LAsting impact created by smartyouth's core curriculum

Smart Youth equips young people with identity, confidence, and real-world awareness creating a protective shield that helps them succeed academically and in life, while shaping character and leadership skills. 

A look at what scholars and researchers call “Protective Shield”

1. Preparing youth for real-world challenges (reenacting conflict encounters, including discrimination)
2. Strengthening identity (thru story telling and reinforcing who they are)
3. Teaching cultural awareness and history
4. Building confidence and resilience

5. Modeling servant leadership 

During a Smart Youth aviation experience, participants at both American Airlines CR Smith Museum and Frontier of Flight Museum, especially young girls—were given direct, hands-on access to a real aircraft cockpit. They engaged with flight controls, learned how instruments function, and explored the roles and responsibilities of a pilot.

For many of these youth, this was their first time seeing themselves in a space where African Americans—particularly females—have been historically underrepresented.

This exposure did more than educate—it expanded their sense of identity and possibility. By connecting learning with real-world experience, Smart Youth helps build a “protective shield” of confidence, awareness, and aspiration that translates into stronger academic engagement and future career interest.