On December 6^th, Youth LEAD (Youth Leaders Engaging Across Differences) honored Sharonite’s Raj and Nalini Sharma for ten years of dedication to the Sharon-based non-profit organization.  The Cambridge gathering of over 200 people, including Congressman Mike Capuano and his wife Barbara, and State Treasurer Steve Grossman, was a tribute to the Sharma’s dedication to building deeper understanding across differences.

Youth LEAD is built upon a bold vision.  It’s a vision of a world where people feel respected by others, reach out to others with whom they disagree, especially when they disagree, because they’re curious and genuinely want to understand their point of view.  And as a result, it’s a world where people are comfortable working closely with others from diverse backgrounds, in spite of deep differences, to make our communities stronger and our workplaces more innovative and productive.

But Youth LEAD is not just about talking.  It’s about youth using their connections and understandings to make a difference in our town.  You may know Youth LEAD because you attended the recent interfaith Thanksgiving program planned by Youth LEADers and the Sharon Religious Leaders Association.  Or perhaps your child took part in the teen-planned Youth LEAD program building respectful classrooms at the Cottage Street School.

Why is Youth LEAD important?  Because we have an amazing opportunity in Sharon to engage the many new communities that have joined the fabric of our town during the past decade.  According to the Boston Globe (Dec. 16, 2012 South Weekly), 11.7% of Sharon students were considered “minority” in 2001-2002.  That figure rose to 30.3% in 2011-2012.  The Sharon Public School’s new strategic plan recognizes that this diversity is an asset.  So does the Sharon Pluralism Network.  Youth LEAD’s contribution is to give youth the skills and opportunity to deeply engage across differences through dialogue and action.

Our alums tell us that Youth LEAD skills enable them to take action on their college campuses and in their workplaces.  Daisy helped craft a successful campus-wide response to racial slurs hurled at one of her classmates.  Renata wrote to us from Bruinei Dar Salaam where she was an oil engineer and said, “while in Youth LEAD I spent a lot of time outside my comfort zone, so I was able to reach out to engage with local people and their culture, which enhanced my experience and effectiveness.”

And now, our impact is not only in Sharon.  We’re taking Youth LEAD to other communities across the Commonwealth and across the country.  And we’re proud to have been recognized by the Pluralism Practice at Harvard University as one of two promising practices working with youth across difference in the U.S. 

For more information, please visit our website:  www.youthleadonline.org, or give us a call:  781-784-0651.

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