Mike Smith
EXCITING. PASSIONATE. REAL.
Mike Smith has been a full-time advocate and resource for homeless and runaway youth for the last two years. He meets them under bridges, in abandoned buildings and while they are train hopping. He works hard to help them get into a stable, safe, and consistent living situation.
Mike understands making poor decisions can get you into a tough spot. He knows about hard circumstances that sometimes influence bad choices. Mike uses these lessons to inspire young people to believe in themselves, to dream bigger and run hard to reach them.
The founder of Bay 198, one of the country’s only nonprofit skateparks, Mike doesn’t just talk about changing lives – he lives it. To raise awareness for troubled youth and funds to help provide them a safe productive outlet, he slept under a bridge for 27 straight nights (many frigid) last winter, and skated more than 430 miles across the state in June 2011.
He is a former All-American college basketball player and avid surfer, snowboarder and skateboarder with more than a decade of experience working with young people. Mike is an expert at relating to young people and communication a message of inspiration and hope that they won’t forget.
Mike Smith LIVE- Bryan High School from Ronnie Romero on Vimeo.
Skate For Change from Mike Smith on Vimeo.
School assembly programs that cover topics such as “Pursuing your passion and defining your dreams”, “Substance abuse”, “anti-bullying & cyber bullying all-day experience” - including school trainings and parenting classes on cyber bullying assemblies and breakout sessions.