With a world of institutions and forces seemingly stacked against Black youth, one Houston-area non-profit is on a mission to guide middle schoolers through a journey of self-discovery to chart consciously aligned future educational and career pathways.
Innerverse, founded by longtime educator Angela L. Johnson, utilizes the personal development principles of self-awareness, self-mastery and self-transcendence via its core programs to position participants’ inner genius as the North Star for proper future planning.
Or as Johnson puts it, Innerverse is the auntie or uncle who “puts you up on game about yourself and expects you to activate, and own your own destiny now.”
“We take our children on an exploration dive into Self,” said Johnson. “Through analyzing, sometimes shedding, and honoring their personal layers, they resurface with a refreshed discovery, and appreciation of their gifts. With this foundation of self-confidence, we use our practical application tools to activate their values in alignment with present career options or discover their entrepreneurial and philanthropic nature.”
Needed now
And in today’s sociopolitical climate, Johnson believes what Innerverse offers is needed now more than ever.
“Our Texas education system is at a crossroads, with many students—especially those from underserved communities—facing systemic barriers that stifle creativity, limit opportunities, and fail to recognize their unique genius…,” she said. “Meanwhile, social and political polarization can create environments where young people feel unheard, unseen, or disconnected from their own power.
“We provide a space for our children to reclaim their voice, cultivate their genius, and prepare to lead in a world that desperately needs innovative and socially conscious thinkers.”
Impact
Since incorporating in 2022, Innerverse has impacted approximately 400 middle schoolers through partnerships with Sanchez Charter Schools, Texas Technical Trade School, Fondren Middle School and South Union CDC. The organization has delivered approximately 70 workshops, but numbers only tell part of the story.
“The real impact is in the spark we see when a child realizes their own power, in the shift from uncertainty to self-assurance, and in the moment they recognize they are not just students, but creators of their own future,” said Johnson.
Innerverse offers six student-centered workshops that infuse holistic personal development principles blended with practical career preparation activities appropriate for middle schoolers.
“My personal favorite workshop is ‘Expanding Career Notions’ where we get into neuroplasticity, the science of how the brain makes physiological changes to create new thought patterns, shifting from fixed mindsets to growth mindsets,” shared Johnson.
However, she says the most popular workshop with students is “Do You Have What it Takes?” This fully interactive workshop includes physical movement, critical thinking, creativity and art design. Through this, students learn the principles of human capital through a highly interactive real-world scenario.
We believe that when young people are given the tools to know themselves, to explore their own identity and potential and to claim their sovereignty, they begin to walk through the world differently—with confidence, clarity, and purpose.
Innerverse is currently seeking highly motivated, well-networked board members, volunteers and educators interested in becoming support facilitators for summer programming.
For organizations and ISDs interested in incorporating Innerverse’s interactive 6th-8th grade workshops into their summer youth program, an interest for can be completed at https://tinyurl.com/INNERVERSEclientinterest.
For more information, visit www.innerverseinc.com or email aljohnsoneducate@gmail.com.
