“They may be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” -Isaiah 61:3
What is Leadership Academy?
Leadership Academy
The Urban Impact Leadership Academy is a violence prevention program for youth in the Woodhill neighborhood who pose the highest likelihood of perpetrating or being the victim of gun violence. Historically, reducing youth violence (specifically gun violence) has been approached with a deficit-based mindset, positioning youth as problems that need fixing. We believe youth in our city are not projects, they are valuable assets in God’s Kingdom.
Gun violence alone is not the problem, it is a result of a greater collection of problems plaguing youth in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, like Woodhill. These greater problems primarily include unaddressed childhood trauma, lack of educational and economic opportunity, and unsafe living environments.
Through the love of Jesus, the Leadership Academy pairs Leaders with one-on-one and small group mentors, positions Leaders to address past and current trauma through multiple forms of counseling, and helps Leaders find meaning and purpose, all while investing in five key areas of focus so they can become exactly who God created them to be.
LA's Five Success Pillars
Identity
Guiding leaders through the exploration of their God-given identity will help them discover who they are and who they were made to be.
Education
Growth in educational knowledge and exposure will create more lifelong opportunities. Leaders will be empowered by understanding what is possible through a diversity of educational opportunities.
Discovery
Discovering root causes of violent behavior is an essential step to helping Leaders heal and move forward. Because violence is rooted in trauma, we will de-stigmatize counseling to help leaders process what they’re bringing from their past and current realities in order for the leader within them emerge.
Service
Service paves the path towards peace. Service to others is essential to establishing and maintaining a place of peace in which all members of a community can thrive. Leaders will engage and serve their neighborhood through ongoing service opportunities.
Exposure
Leaders will gain exposure to new experiences and opportunities to affirm that their current circumstance in life does not have to be their future. They’ll envision new possibilities for what can become of them.