Top Notch Scholars, Inc

The answer is simple, I would invest the funding in expanding our impact by hiring purpose driven trainers to run our 'Train the trainer model" and get our program into as many inner cities. Our formula works and has driven an immense amount of tangible outcomes in the lives of our youth! 

As Ellen Degeneres recently stated in one of her recent episodes, the need for more education on self love & self confidence is crucial in today's world and we need to start teaching it at a young age to spread kindness and hope in this world. Our intentional psychology curriculum drives the core fundamental principals to uncover self worth, instill confidence, set and achieve goals, become independent, resilient and discover ones spark and purpose in life that drives happiness and fulfillment. We motivate and guide students along the way and into college by becoming the unconditional support, love and guidance that create CHANGE. 

I would leverage the support to carry out the expansion of our program to build towards a national impacting organization.  

I am confident that the prize and support will catapult us to continue to be be the answer locally, but on a national level!

I grew up in an inner city filled with drugs, violence with very few positive role models to look up to. We educate the VALUE of being the best version of you and how this positions you for doors of opportunities to continuously open that lead to your ultimate success! Our trainings include: Self Love, Self Confidence, Goal Setting, College Pathways, Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship, along with daily mentorship.

Our organization is a Youth Leadership Development Organization that EMPOWERS youth through transformational trainings, meaningful internship opportunities and youth leadership conferences set to help as many kids as possible become better workers, better citizens, and happier people.

Kids from families or communities lacking the resources or support they need to achieve, too often don’t.  Their vision of the future is defined by the hopelessness that surrounds them everyday.  If they have a dream, they can’t ever imagine it becoming a reality.  Social programs targeting these kids generally define success and achievement for them, such as graduating High School or going to College to get a well-paying job.  To be truly successful, these kids need to develop their own personal definition of success and get excited about a realistic pathway to get there.

The Top Notch Scholars program positions inner-city youth for success based on the principles of Intentional Psychology, an approach that’s been effective in helping athletes improve their game.  Our Intentional Achievement training curriculum helps kids identify their life passion and career goals and then map out the intentional steps that will ultimately lead to success, as they’ve defined it for themselves.  

We connect our youth with relevant internships and mentors so they can get a taste for “doing the dream” and gain the confidence, skills, and discipline to stay on track in executing their plan.  Here’s the thing, Literally, 100% of our kids finish what they start and set out to accomplish!

75% of girls with low self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities like cutting, bullying, smoking, drinking, or disordered eating. 7 in 10 adolescents believe that they are not good enough or don’t measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members. Self esteem is one of the core fundamental focuses in our curriculum as we have recognized that this is the starting point before diving into educating them in various of other topics.

Our program is based on the proven principles of Intentional Psychology which helps kids: 1) develop the confidence and emotional independence to dare to dream,  2) build a step-by-step pathway to get there, and 3) learn the skills and develop the determination to follow the plan to its ultimate end.

We are Inspirational in how we help kids believe in themselves. We are Accountable with respect to engendering a sense of focus and discipline to succeed. We are Driven in terms of doing what it takes to marshal the resources and support expand our efforts.

What makes our work disruptive is the way that we are intentional when we LISTEN to our youth, PLAN with our youth and ASSIST in execution of dreams and goals. We are more than our trainings we are life time coaches and mentors that ensure our youth reach THEIR finish line as they set their vision and desires in life. We are there, every step of the way by leveraging our social capital and partnerships to help facilitate connections and opportunities. 

Our goal and our current focus is to broaden our impact by partnering with schools, community organizations, and businesses to help as many kids as possible become better workers, better citizens, and happier people.

Our mission is to help kids recognize that they already have the potential to be successful and, working with community and business partners, show them what they need to do to achieve it. 

Our Track Record consists of 100% success rate; HS Graduation, Program Completion, College Attendance, Internship Completion, Community Service Completion. 

Our students are achieving all goals set by them with our guidance, getting accepted and attending college and landing internships related to their career as early as high school because of our intentional relationships with corporations and local businesses and are overall experiencing a more happier, motivated life outlook due to our trainings, motivational mentoring and support.