Common, the rapper and actor, founded Free to Dream to expose young people to career possibilities they wouldn't otherwise see. He credits his own South Side Chicago upbringing and sense of purpose for keeping him on track, and now his organizations bring students to film sets and other experiences to help them imagine futures beyond their immediate surroundings.
Welcome to youth career readiness, the one question podcast.
I'm Jean Eddy.
And I'm Michael Horne.
And this is the podcast where we talk to people across careers about their professional journeys and what advice they would.
Offer to help all middle and high schoolers explore, experiment with, and discover careers.
Today, we're welcoming none other than Common, the rapper, actor, and founder of the nonprofit Free to Dream.
Common. What's one of the most important things educators and other caring adults can do to help young people as they grow up?
So I believe that one of the most valuable things we can do to help young people is expose them to opportunities, expose them to things that will help them find their dreams. I say that because growing up on the south side of Chicago, I seen a lot of beautiful things, and I saw some very tough things. And it was because I had a dream that was my baseline, my north star, my guiding light. To me, having value and. And feeling like I had purpose and feeling like I was worth something, that can be something in the world. And it kept me straight. I mean that, you know, it kept me from going too far. I've seen young people participate in the programs that we have from Common Ground foundation to aim Art in Motion to our whole free to dream, you know, entity now, like their lives change and improve just because they've seen new things. When some of our youth came over from Common Ground foundation to visit me on the set of Silo, the things they saw, the people that they saw working on the set is exactly what I'm talking about. It's like exposure to things that you never know exist, and then you can find your place, your dream, your purpose, and finding purpose. Man is so powerful to any individual, and of course, to young people, it will change their lives. And that dream starts with the purpose. The dream starts them to their path of purpose. So I really think that's one of the greatest things we can do, is expose them to things so that they can find their dream.
And that's all we've got on the Youth Career Readiness, the One Question podcast.
Thank you for tuning in, and we'll see you next time for more tips and insights.
