REVERSE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM PILOT TO TAKE PLACE THIS SUMMER

PepsiCo Chicago will pilot a reverse mentorship program this summer for young people from the South and West sides. PHOTO BY PEPSICO.
PepsiCo Chicago will pilot a reverse mentorship program this summer for young people from the South and West sides. PHOTO BY PEPSICO.

REVERSE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM PILOT TO TAKE PLACE THIS SUMMER

BY TIA CAROL JONES

PepsiCo has developed a reverse mentorship program pilot with the goal to build a more equitable workforce, with Black and Hispanic young people from the South and West sides.

The program is a paid internship program for young people ages 16 to 24 years old. Mentors and mentees will build meaningful relationships, develop leadership skills and receive leadership training. The reverse mentorship aspect is meant to develop mutual growth and development, where mentors can also learn from the younger program participants.

The guidance of Chicago Cares was instrumental in the program’s development. Its mission is to mobilize volunteers to build a stronger, more unified Chicago. PepsiCo has been a longstanding partner with Chicago Cares in doing the work engaging in community-driven service. Chicago Cares helped
facilitate the development of PepsiCo’s Pathways to Readiness and Empowerment Program (PREP) in 2021.

“We know Chicago Cares has trusted relationships
across the city, so it was really important to tap into their knowledge and expertise as we created this program. We wanted to be really thoughtful about the work we created and Chicago Cares was really supportive in leading us through that journey,” said Brittany Wilson, Community Manager at Pepsi- Co.

One aspect of the program’s development is that young people from the community were given the opportunity to provide input as to what they wanted included in the program. Wilson believes it is important to have the involvement of the young people who will be impacted. Chicago Cares introduced PepsiCo to young people from Englewood, North Lawndale and Chicago Lawn. Those young people are aware of what is going on in their communities and were able to speak to what they really wanted to see in a program. The goal is to create programs that are relevant to those young people’s needs.

“All young people no matter their race, ethnicity or background, deserve equal access to learning, training,
work experience and professional networks,” 20th
Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor said in a release. “Lack of
access to opportunities that build career skills could
result in young people being left behind and may even
lead to high rates of youth unemployment or violence
as we have seen too many times. It is all connected, and
we need to invest in them — Chicago’s young people,
the FUTURE of our great city — on the front end.”

Gray Matter Experience, North Lawndale Community
Coordinating Council, Big Brothers Big Sisters, After School Matters, Teamwork Englewood and Southwest Organizing Project also were involved in designing this program. “True service is community driven. We want to follow the community’s plans and strategies. We want to center the voices of those most directly impacted by the problems, acknowledging that they’re also closest to the solutions,” said Ellen Ray, CEO of Chicago Cares.

Ray added that not only was it important to have the community involved, but also have the young people’s input, because it informs where the resources are placed, how time is invested and where the energy is put. The goal is to meet people’s true needs, not act on what they think people need. Ray said the young people involved brought a lot of valuable wisdom and experience to the process.

One of the things Chicago Cares and PepsiCo heard from the young people is that the program needed to be reciprocal and mutual. The young people have something to offer and want to be honored for the leadership, voice and expertise they bring. They also want consistent opportunities, as well as exposure to new careers and to be able to gain skills and credentials that will help them along their career path. For more information about PepsiCo, visit www.pepsico.com.

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