Community educator Jefferson Noel tells kids at North Miami Beach show to 'write your own story'

Jefferson Noel, a community educator and author invited to speak at the North Miami Beach summer-camp show, gave a one-minute charge to the audience about personal agency and purpose.

Addressing children and adults, Noel encouraged attendees not to remain "supporting actors in somebody else's movie" and asked them to "take the pen for whoever is writing your story and to begin writing your own story." His remarks urged young people to evaluate choices by asking whether actions were good for themselves and their communities.

Noel's brief appearance was framed as part of the city's program to empower students before the school year and followed a series of commissioner and staff announcements.