🧭 Program Overview: I Was You

"I Was You" is a character-building mentorship initiative rooted in lived experience, emotional truth, and community legacy. Designed for youth who are often seen but not supported, the program restores morale, nurtures resilience, and affirms identity by connecting personal stories to purpose. It’s not about teaching law—it’s about empowering young people to define themselves before the system does.

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🔍 Core Objectives
  - Rebuild self-worth and emotional clarity through storytelling, reflection, and identity-based curriculum
  - Strengthen decision-making and moral reasoning using real-life challenges and guided peer dialogue
  - Cultivate leadership and purpose by connecting youth to mentors who’ve walked similar paths
  - Provide tools for visibility in communities, schools, and advocacy spaces where youth voices matter

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🎯 Target Audience
  - Youth aged 13–21 facing adversity, isolation, or justice system involvement
  - Community mentors and educators seeking restorative tools beyond legal education

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🛠️ Program Components
  - Digital Curriculum: Mobile-accessible modules focused on morale, character, emotional literacy, and purpose
  - Mentorship Sessions: Led by formerly system-impacted mentors and youth advocates, these sessions center conversation over correction
  - Narrative Building Workshops: Youth craft and share their personal story through writing, video, and visual media
  - Visibility Projects: Public campaigns and creative assets that honor youth voice and build collective pride

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💡 Why It Matters
"I Was You" helps young people rewrite their internal narratives before society writes them off. It’s a space for healing, reflection, and transformation—a mirror for the wounded, and a window toward who they can become. No textbooks, just truth.