Welcome to the KnolShare with Dr. Dave podcast, hosted on Grokshare.com and streamed on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify.   You are listening to Episode #EAFH-13 with Dr. Dave Cornelius, founder of the 5 Saturdays STEAM program. Shifting Legacies We often think of legacies as being that of which belong to athletes, musicians, politicians, actors, and those in the spotlight.  I can remember statistics of Michael Jordan, Reggie Jackson, The Jackson Five albums, cyclist Lance Armstrong, Whitney Houston, President Barack Obama, and many others. These trend setters left an impression on certain aspects of my life.  I never think about my own legacy! I wonder how many of you think about your own legacy?  How will your family, friends, and community reflect upon you now and in the future? Parents, family members, and community leaders have played the role of helping loved ones to shift legacy by sharing encouraging words, creating safe spaces, and being available as mentors.  Some have paved the way by paying for college and opening doors to careers that are only available through the familial connection.  We see the benefits reaped by those individuals in favor and how the possibility of their legacy is shifted because of good fortune. And then there are those who by no fault of their own, do not have anyone to be their advocate or ally.  They do not have a roadmap to follow.  No doors are open for them and favors are often expected to be repaid in ways that are inhumane.  I think of the kids without parents in the gap years (16 to 18 years old) and they are no longer protected by the foster care system.  I ask myself, what can I do to help them with a roadmap or open a few doors that may shift their legacy? The bigger question is do we want to stick with the status quo or make changes that can shift legacies? In 2007, the 44th President of the United States during the democratic primary season began with this talk of hope and change, peppered with statements of “yes we can – si se puede”.  After Barack Obama was elected as the 44th President of the United States, something that seemed so foreign and unbelievable to me, I said “yes I can and yes I must”.  My goal was resolute, and my intentions were clear.  As written, “To whom much is given, much is expected”. In 2009 I started to ponder what if I used the talents that I have been given to help high school students learn vocational skills that would potentially shift their legacy even if it was for one generation.  High school in my opinion is the scary time before reality sets in and we have to be responsible for our own survival.  You have to find your way by getting a job, going to college, joining the military, or you know, figure something out. The goal was to introduce people marginalized by economic limitations to a career in technology and business, that was powered by agile practices.  The goal was also to provide skills in job readiness and effective communications, filling skills gap to be prepared for the job market with resumes and the ability to communicate effectively.