Ember and CMP

In 2010, right after the inception of The Ember Cast, we were invited to join a group of college students at Salisbury University to serve with them during a weekend of community impact projects, which included serving at local nonprofits, being a presence in a few low income neighborhoods and missionally imagining what students could do to help their community flourish. Little did we know how long our involvement would last with some of these students. Over these past seven years, we've had the best time serving with and encouraging an incredible group of young people who have activated, initiated and started many things from nothing. They have inspired us more than they realize.

One of the things some of them started is the Community Mentoring Program - a medium whereby college students mentor elementary school kids. This mentoring includes tutoring for school, attending a local church, helping their parents and being a role model. Of course, this type of mentorship is awesome but the best part has been these leaders engaging their kids in service opportunities - kids who are being served reaching out to serve others as well. Ember has been fortunate to facilitate a few of these experiences and last weekend, we got to serve with CMP for a short while on the National Mall in DC.

A leading indicator of emerging global student leaders is their ability to start something from nothing. Find and lead volunteers, develop a budget and raise some money, build a business, start an organization, serve someone less fortunate, paint a compelling vision. These are acts of rebellion against the status quo of the future and why Ember is so attracted to these emerging global student leaders. Oh and by the way, this behavior can be taught and modeled.

Photo; Wendy and Jake, DC, April 2017.