Kyle Rucker, Project Legos

 

Kyle Rucker was just 19 when he walked into his friend's class of music students at a Minneapolis Middle School. He just wanted to talk with the 35 students, but what happened that day turned the course of Kyle's life.

 

Born and raised in Chicago, Kyle knew firsthand what racism, hatred and bullying felt like. Though it got a little easier when he moved to Minneapolis at 16, he still felt strongly about trying to change the school scene so that others didn't experinece what he had. By the time he graduated, he had some ideas about what he wanted to do.

 

 

 


That fateful day in the fall of 2005, Kyle sat down in front of the 6th and 7th graders, and began talking. "Do any of you ever feel bullied or excluded? What does it feel like?" That got their attention! Surprised that anyone cared, they talked all afternoon with Kyle about their experiences of being teased, of being excluded, of being singled out. Together Kyle and the kids brainstormed ways to make change. He emphasized that each of them were indeed important and that they could make a difference if they decided to.

 

 

When he left that classroom, Kyle was filled with passion. With the encouragement of his friend, the music teacher, he soon arranged to visit a few more classrooms. From there Project Legos exploded. Word spread, and requests came from schools all over the city. By 2006, Mike Jackson joined him to take on some of the load. In 2007, they hired 15 more facilitators.

 

We believe that every young person plays a
crucial role in achieving positive social change
 in our society. As an organization we are
dedicated to connecting every youthful soul
from all walks of life to positive social change.

 

The programs have been a booming success. Kyle created a format based on 3 steps –

 

·          Build a community of trust among the class.

·          Bring up the issues and discuss what's going on.

·          Brainstorm together and make suggestions – What can be done about it?

 

Project Legos focuses is on taking a stand and refusing to allow these kinds of painful behaviors to continue. First, facilitators talk about trust, and creating an environment where everyone can speak in a safe space. Then the discussions begin. Strong feelings emerge when the kids get to share the day to day challenges of being put down, teased, made fun of, excluded. Kyle and his team use games, skits and short videos to help the kids find compassion for one another, and to step into each others shoes. The students begin to realize that everyone feels bad when treated bad, no matter how they look on the outside. Its not long before they start to want to make changes. Even kids as young as elementary school can decide to make different choices, to stand up for one another, and to befriend people who are different from themselves.

 

Kyle's powerful team creates their own materials, and also mines the vast internet for materials. They have over 100 games and processes that give students a taste of what its like to be treated as "different". They've gathered a library of powerful short video's for each age group. One video tell the story of a girl with dark skin and kinked hair in a culture that glorifies blonde girls with straight hair. Often the facilitators will put colored stickers on the students foreheads to role play being "different". Because everyone experiences some form of abuse, bonds are made and a comradery is built around standing together for change in their school culture.

 

 

 

A few statistics:

·          According to Diplomas Count, a June 2006 Education Week report, 30 percent of 9th graders fail to finish high school with their peers -- an estimated 1.2 million U.S. students from the class of 2006, and most of them are members of minority groups.

·          It's estimated that nearly 160,000 students stay home each day because of bullying.

 

·          It has been approximated that in the United States alone there are about 2 million
homeless adolescents. A large percent of these homeless teens are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (GLBT). Most of then leave their homes to avoid torment they face from their parents and family because of their sexual orientation. They leave this harassment for extremely dangerous conditions found on the streets.

 

 

 

The Annual Footsteps March is a place for Project Legos students to get out of the classroom and take action for social change, embracing the power they possess as young people, and inspiring others in the community to do the same.

Project Legos is now forming a youth advisory board to focus on creating positive change in the community. In just 3 years, activities have grown to include concerts, networking events, marches, volunteering opportunities, community service projects, murals, music, ending homelessness efforts, mobilizing other young people, cleaning up neighborhoods, promoting social action efforts and more.

 

 

 

 

 

"It is touching and rewarding to witness these biases start to melt away and see the youth express a desire to start making positive changes in their thoughts and actions towards people different from themselves."  ~ Angela Goins, Facilitator

 

 

Get Involved!

 

There are many ways that people can support us and our mission:

 

1.  Of course financial contributions are always needed and extremely helpful, as we strive to assure that there is no community or group that cannot participate in our programming based on financial reasons.  Every season, we allot thousands of dollars to financial aid, providing life-changing experiences at no-cost to schools, recreation centers, YMCA's, and other groups of young people that are in great need of our programs.  

 

 

2.  Our programs are always in need of more materials and that is a way that many people are able to support our mission.  We are putting a "wish list" on the "support page" of our website that people can look at but these are the most commonly needed items:

-Paper--white, colored, construction

-Pens, Pencils, and Markers

-backpacks/duffel bags

-ropes--of any size

-string

-Magazines of any kind (don't need to be up-to-date)

-tarps 

-pieces of carpet (any size can be used)

-tape (of any type)

-blank CD's, DVD's

-batteries (of any size)

 

"Big" needs right now:

-computer(s), computer screens

-digital camera(s)

-video camera

-CD player(s), stereo(s)

-speakers (of any size)

 

3.  Items that can be used for raffle and/or silent auction purposes (youth or adult related) are also a great need of our and a wonderful opportunity to support our mission.  Young people involved in our sessions are given a chance to win prizes at their ending graduation ceremony/celebration and many of our community events involve raffles as an extra way to give back to the community so we are always in need of items to be used for these purposes.  If you have anything, have to connections to get anything, or just purchase anything that could used as prizing for our sessions or raffle items at our community events such as gift cards, special coupons, free passes to a show, CD's, DVD's, etc... this is a much appreciated way to contribute to our mission.  

 

4.  Event sponsorship is another exciting way for people to become involved in and support our mission.  Each spring, we host a YOUTH Steps Forum and Footsteps March among many other smaller community events and all events that we host our free to those involved.  Event sponsorships in the form of food, prizes, marketing/promotions, shirts, materials, and more are necessary for us to continue providing these events in the community.  

 

www.projectlegos.org

 

"Just think of something that would be wonderful if it were only 'possible.'  Then make it possible."

                                           --Armand Hammer--

 

 


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