Odane Brooks 

I need to connect with the young people. And so that is why I have opted the route of youth development. Because if I'm able to transform ten young people, it will mean that I have an additional ten young people who are transforming others. This in my mind creates a ripple effect. And ultimately, we can save generations to come.

Paul Meunier 

Hello, I'm Paul Meunier, the executive director of the Youth Intervention Programs Association. And I'm a youth worker at heart. How lucky am I, I have the privilege to meet youth workers from around the globe and learn their stories and share them with the entire world. I'm glad you're listening. Because together we'll learn how their life experiences shape their youth work. As you listen, I encourage you to consider how your experiences shape what you have to offer young people. Welcome to this edition of The Passionate Youth Worker. How Hi, everybody, for this episode, we're joined by Odane Brooks, from Kingston, Jamaica. In addition to the several awards he has for his outstanding work, he currently holds several professional positions that allow him to pursue his passions around public policy and education as it relates to our young people. He's one of those individuals that seems destined to be a great leader, regardless of what it is he gets involved with. Odane, thanks for being a guest on The Passionate Youth Worker.

Odane Brooks 

Thank you so much, Paul, for having me. It is my esteemed pleasure to share this august platform with you.

Paul Meunier 

Esteemed, that's a cool word. Well, I feel the same way. I'm looking forward to our conversation. So, let's dive in. In the introduction, I mentioned your tendency to always fall into leadership roles, it seems like no matter whatever you do. When did you first notice that this was happening, and it was just kind of a thing that you seem destined to do?

Odane Brooks 

I think I would have spotted this trait from tender age. So, maybe from the age of a toddler, if one could say. I was always the one to dominate spaces in which I go. And so that early stage even from being at early childhood institution, I was seen as this leader figure, and individuals warmed to the idea. And I think over time, I have taken it seriously. And with my professional acumen, I have also developed and honed those leadership skills. And so that is what accounts for where I am at today. And the trajectory that I'm currently on to be a youth leader, as well as a leading voice in Jamaica and the Caribbean on issues of public policy and youth leadership.

Paul Meunier 

Well, it's clear you're already doing a lot of those things. And you already hold the status of being a leader in Jamaica on issues as it relates to young people. So, when you were young and you started noticing you had these leadership capabilities, did it feel like a burden when you were younger? Like I don't even want to always be in charge or always take the leadership role, can't I just sit in the background and do whatever I feel like doing? Or did you always invite it and welcome it in?

Odane Brooks 

I would say it was a mixed bag. At times you just want to be a no-show at certain things. You just want to be the regular kid. But there are also times when you see opportunities for you to utilize your skill set, to be able to influence others and to lead the positive impacts across the different spaces in which I operated. So, from very early, I appreciated that dynamic. And so I would have been able to juggle having that need to sometimes get out of the limelight and to remove the attention from myself. But at the same time, I'm cognizant of the fact that the journey, it's about empowering others. And so I've taken it on fulsomely as a mission of mine because I believe that is my purpose on Earth, and I will fulfill it.

Paul Meunier 

That's a wonderful reply. And I'm eager to talk to you more about your vision about leadership and where you want to go with things. But I want to stick with this idea. So, leaders sometimes are born and leaders sometimes grow into leadership roles just based on circumstances. Looking around you, when you were young, did you have people role modeling leadership for you, were your parents leaders?

Odane Brooks 

I would definitely say my parents were leaders. Because to manage a household, especially for my father, to manage a household, it takes significant leadership. A part of leadership is to be able to inspire those who you expect to follow you. And my father was able to inspire the household in such a way where if the resources were not in abundance, he had that ability to inspire us to look beyond the now, and to look to the future. And so I believe that he inculcated some of the values that I currently possess. And so at that granular level of the family, at the household level, I would have seen significant leadership from my parents. An important facet of leadership that all listeners could readily associate with is leaders being resilient. Leaders must be able to weather different storms, and at the same time, keep the followers with them. And I think my father would have undoubtedly achieved that and held the family together throughout thick and thin episodes.

Paul Meunier 

Sounds like a wonderful man. How about your mother? Did she have leadership abilities as well?

Odane Brooks 

Certainly. She might not have been as assertive as my father. But that is the ecosystem in which leadership asserts. Some will emerge at the front, while others will have other supporting role to play. And I think that is what my mother would have also played in terms of providing the supporting role.

Paul Meunier 

Your parents sound wonderful. And so did they encourage your leadership? Did they pursue opportunities for you to grow and empower you to develop your leadership skills? Did they see that inherent in you and then give you opportunities?

Odane Brooks 

Certainly. And I think their approach to parenting would have allowed for what you just mentioned. So, if it is a matter of allocating a certain amount of resources to the children, my parents, they would have given to us our weekly allowance to attend school. And they will not be policing us to see if we had a spent all of those resources before the end of the week. And so I think it built within us responsibility. And because of that responsibility, we were able to traverse our early years in such a way that we emerged as leaders, we understood the path of responsibility. And as a result of that, it would have cultivated a kind of spirit that would have ultimately amounted to where I'm at today.

Paul Meunier 

So, you made it through school, were you a good student when you were younger? I'm gonna ask you about college in a minute but when you were younger, were you a good student?

Odane Brooks 

Well, good is relative. But I would definitely say that I was a good student. I was well behaved. I was easily likable. And so not many persons would have anything controversial to say about me. So, I would definitely say that I would have been a very good student.

Paul Meunier 

Did academics come easy to you or did you have to study hard?

Odane Brooks 

I definitely think I had to study hard. And I think my early years in junior school, it would not have allowed me to fulsomely come into my own. So, I believe that when I went to high school, that is where I fell in love with what I was doing. And I think it is my ability to be able to specialize in an area that I'm passionate about. So, what would have been offered in lower school, I might not have been too keen on those things. But at the high school level, I think that education would have become natural and easy for me because I was doing what I love. I was immersed in what I'm doing, and it partly is responsible for where I'm at today.

Paul Meunier 

And you have received a college degree and that has propelled you forward in many ways. When did you decide to go to college? Was it in high school then that you saw my ability to lead is going to be somewhat dependent on my education, is that word it kind of came together?

Odane Brooks 

Certainly. And even earlier, because I would not have been born into a family that is blessed with an abundance of resources. And so from very early, I would have known that my best option would be to pursue education. Because as my parents would say, once you are educated, no one can take that away from you. And so I saw education as a propelling force that would have allowed me to ultimately rise to the level where I can take up space, effectively take up space in any organization in any aspect of society. And I made them remark about taking up space, because I think that as young people oftentimes we relegate ourselves into the shadows. But I implore young people that they must seek opportunities to come to the fore and to make a positive contribution to nation development.

Paul Meunier 

How did your parents provide the opportunity for you to attend college? I heard you talk about your parents in a humble way. Not a lot of excessive things. But you had your values and your good work ethics handed to you by example. But it sounded like there wasn't a lot of other money to go around or resources to go around. How did you end up getting into college, then?

Odane Brooks 

That's a pretty good question. And it is shared genius on the part of my parents that I was able to go through university. So, my parents is involved in farming. So, we would have been producing peanuts at the particular point in time. And just for my listeners who might not be in Jamaica, peanuts, as we know it we here in Jamaica, grow peanuts. And so once we grow and reap the peanuts, we would sell them on a mass scale. And so that would have enabled the family to get resources to be able to finance my education. But wherever there would have been shortcomings, and there were shortcomings, I would have had to resort to student loan. So, here in Jamaica we have the opportunity to borrow student loan from the government. And I would have opted to go through that route for the first year of my university life. However, from there I would have made a vow to myself that I was performing too well to finance my own education. And so I turned my focus to applying for scholarships. And thanks be to God, I would have been able to get a scholarship that would cover the entirety of the program that I was studying. And as a result of that, all of the struggles would have been history, I would have been able to go through universities seamlessly. And after completing my undergraduate degree, I would have then transition to doing post grad studies. And at that level, I would have based on my performance, I would have been able to also get basically to go into my master's program without having to pay for it as I served as graduate assistant. And that allowed me to cover also that portion of my tuition.

Paul Meunier 

That is incredible story and a testament to your hard work and ability to do what you need to do to get such good grades. How has that experience changed you? How is college allow you to evolve? What's different about you now than say when you were in high school?

Odane Brooks 

I would say my perspective has changed on life. I have now accepted the fact that where you are now will not necessarily define where you are two years from now. And so that reality has changed the perspective which I bring to challenges that I might face. And so if I'm down today, I will not remain down. I will use it as a propelling force to drive me into the future and the future as it is promised. It is one of great possibilities. And that is what I believe my journey from university, as well as from earlier years, would have taught me and assisted me up to this point.

Paul Meunier 

Odane, it's hard to believe we have to take a little break. But when we come back, I would like to talk about your passion for supporting young people. So, we'll be right back.

Jade Schleif 

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Paul Meunier 

Odane, right before the break, I talked about where your passion lies, and that is in young people. Why do you think you're so focused on young people when it strikes me, Odane, that you could have chosen any career or any kind of profession - doctor, lawyer, business entrepreneur - why are you focused on young people?

Odane Brooks 

I think young people holds the greatest possibility to transform the world. They have innovative ideas, their spirit is undaunted. And so I believe that if we are able to channel resources into young people to empower them, we will be able to unearth those untapped potential. And so that is why I have utilized my various platforms to pour into youth work, to pour into young people. And I often say that the experiences that I've had up to this point, it has built me in such a way that my testimony can be someone else's testimony. But I need to connect with the young people. And so that is why I have opted the route of youth development. Because if I'm able to transform ten young people, it will mean that I have an additional ten young people who are transforming others. This in my mind creates a ripple effect. And ultimately, we can save generations to come.

Paul Meunier 

When I think about trying to motivate people to be leaders within the youth work industry there's a phrase out there that people say often it's like, become the person that you know needs to be out there in the community trying to advocate. And it seems like that's what you're trying to do. You're trying to be that person that says enough is enough. We have to do things better. How hard is that to put that on your shoulders and feel like you are going to be the change agent that is needed in Jamaica?

Odane Brooks 

It can be difficult, if I'm going to be honest. And it is difficult because there are so much expectations. And sometimes you question yourself as to whether you are living up to those expectations. But as someone who is resilient, I will not take on the persona to say that I am 100% perfect. So, wherever I have shortcomings, I seek support from other sources. And because of that understanding, I do this work through collaboration. Because I'm appreciative of the fact that I alone cannot do the work that is required. And so adopting that mantra allows me not to become too overwhelmed consistently. But as a human being, it becomes overwhelming at points. But as I always say to my fellow youth workers, we have to protect our own well-being so we are able to pour into others. So, mental well-being is an important thing for me. And so whenever I feel overwhelmed, I take a break, I step back, and then I pour into myself to be able to step back on the field and to pour into others.

Paul Meunier 

It's wonderful that you can recognize that there are shortcomings, even despite all the awards and all the professional things that you're doing in your country. And yet to be a leader enough to realize that you're not perfect, and there's things you have to do. And I think leaders sometimes are the ones who are just willing to admit that the most, and willing to try and fail. But it takes a lot of personal growth. So, I'm curious right now, Odane, what one thing are you working on and focused on about your own personal or professional growth? What are you currently trying to make better about you?

Odane Brooks 

Consistency. Consistency I believe, is a key driver that should drive any leader. So, I don't want to be someone who starts something and midway it dies. So, I am working on being consistent. And it connects with my earlier point about collaborating, because to take on the challenge of youth work alone, it can be a lot. And so to be able to manage what the pressures that comes and collaborating. And so I am seeing greater levels of consistency on my part. So, I understand what my strengths are. I understand what my weaknesses are. And so wherever those weaknesses are, I attempt to tap into resources around me to be able to complement what my strengths are, and to approach youth work in that manner. It is a win-win kind of situation that I have experienced.

Paul Meunier 

Leaders are willing to put people around them that are smarter and know things about them that they might not know, for the benefit of whatever that pursuit is they're trying to do. You don't have to have the answer to everything. And I think that you just described that so well. If you were to take the needs of young people right now, and your work on policy in Jamaica, what is the number one need that has to happen right now?

Odane Brooks 

Number one, I would even say number two, inclusion

Paul Meunier 

OK.

Odane Brooks 

Inclusion and empowerment.

Paul Meunier 

Sure.

Odane Brooks 

So inclusion is to foster a society that recognizes the unique challenges that young people faces. And in recognizing those challenges, it builds an appreciation for the need for inclusion. Once there is inclusion, then it will bring us into a discussion about empowerment. Because in recognizing that we have to include the youth's perspective, once we include them, it is the process of starting the empowerment. And the empowerment looks at things to do with character building. It has things to do with identity formation. And you can recognize that I'm not even mentioning things such as employment because I believe that at the fundamental level of any human being, there are certain skill sets that we must have for us to propel ourselves into higher heights. And so inclusion definitely, and empowerment are the two things that I see that Jamaican young people requires, and which my work reflects an attempt at addressing some of those things.

Paul Meunier 

I have the opportunity to talk to people in different countries all the time for this podcast. And I think that's the common denominator, no matter what country we're in, is for some reason society wants to exclude some people and especially those young people. And then it makes it almost impossible for them to develop what is uniquely, inherently good about that person and what they have to contribute. I know the empowerment thing is important and you're working on that and you even have your own podcast where you bring young people on and talk about their lives. And so is that an example of your empowerment work, just one small example of how you do that?

Odane Brooks 

Certainly, because my podcasts, it builds on the inclusion mantra because it provides young people with an opportunity where they can articulate their aspirations, their dreams, and they can advocate for things that they want. So, I might have a platform where people look up to that platform. And so to have others share the platform, that is a significant way of bringing more voices to the dialogue about empowerment. And so that is why I have curated this platform through my podcasts to provide young people with an avenue to voice their perspective. And to give them a listening ear. Because I think that one of the challenge that young people face is in the inclusion dynamics is to be heard and not just seen. So, we have to correct that malady where they are seen, but not heard. And so that is what my platform seeks to do to give them a voice to vocalize what is important to them.

Paul Meunier 

What does that mean to the young people to have a platform like that? What do you see are their responses to that opportunity?

Odane Brooks 

It is, I must say, it is incredible. I can remember one of my guests, he said that he felt empowered after the session. He is inspired because of the work that I'm doing with the platform. And so if I'm able to have that kind of empowerment being transferred to another youth leader, I think that represents awesome work.

Paul Meunier 

I know a few other youth-serving organizations are starting podcasts to empower young people like that. They may want to listen to your podcast to get ideas or to just have young people listen to those podcasts. What is the name of your podcast and where can people find it?

Odane Brooks 

Awesome. So, my podcast is Elevata Live with Odane. And it can be found on Spotify, as well as Anchor and on YouTube.

Paul Meunier 

Elevata Live with Odane.

Odane Brooks 

Elevata Live with Odane.

Paul Meunier 

Well, good for you for doing that. What do you think is the biggest challenge that you face in your work in supporting young people?

Odane Brooks 

I think the biggest challenge is to find like-minded youth leaders. Youth Leadership is one that provides you with a platform. But it has to come from a place of honesty. And so to find other young leaders who are honest in their intentions as to what they expect to get out of you to leadership, that is one of the major challenge. So, youth leadership is not about the opportunities that you will get. You will get opportunities because it is a natural follow on to youth leadership. But youth leadership is more about those who we serve. It is not about you trying to get a platform to advance your own narratives. And so I think that that is one of the major challenge that I've experienced in terms of being able to connect with other youth leaders who are genuine and who have an honest approach to what their true intentions are for getting into youth leadership.

Paul Meunier 

So, there's people in youth work that are trying to change policy and direct an entire country to start thinking about this stuff different. And then there's other youth workers who work in recreation program or a mentoring program, who don't have the same aspirations to take this to this level. But I believe they have to be leaders at every level of working with young people. And is that what you were kind of hinting at? Or maybe you said it, I just missed it but it seems like everybody who interacts with young people and has the privilege of the opportunity to work with young people should be honing their leadership skills on a regular basis.

Odane Brooks 

Certainly, certainly, you have to hone those skills because it allows you to serve those who you come in contact with in a more resilient way. Because as I alluded to earlier, as youth leaders, we do not or we should not assume that we know it all. We should always seek advice, seek support where it exists. And so taking that kind of approach, it enables us to hone our own leadership skills, as well as to continuously revitalize and to rejuvenate our own leadership skills. Because the environment and the ecosystem in which we operate, it is constantly evolving, it is constantly changing. And so as youth leaders, we have to remain relevant in terms of the work that we're doing. So, if I should point to an example where an organization in which I'm serving, we would have started an initiative during COVID, to provide tablets to students within Jamaica. We were able to adapt our leadership to recognizing what the situation at the time needed. And so at this time, we're not necessarily focused on tablets, given that schools have gone back face-to-face. So, as youth leaders, we have to have that eye of discernment. And we have to have the ability to adapt our leadership to what our constituents immediately needs, and what will suit their interests in a particular period of time.

Paul Meunier 

Odane, it is amazing to think about the work you're doing, and the big destiny that seems to lie in front of you, and your commitment to young people and your commitment to leadership and your commitment to excellence. I think you're gonna make a huge difference in this world someday. And we need a lot of people like you, all over the face of the Earth fighting for our young people. Because we do, like we mentioned earlier, we do have a tendency, no matter what country it's in, to ignore certain populations of young people and exclude them from opportunities. So, good luck to you. Keep working hard. I know you will. But I just want to wish you the best. And I want to say thank you for all that you've done. And thank you for the work that you will do going forward because I know your work is just barely at its infancy what you're going to accomplish. So, keep going. And thank you also for being a guest on The Passionate Youth Worker.

Odane Brooks 

Thank you so much for having me on this platform.

Paul Meunier 

Before we go, what words of wisdom or inspiration, Odane, would you like to leave with our listeners?

Odane Brooks 

Thank you so much. Whoever is within the range of my voice I want to use this opportunity to connect with you. I might not know what struggles, what challenges you might be going through. But I want to inspire you, to tell you that those challenges are not your end result. Those challenges are preparing you for something greater. Use this as a moment for learning. Use this as a moment for reflection, and to tap into that inner strength that is within you. And which will propel you into a brighter tomorrow. So, don't be despaired. Rock the boat as you might, but continue on your path to your brighter tomorrow.

Paul Meunier 

If you would like to share your passion for youth work, we'd love to spotlight you as a guest. If you have feedback about the show, please let us know. Just visit training.yipa.org, that's training.yipa.org and click on the podcast tab. This podcast is made possible in part due to a generous contribution from M Health Fairview. I'm your host, Paul Meunier. Thanks for listening to The Passionate Youth Worker.