LOCAL
Kimberly Marsh
Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Ebony Johnson discusses the LEAD opportunity with teens on the expanded council. Photo: Kimberly Marsh/The Eagle
The Terence Crutcher Foundation on Wednesday welcomed its first teen ambassador council as a part of an expanded youth leadership development program that includes opportunities to work with Tulsa’s civic leaders.
Tiffany Crutcher, the foundation’s founder and executive director, said participants are encouraged to reimagine their future, reclaim their narratives and step into roles of power and purpose.
Money for the expansion of Project LEAD came from the nonprofit arm of the NBA earlier this year. The NBA does not publicly announce specific award amounts.
“I started this leadership development program to help create and develop the next generation of leaders,” Crutcher said. “With the launch of this new cohort, we’ve updated the curriculum.”
The cohort will canvas neighborhoods to understand community needs and learn how to speak directly to lawmakers at the state capitol about youth policies. The students will have mentorship opportunities and training through partnerships with Tulsa Public Schools, the University of Tulsa, Mayor Monroe Nichols’ office and others.
“It’s not only a huge responsibility, but it’s also an opportunity for their voices to be heard,” Crutcher said. “They’re closest to the solutions. We want these kids to elevate their voices, their desires, their needs and advocate.”
The program began as a pilot in 2022 and has doubled from 20 to 40 students, Crutcher said. They were recommended by their teachers, and 13 LEAD Ambassador Council members were chosen by their peers and teachers as well as college and career readiness counselors.
East Central High School senior Jesiah Smith, 17, said he was drawn to the opportunity because it is his responsibility to lead.
“I’ve always had the drive to advocate for people who have no voice, and to solve complex questions,” Smith said, adding that he aspires to be a lawyer. Smith, who has experience living with foster care families, said he plans to focus the skills he learns to help others in the system.
My’Lona Bell, a Nathan Hale High School junior, also wants to pay it forward. She intends to pass on her knowledge from the LEAD experience to her younger brother.
“I’m most excited about the opportunity and the access,” Crutcher said. “It’s not that our kids don’t have power. It’s not that they don’t have potential. It’s the lack of access and opportunity. And we believe that no matter your ZIP code, no matter where you live in Tulsa, that you deserve the best that Tulsa has to offer.”
