In September and October of this year, Campaign Zero continued its transformative work with the young people at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center (CCJDC),  connecting identity, creativity, and leadership through curated experiences, storytelling, and community care.

This fall, the series entered a new season of growth with  September’s sessions planting seeds on the importance of health, wellness, and movement — helping youth rediscover their voice through self-care practices, rhythm, and storytelling. Across multiple days of creative workshops, the youth explored how identity and emotion can live side by side in fitness, conversation, and personal growth. By October, those roots began to take hold. The next installment introduced a bold new chapter: the launch of the Literacy & Leadership Accelerator, a partnership between Campaign Zero, Lit, and CCJDC that centers literacy as a pathway to leadership and liberation.

Connecting all of this work is a shared belief that every young person deserves the tools, language, and confidence to shape their own story.

Building confidence through literacy & leadership

The September series centered on health and wellness first, and that foundation became the springboard for October’s series—where literacy became another form of self-expression and self-determination. 

Under the theme Lead. Learn. Level Up., the October installment of the series expanded Campaign Zero’s existing model of connection, creativity, and community by introducing literacy as a foundational skill for empowerment. 

Why the focus on literacy? Here’s our why.

The Accelerator—developed in partnership with Lit and the CCJDC team—focuses on reading comprehension, vocabulary growth, and writing fluency. Across four days of programming, youth engaged in lessons from the Cuyahoga Literacy Playbook, journaling and reading reflections, and vocabulary challenges centered on community, identity, and voice.

The integration of literacy within the Cuyahoga model marks the first phase of a long-term framework that will evolve into a Leadership Accelerator in 2026, in collaboration with the Aspen Institute’s Center for Rising Generations.

Connection, creativity, & care

The fall series featured concurrent speaker sessions and literacy labs designed to help participants explore new ways to express themselves through fluency, language, and art. From vocabulary flashcards and personalized journaling prompts to word-based cooking recipes and hands-on creative projects, every session invited youth to connect literacy to self-discovery.

Speakers included a powerful lineup of artists, educators, and creators, each bringing unique perspectives and lived experience to the space:

September Speakers:

• Branson Bailey – College Student, Watson Fellow, Aspiring Policy Leader
• Brian Gillipe – NJCAA Basketball Player, Bryant & Stratton College
• CJ Hart – Model & Photographer
• CJ Mitchell – Campaign Zero Fellow, Former D3 Basketball Player
• Da’Shaunae Marisa – Visual Storyteller & Creative Entrepreneur
• James Frazier – Philanthropist, Mentor, & Equity in Fashion Champion
• Jordan Bridges – Organizing Director, Artist, & Director
• Kashmir Thompson – Artist, Creative Director, & Business Owner
• Kelly Davis – Managing Director of Organizing & Advocacy, Chef
• Lucious Terrell – Head Men’s NJCAA Basketball Coach, Bryant & Stratton College
• Rahmell Peebles – Storyteller, Actor, Boxing Instructor
• Sha’Ran Marshall – Dancer, Teacher, Choreographer
• Thomas Siakam – NJCAA Basketball Player, Bryant & Stratton College
• Trier Bryant – Investor & Entrepreneur

October Speakers & Literacy Leads:

Literacy Leads

• CJ Hart – Model & Photographer
• CJ Mitchell – Campaign Zero Fellow, Former D3 Basketball Player
• Kashmir Thompson – Artist, Creative Director, & Business Owner
• Nicole Warren – Science of Reading Enthusiast & Partner at Lit

Speakers

• Abdul Seidu – Storyteller, Actor, Writer, & Producer
• Akio Evans – Renowned Artist & Film Producer
• Angel Gregorio – Entrepreneur & Culinary Curator of The Spice Suite
• Du’Bois A’Keen – Music Artist, Choreographer, & Professor
• Jessica Nabongo – Travel Expert, Writer, & Photographer
• Kelly Davis – Managing Director of Organizing & Advocacy, Chef
• Mark McClain – Instructor of Qi Gong
• Nick Brooks – Author & Filmmaker
• Sannina Woodson – Energy Guidance Specialist
• Sakief Baron – Creative & Entrepreneur
• Shauna Anthony – Chief of Staff at Campaign Zero, Painter, & Plant Enthusiast
• Shondrae Crawford – Grammy-Winning Super Producer

Each speaker, facilitator, and literacy lead helped reinforce a shared truth: literacy is not only about reading words—it’s about claiming the power to write one’s own story.

Looking ahead

The Cuyahoga Youth Series will feature two more weekend intensives in November and December 2025, realizing Campaign Zero’s commitment to reach each resident, each month with transformative programming. In 2026, the series will continue by expanding the Literacy & Leadership Accelerator into its next phase: a leadership curriculum designed to connect reading and writing to civic engagement, critical thinking, and real-world leadership.

The Literacy & Leadership Accelerator represents a continued commitment to long-term, measurable impact. Through Campaign Zero’s collaboration with Lit, youth will engage in a 10-week curriculum designed to strengthen comprehension, vocabulary, and expression—with the goal of achieving measurable literacy growth by the end of 2025.

Through this sustained model, Campaign Zero continues to reimagine what community investment looks like. At its heart, this work is about transformation. 

But when literacy becomes a tool for liberation, every word written becomes an act of freedom.

If you’re inspired to support our ongoing work with youth in Cleveland, please donate today.