About Us
Our Story
Dedicated to Empowering Youth Through Disaster Management Training
During my time volunteering for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM),I noticed significant challenges related to youth employment. The organization is largely understaffed, yet many young people struggle to find immediate and hands-on work opportunities. This gap highlighted a crucial need for accessible work environments that offer practical experience. Such environments would emphasize the importance of providing employment that directly engages young people with real-world challenges.
There are roughly 6,800 natural disasters every year. HHS's National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) lacked sufficient responders during the 2017 hurricanes and was forced to rely on other departments like the Department of Defense for medical care. As of 2019, NDMS only had 3,667 responders. Tim Frazier from Georgetown University's disaster management program emphasized the persistent shortage, even in normal conditions, which worsened during COVID-19. Emergency response staffing is fragmented, varying by region and resources. Some areas are well-prepared, while others lack basic supplies and staff. In addition, disaster preparedness and readiness has become largely equity issues, predominantly hitting marginalized, minority, and underserved communities the most.
I strived to found the Rescue Roots Program because I wanted to fill a critical void in the youth community: a lack of staff for preparing, responding to, and recovering from major and minor disasters, while low-income students lack guidance on how to secure jobs.
Rescue Roots works to create real-world educational opportunities to empower youth to improve public health and disaster preparedness. I wanted to establish opportunities for academic institutions, school clubs, and student communities to gain insights into the field, while leveraging the power of storytelling and the government emergency management's reach to mobilize young people.
The more educated the young generation becomes in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters—from natural to health to mass casualty incidents—the more resilient and prosperous our communities can become. We can all be our own first responders.
Our Vision
Rescue Roots recognizes the importance of equipping the city's youth with the necessary tools, resources, and support to help them reach their full potential. Since our establishment in 2024, we have been dedicated to creating a more vibrant and compassionate community, positioning Rescue Roots as a key player in enhancing the city's quality of life. We are committed to preparing our youth to be responsible, engaged global citizens and leaders.
Present Efforts:
The mission of this Rescue Roots program is to empower and guide youth through a unique
coaching system, enabling them to secure disaster management-related jobs. By providing
mentorship, practical skills training, and career counseling, the organization aims to bridge the
gap between young talent and job opportunities in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
Our vision is to cultivate a new generation of proactive leaders in disaster management who will
be well-prepared and equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to mitigate the effects of
disasters on vulnerable communities. The organization aspires to build resilient communities
through a dedicated and well-trained youth workforce.
Our coaching program is built out of the principles of the Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner:
Model the Way:
• Help students clarify their personal values and align actions with shared
values.
Inspire a Shared Vision:
• Encourage students to envision an exciting future and enlist others by
appealing to shared aspirations.
Challenge the Process:
• Guide students in seeking innovative ways to change, grow, and
experiment.
Enable Others to Act:
• Foster collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust.
Encourage the Heart:
• Recognize individual contributions and create a spirit of community.
Future Goals:
Our future goals include expanding the reach and refining the structure of our existing programs to serve over 2K youth by 2025, 4K by 2027, and 8K by 2029. For example, we’ve already integrated a new community-building focus into this summer’s local community college FastForward programs, which we’ll advertise to more potential students than ever thanks to a recent grant from CareerConnected High Schools (CCHS) grant program.
This year, we’ll also launch a global chapters initiative providing resources and funding for youth to organize cultural education events in their hometowns. By starting at least 10 new chapters per year, we’ll steadily integrate our curriculum into more communities globally. We are also focused improving our coaching system for long-term sustainability through cyclical training.
Our Impact
Currently, our Coaching Program engages 250 participants aged 16-20, developing practical leadership skills for disaster management careers through the Leadership Practices Inventory. In collaboration with local community colleges and FastForward programs, we've trained over 100 students with daily curricula and hands-on activities. We raised over $1,000 for disaster relief, donating proceeds to the World Wildlife Fund with partners like Future Reimagined Initiative and Sierra Club Potomac River Group. We secured placement opportunities for 150 high school students in government apprenticeship programs and received funding from Perkins Innovation and Modernization and Career Connected High Schools (CCHS) grants.
Real life stories
