Kings of Distinction Chicago Trip

"There's a world out there that I wanna see
There's a man that I'm destined to be
I won't be stopped by the pressure of the streets
I believe inside that I cant be beat"

We are the young men of Kings of Distinction Mentoring Program at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School. All of us are ninth-grade students, who are focused on maintaining academic achievement, raising our social, political and cultural consciousness, and being of service to our community. We put on our shirts and ties and meet after-school every Thursday, for three  hours of tutoring, mentoring and character building. So far, we have learned how to dress for success, sharpen our image, build our brand and practice public speaking skills. Like every young man, the 15 of us have big dreams and goals for our entire group and ourselves. Some of those goals include; attaining an average G.P.A. of 3.0, participating in monthly community service projects and maintaining a clean discipline record. However, our biggest goal this year is to go on a Social Justice Trip to Chicago this May!
Chicago is less than 5 hours away, but has so much to offer such as; a rich and relevant history, current issues that we can relate to, and many great social justice initiatives that we can bring back to our community. . While there, we will partake in a college tour, meet with community leaders and other young male mentoring groups, visit places of historical civil rights significance, and participate in a community service project.
Furthermore, traveling, fellow-shipping and exploring the Windy City, will also allow us to grow in brotherhood with one another and rejuvenate us after a long year of leading and learning at school.
Through this exposure, we will be motivated and inspired to continue to build our own communities, while realizing the King that lies within each of us. But like every king, we need the support of our village. Although we have fund raised all year, donated our own money and sacrificed other projects, we still need your financial support to help us reach our goal.
This project means so much to us and is way more than just a trip to Chicago. It proves that people really believe in us, it serves as encouragement in times of negative peer pressure, exposure for those of us who have never left our own neighborhood and can possibly be the life changing moment that will set us on a path towards excellence.
When you or your company support us, we will list you as a community partner on our school's website and send you a small token of our appreciation. No donation is too small. If you are unable to financially support us at this time, perhaps share this link and send us your best wishes!

"Every child deserves a champion — an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be" -Rita Pierson