVER THERE.
PLEASE STAY, CELEBRATE AND TALK TO THE YOUTH.