Our Mission

 

The mission of our organization is to empower youth in Highland Park and surrounding communities to be productive members of the community by teaching them the benefits of education, positive relationships, career readiness, community service, and more. These programs give teens and young adults the life skills needed to deal with pressure, preservation, mental toughness, teamwork, and other issues needed to exist productively in today’s society.

 

The Free Thinking Workshops

 

Our minds are our greatest assets. The Free Thinking Workshops encourages youth to use their minds to make good decisions, not just follow the crowd. They learn how to recognize what they bring to the table, challenge the status quo, surround themselves with a good support system, find their purpose, believe in themselves, and more, 

 

Future Without Violence

 

This Free Thinking Workshop is geared towards helping youth stay out of trouble so they have a future without violence in an area where violence is prevalent. We serve a vulnerable population, people in need of special care, support, or protection because of the circumstances of the community. This population has an unemployment rate of 13%, compared to 5.4% citywide. In this area, 45% of the youth live in homes below Richmond’s poverty threshold, while just 5 miles away fewer than 9% A child raised in this area is more likely to be raised in poverty, to live in a household where one or more adults is unemployed, and to attend a school where indicators show many students are lagging behind on literacy, attendance, and graduation, and there is a significantly higher chance that they will spend time in jail/prison.

 

The workshop leans on the 4 pillars to aid them in making positive impacts.
 

• Vision - Free Thought

• Passion – Ambition and Self Esteem

• Discipline - Caring for others

• Risk - Strength

 

Session 

• Session 1: Mental Health Signs & Symptoms

• Session 2: Skillful Thinkers, Free Thought / Black Wall Street

• Session 3: Nothing Impossible - Finding Your Purpose

• Session 4: Building Healthy Relationships

• Session 5: Together We Conquer All - Ambition and Self Esteem

• Session 6: LIFT (Love In Fellowship & Truth) - Caring for Others

• Session 7: Safety in the City

• Session 8: Youth Impactment - Career Skills Training

• Session 9: Creating your own lane (financial gain)

• Session 10: Graduation 

 

Logistics

• Each class will be taught by experienced adults that will help guide the youth in the right direction in life. 

• Each class will have a time frame of 2 hours from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm after school.

• Food will be provided, and they will have a way back and forth to 6pic