Mental health, drug abuse and gang violence are just some of the topics students discussed as part of the Academy for Scholarship and Entrepreneurship's (ASE) 'Rally for a Safe Summer' on Wednesday.

Students got to learn about personal challenges from speakers like Dr. Jamila Davis and Tara Wallace through break room sessions. They also attended workshops that tackle difficult conversations.

"Just like having a parent or a teacher, right. That's constantly telling you the same thing over and over again. You stop hearing it after a while. So, you want to bring in people that have experienced similar things that they're going through. And they can talk real talk with the scholars," said ASE Principal Zenobia White-DaCruz.

Students also got to showcase their financial literacy after being awarded $500 in funding.

"All of these discussions, all of these workshops, they're preparing them to be courageous in the summer, in the summer when they're facing these challenges," said ASE Principal Zenobia White-DaCruz.