Full transcription available at http://heartsofgoldpodcast.com/ In this episode of Hearts of Gold, Janae-Rose shares her Girl Scout Gold Award project called Youth Connect Charlotte. She addresses the issue of segregation in her home city and the lack of interaction between youth from different backgrounds. Janae-Rose's project involves partnering with Transforming Youth Movement to connect participants with students from other areas of Charlotte, allowing them to discuss the issues they see in the city and build connections. Through this initiative, Janae-Rose aims to promote positive change and bridge the divide in her community. More about Janae-Rose: Janae-Rose Fageyinbo is a born-and-raised Charlottean who is proud of her immigrant roots! In fact, her efforts to give back to any community she is a part of comes from her value for collaboration between people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Currently, she is a rising sophomore at Yale University and still participates in Girl Scouts as a leader at the local Boys and Girls Club. Janae-Rose has a few different career ideas up from going into academia, teaching, or working in healthcare and she's excited about all the opportunities ahead of her. As a Girl Scout since 1st grade, Janae-Rose has definitely benefited from being exposed to a variety of fields and opportunities since elementary school.In her free time, Janae-Rose enjoys reading, baking, and hanging out with friends. Links: https://youthconnectclt.wixsite.com/website https://www.instagram.com/youthconnectclt/ Key takeaways from the episode: 1️⃣ Building Bridges: My Gold Award project, Youth Connect Charlotte, aimed to bridge the gap between different communities in my city. By bringing together youth from diverse backgrounds, we were able to foster understanding, break down barriers, and create a sense of unity. It reminded me of the power of everyday conversations in driving positive change. 2️⃣ Finding the Right Partners: One of the challenges I faced was finding the right community partner for my project. I discovered Transforming Youth Movement, an organization already working with court-referred students. Their goals aligned perfectly with mine, and their support was instrumental in the success of the project. It taught me the importance of finding partners who share your vision and are eager to help you execute it. 3️⃣ Embracing Iteration: Throughout the project, I learned the value of flexibility and iteration. I initially started with a book club, but quickly realized it wasn't engaging for everyone. So, I adapted and transformed it into a conversation club, which sparked more meaningful discussions. It reminded me that being open to feedback and making adjustments is crucial for creating a program that truly resonates with participants. Share this show with your friends on Twitter. Click to have an editable already written tweet! https://ctt.ac/33zKe Sign up for our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3rx06pr Join our Facebook Community https://www.facebook.com/sherylmrobinson/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sherylmrobinson/?hl=en Please subscribe to Hearts of Gold on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/sherylmrobinson or on your favorite podcast app. Support future Hearts of Gold episodes at https://www.patreon.com/heartsofgold Editing by https://www.offthewalter.com/ Walter’s YouTube channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt0wFZRVaOpUd_nXc_8-4yQ