Written by 2015 Coro Fellows Cohort
Wilkinsburg, like many places in the country, faces a slate of problems that feed off each other. Under-performing schools, poverty, single parent homes, and blight that can lead to crime, to name a few. Figuring out how to resolve the problems in any community can appear overwhelming, but as the resurgence of Pittsburgh as a whole shows, they are solvable.
In August, twelve young leaders visited Wilkinsburg for a week-long immersion to identify the problems and come up with ways for young people to improve their communities. The 2014-15 Coro Fellows in Public Affairs came from around the country and the world, as far as Las Vegas and as close as the North Hills, to present their findings to over 50 community leaders and local business owners.
The Coro Fellows identified three simple actions for young people to take leadership in their communities, regardless of the challenges facing them.
Mentor
Perhaps the most potent role young leaders can take is in mentoring younger ones. Regardless of age, there are always younger people who could use a little guidance, or even just a good example. The best part is, as Fellow and Friendship resident Flavia Bleahu said, it can be done with no resources, and no formal organization, just time and will. “Any individual can become a mentor for youth to enact positive change. By being a role model and demonstrating key principles of civic engagement, young people develop a level of autonomy..”
Communicate
Many residents of Wilkinsburg, as with any community, are working hard to change the neighborhoods around them; that doesn’t mean their neighbors know it, though. The younger generations have a command of online social networks that can be created and used to connect communities. In the eyes of fellow Prisca Ohito, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Wilkinsburg could use that type of leadership. “There were many individuals and a variety of organizations who voiced, organized, and, most importantly, acted to improve Wilkinsburg, [yet] the community seemed unaware of its own progress and future challenges.”
Take Responsibility
There’s a common misconception that leaders have to be part of an organization, or wait until someone tells them to do something. The Coro Fellows found that much of the improvement in Wilkinsburg came from people simply taking action when other people were not, a sentiment echoed by Fellow Ruth Spurlock Kim.
She continued, “Many of the initiatives came from people just doing something, anything, on their own. Bake cookies for your neighbors. Pick up trash on your street. Talk to people. Find something you can do together. Get kids hanging out on the street to play kickball with you. Ask how you can help.”
Final Thoughts
Perhaps above all, it’s the last statement the Coro Fellows found rings truest. Without asking what people need, trying to solve their problems is like learning to write before you can read.
Coro Fellows are a cohort of twelve next generation leaders from around the country who will spend nine months in a Public Affairs Fellowship in Pittsburgh. The cohort will develop their leadership skills while working on projects that catalyze positive change in the southwest Pennsylvania region.
Several Fellows will be working on projects in Wilkinsburg from September through March, and the Coro Fellows will remain involved in the borough throughout their time in Pittsburgh.