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CBS News
6 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Philadelphia nonprofit helping girls get head start on careers with Lunch and Learn initiative
Philadelphia mentor giving girls a head start on their careers with Lunch and Learn series Philadelphia mentor giving girls a head start on their careers with Lunch and Learn series Philadelphia mentor giving girls a head start on their careers with Lunch and Learn series A mentor in Philadelphia is helping girls get a head start on their careers through his group mentoring initiative. Kirk Berry is the founder of the KB Foundation, a nonprofit that pairs youth ages 9 to 14 with professionals through a Lunch and Learn series, blending real-world skill-building with hands-on experiences. "There's a lot of young people who need and want a mentor," Berry said. "But there's not enough people to do it one-to-one." Berry created a solution: group mentoring sessions that bring students directly into the workplace. At a recent session hosted by Dynamic Advertising Solutions, students tackled marketing, brand awareness and even persuasion techniques with a few laughs along the way. CEO Andy Langsman, who launched his business right after college, shared his journey and stressed the importance of consistency and hard work. "It takes a serious amount of hard work," Langsman said. "You need to stay focused." Langsman's team helped lead exercises to boost confidence and teach communication, lessons that resonated beyond the office walls. Berry said his daughter was the inspiration to expand the program to include girls. "She told me, 'Daddy, girls need to learn the same skills boys do,'" Berry said. Since launching the KB Foundation in 2016, the impact has been real. Some students have even gone on to be hired by companies they met through the program. "We actually recruit and hire people from the KB Foundation," Langsman said. The message for these young girls is that exposure is life, and every session is a step toward a promising future.
CBS News
29-01-2025
- General
- CBS News
Pennsylvania students spend day off school developing communication skills with CBS News Philadelphia
Many schools in the Delaware Valley were closed on Wednesday because of Lunar New Year, but one Philadelphia nonprofit made it worthwhile. The KB Foundation, an organization that provides group mentoring, hosted dozens of girls from Philadelphia and Norristown for a corporate mentoring event at Reach Climbing & Fitness in Montgomery County on Wednesday. Students sat down with several volunteers from CBS News Philadelphia to learn online etiquette and how to navigate the social media landscape. Following the workshop, the girls put their problem-solving skills to the test with rock climbing. "Representation matters and it's important for our young ladies to see women in this profession," Alexandra Ingram, a mentor with the KB Foundation, said. "A lot of times we don't see women in media." The goal of the event was to sharpen the girls' communication skills and have fun. CBS News Philadelphia reporter Eva Andersen said it was great giving back to the next generation. "I love mentoring and I always feel really lucky when I get to interview young people for the story I'm working on for the day," Andersen said, "but the chance to put the camera to the side for the day and sit next to them and chat with them, that was really special." The KB Foundation hosts events like these throughout the year. Tanayha Hollinger, an eighth grader at Eisenhower Science and Technology Leadership Academy said she is hoping to use the interpersonal skills she learned to pursue her dream of becoming a pediatric surgeon. "When I get older and I'm not going to be able to communicate with somebody because I have an attitude or I'm angry, I can't communicate with my manager when I'm angry and I need my check," Tanayha said. "That's what I survive off of."
