The energy inside the Normandy High School Theater on Monday morning felt like possibility. Families, educators and community partners packed the room as Mentors in Motion hosted its Normandy Icon Awards. The event was a celebration of student achievement and creativity. It was also a demonstration of the hands-on learning provided by the program that is reshaping what success looks like for young people in the Normandy Schools Collaborative.
“Everything that you saw on stage – from the clothes to the candles to the backdrop to the music – the scholars did everything throughout this school year,” said Mr. Teff, creative director and program director for the Normandy High School branch of Mentors in Motion. “And they get a grade for what they are doing.”
Throughout the year, scholars in Mentors in Motion’s elective credit courses — music production, apparel design, cosmetology, digital media, podcasting and e-gaming — have been learning skills they can use right now. Monday’s event gave them the chance to show exactly what that looks like.
“They’re doing a lot of things,” Mentors in Motion President and founder Alandon Pitts said. “They are learning things that they can do outside of school and apply to life – and that’s the key to this program.”
The showcase featured student-produced fashion pieces, original music, digital media projects and entrepreneurial products created throughout the school year. For many families, it was the first time seeing their children step into roles as designers, producers, stylists and business owners.
Sophomore Gustavior Hammond said the program has helped him stay focused.
“There are a lot of distractions in school,” he said. “Mentors in Motion helps me keep my mind away from the bad stuff and stay on the right track.” His proudest moment came when he designed a shirt and sold it the same day. “My teacher tells me to be me, so I put my own style on it.”
The event also included awards and scholarships — including a $500 scholarship for student honoree Kamori Wooden, who will pursue her cosmetology license at Paul Mitchell.
For Teff, the purpose of the program is to meet students where they are and help them build a future they can see.
“We want to mentor our kids in social enterprise, entrepreneurship and the arts,” he said. “The arts are being taken out of schools. We want to put them back — and give scholars who learn differently a chance to shine.”
Pitts said the program’s impact is already showing up in attendance, behavior and student confidence.
“Students come to school because they love these classes,” Pitts said. “Today is about showcasing what they’ve learned — and what they can take home and use in real life.”
Apparel design instructor Ms. B said watching students grow creatively has been the highlight of her year.
“They all have creativity in them,” she said. “Sometimes you have to pull it out, but once they see what they can do, they flourish. And they take that confidence into their other classes too.”
Mentors in Motion operates in several schools across the region.
Pitts said that they survey students before they join the program to see what they will be interested in as an engagement tool.
“We ask, ‘What classes would you be interested in to turn your grade point average around or turn your behavior around,’” Pitts said. “And because they are interested, you see students showing different positive characteristics that they might not have been able to show in the past.”
Just like the others, Normandy’s program has become a hub for talent, innovation and student pride.
“We come here to inspire these youngsters,” Teff said. “They’re living in the real world right now — not tomorrow. And their creativity can take them far away from the distractions and the trauma. We just give them something positive to focus on.”
As the showcase ended, families cheered, students hugged their instructors.
“All kids don’t learn the same. And we want to give the scholars who have a more creative approach to learning an opportunity to shine,” Teff said. “Just like the academic students and just like the student athletes.”
Students proved what they’re capable of — and what’s possible when a program invests in their gifts.
“If you tend to stray to the wrong path and get distracted by the streets, Mentors in Motion helps you stay away from stuff like that,” Hammond said. “It keeps your mind straight and keeps you focused on grinding – and on becoming a better person.”