Village Talks Ep. 27 — Amanda Schneider with Right Moves on "Building Belonging, Access, and Opportunity"

#VillageTalks: Amanda Schneider — Building Belonging, Access, and Opportunity with Right Moves for Youth

Sometimes the most powerful work in youth development doesn’t begin after school.

It begins during the school day, right where young people already are.

That was one of the most powerful takeaways from this #VillageTalks conversation with Amanda Schneider, Director of Philanthropy at Right Moves for Youth in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Because what Amanda and her team are building isn’t just a mentoring program.

It’s a consistent presence inside the school building.

A presence that says to young people:

You matter. You belong here. And there is something special inside of you.

Showing Up Where Students Already Are

Right Moves for Youth serves students in grades 6–12 through structured small-group mentoring that happens during the school day.

That distinction matters.

For many young people, after-school programming can be difficult to access because of transportation, family responsibilities, work obligations, or simply the instability that can come with everyday life.

So instead of asking students to find them later, Right Moves meets them where they are.

Inside schools.

In partnership with counselors, school leadership, and school resource officers.

For one hour each week, students come together in a facilitated group space where something deeper begins to happen.

Connection.

Trust.

Belonging.

And sometimes, transformation.

Amanda described it beautifully:

the magic happens in the group.

Students build relationships with peers they might never have connected with otherwise. They discover strengths they didn’t know they had. They begin to find reasons to show up for school in new ways.

Sometimes that looks like better attendance.

Sometimes that looks like new confidence.

Sometimes it simply looks like a young person finally feeling seen.

One Adult Changed Her Life

One of the most moving parts of this conversation was Amanda sharing her own story.

She described growing up feeling like she was “in the middle.”

Not the standout student.

Not the athlete.

Not the obvious leader.

Just someone who blended in.

Until one adult noticed something in her.

At 16 years old, someone told her:

You are really good at connecting with kids.

That single moment changed the trajectory of her life.

And honestly, that’s the heart of this work.

Sometimes it only takes one adult naming what they see in a young person for everything to begin to shift.

A spark.

A sense of possibility.

A belief that maybe I do have something special inside of me.

Amanda now carries that same posture into the work every day.

Helping young people feel recognized.

Helping them believe in themselves.

Helping them find the light that maybe no one has named before.

Charlotte’s Bigger Story

This conversation also pulled back to the larger ecosystem.

Amanda spoke candidly about Charlotte being ranked last among major U.S. cities for economic mobility for students born into poverty.

That reality became a rallying cry for the city.

Rather than ignore it, leaders across sectors came together to ask:

Why is this happening?

What systems need to change?

How do we increase access to opportunity?

That’s where Right Moves plays a critical role.

Because access isn’t just about academics.

It’s about social capital.

Exposure.

Experience.

New environments.

Students being invited into spaces they may have never imagined themselves in.

Office buildings.

Career tours.

College campuses.

Professional sporting events.

Conversations with adults who can help them imagine new futures.

Sometimes hope begins with exposure.

Caring for the Caregivers

Another powerful part of this episode was Amanda’s transparency about her own professional journey.

She began in direct service, fully immersed in youth programming.

Before-school.
After-school.
Summer.
Weekend.

Giving everything.

Until her body told her it was no longer sustainable.

Her story is such an important reminder for those of us in this work:

Passion without sustainability can break us.

Amanda’s pivot into philanthropy didn’t take her away from the mission.

It gave her a new way to fuel it.

A reminder that there are many ways to serve the village.

Frontline.
Fundraising.
Strategy.
Partnership.
Storytelling.

All of it matters.

All of it moves young people closer to thriving.

What the Village Really Looks Like

One of the strongest themes from this conversation was collaboration.

Amanda spoke directly to the need for nonprofits to stop operating in silos.

Not protecting relationships.

Not hoarding resources.

But thinking bigger.

What would happen if organizations truly shared opportunity, funding pathways, and connections?

That’s village work.

Not competition.

Coordination.

Because when organizations collaborate, the city gets stronger.

And young people win.

Final Reflection

This conversation is a powerful reminder that sometimes the most life-changing thing we can offer a young person is simple:

Presence.
Recognition.
Exposure.
Belief.

And one hour a week can change everything.

Stay Connected to the Village

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#VillageTalks #YouthDevelopment #Mentorship #Education #Community #SEL #Charlotte