The Dignity Shift’s Cell Phone Campaign collect old, slightly used cell phones and we sell them to companies to raise money for education, funding, school supplies, and etc. These phones don’t only just change the amount we get but the mindset of one kid’s mind! Your unused phone can help give a child a better chance at success.

Studying in school is a key to success. So, let’s change the graduate percentile in South Side Chicago. What this initiative does is we go down to schools in South Side Chicago and talk to them about the importance of education, studies, and why school really matters!

Place a colorful “Encouragement Mailbox” in schools or rec centers. Students can write anonymous letters of encouragement to each other—or drop in notes requesting one if they’re having a tough time. Volunteers or mentors respond with uplifting messages that brighten someone’s day.

Host a high-energy gathering in a school gym, community center, or rec hall that brings together underrepresented youth and inspiring STEM mentors—scientists, engineers, coders, nurses, architects, inventors, and beyond. This isn’t a typical STEM fair. It’s part pep rally, part career day, part spark-your-future movement.

Mentors become “mission captains” in this creative summit where students are agents of their own futures. They work through fun and thoughtful activities—like designing future resumes, mapping dream goals, or writing their story—and get personal coaching along the way. It ends with a “Dream Declaration” walk, where students publicly claim what they want their future to be—and feel a whole community cheering them on.

In this empowering event, students take the mic. With guidance from mentors, they prepare and share short stories about who they are, what they care about, and what they want from life. Mentors respond with personal letters, applause, and reflections. The result: students no longer just receive advice—they take ownership of their voice, their vision, and their future.