INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Each week on Community Link, Carolene Mays takes a look at an organization or business that is making a positive impact on the community.

This week, Mays was joined by Robert Jackson, an Indianapolis native and best-selling author of seven books, including his latest, “Mothers Raising Sons.”

Jackson travels around the world, speaking and presenting a curriculum to help schools and organizations, aid and support the youth.

Jackson reflects on his upbringing in Brightwood, noting his observations of how educators engaged with children, particularly Black and Hispanic boys, and how he found those interactions troubling.

“I saw educators interacting with our kids, especially our black and Hispanic males who are the most suspended kids in the school systems across the U.S. and Canada. So, I decided to be a part of the solution Instead of the problem,” he said. “I wanted to put some workshops together to try to teach educators how to educate, activate, and motivate our kids to be great. And it just turned into this big conglomerate of doing keynotes and speaking all over the world now. So that wasn’t my plan, but I embrace it.”

Before becoming a best-selling author and speaking globally to educators, Jackson briefly played in the NFL. In the mid-90s, he found himself “limping into a classroom” at Arlington High School to begin his teaching career.

“Here I am broken, just got cut, and now I’m teaching kids who are coming from broken backgrounds and you know, a person giving you advice has their own set of shortcomings, but it doesn’t mean they can’t give you the piece that you’re missing,” he said. “So I started teaching and coaching at Arlington and I just went as I was and you know, started connecting with kids and started building from there and started going around and working with schools in the Indianapolis area.”

Jackson developed a curriculum called “No More Excuses,” founded on the belief that every problem has a solution.

“I just wanted to put some curriculums together. It’s gonna teach educators how to connect with kids, but also how to connect with yourself. I believe self-care is extremely important, and educators have to connect with yourself before you connect with anybody else. The best love is self-love,” he said.

Jackson also discusses his latest book, “Mothers Raising Sons,” which explores various strategies mothers can use to connect with their sons during challenging times.

Watch the full interview above to learn more.

Carmel, Indiana, the 106,000-person city that calls itself SwimCity, is living up to the name coined by Mayor Sue Finkam: It is the only city with three hometown swimmers competing in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, according to SwimSwam, using USA Swimming parameters.

Drew Kibler, who competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, returns to the Games to swim in the 4×200 freestyle relay freestyle relay. The Carmel High School and University of Texas alumnus competed in the same event in Tokyo.

Siblings Aaron and Alex Shackell join him in Paris. Aaron, a 19-year-old rising sophomore who will attend the Texas next year, won the 400-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials to qualify for the Games. He finished eighth in the final on Saturday night and is waiting to hear whether he’ll swim in the prelims of the 4×200 freestyle relay, according to the IndyStar.

Alex is a rising senior at Carmel High School. Though she’s just 17, she already has international experience, having won silver alongside Katie Ledecky in the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.

In the Olympics, she’ll compete in the 200-meter butterfly and the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.

Carmel swim coach Chris Plumb is a coach of the U.S. Olympic team, in Paris with his longtime students.

They’re not the only athletes to represent both the U.S. and their hometown. Men’s doubles tennis player Rajeev Ram graduated from Carmel High School and will be in Paris for his second Olympic Games. He won silver alongside Venus Williams in the 2016 Rio mixed doubles.

Photo courtesy of Rob DeRocker

The city of Carmel is electrified, ready for their athletes to compete. The city temporarily renamed streets after each representative, including Plumb. In the midtown area, a big screen was installed into a plaza to allow community viewings of the events while free activities take place around. SunKing Brewery released SwimCity pint glasses.

It’s a celebration in Carmel as their athletes are set to compete for gold and glory.

Related: Welcome to SwimCity, USA: Carmel, Indiana has 14 swimmers in the Olympic qualifiers