Dimplez 4 Dayz Workforce Development Fellowship

At Dimplez 4 Dayz, Inc., we aim to empower the youth and reduce violence through our workforce development program. 

Dimplez 4 Dayz prides itself on providing a safe, open environment, where everyone is welcome, regardless of circumstances, beliefs, or abilities. We strive to provide a space where our youth community members feel supported physically, emotionally, and mentally. Dimplez 4 Dayz, Inc. is invested in promoting and providing healthy and impactful career training skills to Philadelphia youth and low-income community. Our Youth Workforce Fellowship is a complete twelve (12) week training course designed to develop long-term employment skills for up to 50 young people at a time. We believe that job education, placement and support will help affected youth to succeed, thrive, and avoid pitfalls. At the end of the Youth Workforce Development program, our trainees will be able to demonstrate an improvement in time management and punctuality, having a team work ethic, verbal communication, and problem-solving skills, among other things.

Despite job growth, the city of Philadelphia suffers a critical situation, where 10 to 12% of Philadelphia's youth population lacks training or job opportunities. On June 2020, Sheila Watkins, commissioner at the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, noted an increase in the unemployment rate of 17.7%. Our organization engages in multiple activities in order to enhance employability among the youth community, promote healthy life habits, keep families united, and educate our community on the criminal justice system's laws and regulations. These activities along with the workforce development training yields significant outcomes for Philadelphia's youth community, and the Commonwealth in general. Another issue that we are attempting to address head-on is the lack of after-school programs, recreation centers, and libraries in the city of Philadelphia, which is a driving force to violence and substance abuse among children of our communities.

The Philadelphia Police Department recorded 50 homicides in January 2021, a 32% increase over last year, the deadliest in three decades. The tally, which includes the accidental shooting of a 9-year old girl for which her father and 12-year-old brother have been charged, is the highest the city has experienced. 

We must give young people alternatives to violence, and our program is a safe haven – a physical place young people can go and be productive while avoiding violence.

Dimplez 4 Dayz, Inc. serves a diverse group of Philadelphia residents comprising 74% African American, 6% Latino, 10% Mixed race, and 10% Caucasian. Dimplez 4 Dayz participants’ age range from 15-24 and primarily reside in Philadelphia. Our target population ranges from single family and economically depressed households to minorities and returning citizens. The participants lack home and community support needed to overcome challenges when faced with adversity. Participants face daily substantial struggles and are looking for support and resources to navigate through complex issues such as gun violence, addiction, teen pregnancy drugs/alcohol/sex, and academic achievement. Below is a detailed list of our participant’s demographics list. This initiative helps the Philadelphia community in many ways, including but not limited to, reducing racial and ethnic disparities across the criminal justice system. To promote social and professional development, Dimplez 4 Dayz, Inc. has a wide network of partners who provide virtual and in person engagement including career insights, enrichment activities, tutorials and more!

We have established a strong, active presence in the city of Philadelphia, organizing youth-led events, and virtually meeting with the mayor, police commissioners, elected officials, superintendents, district attorneys, and various community leaders to advocate for the issues that affect the youth of Philadelphia. Along with advocating for the youth, we know that it is vital for young people to have opportunities available to them so they can advance in society.

At Dimplez 4 Dayz, Inc. we prioritize environmental safety for our youth community. The Dimplez Dreamz community program consists in creating a safe space for Philadelphia’s youth and children. There is an onsite case manager and program manager that assist those that visit. We provide a full experience in obtaining resources, including computer and internet access, food, toiletries, and other assistances that are needed for daily living. In our mission to empower the youth and reduce violence in our community, we continuously provide virtual workforce development training to our young adults. Our workforce development program focuses on behavioral training methods to reduce violence, such as conflict resolution and finding common ground with one another. This program is relevant as it enables our youth to benefit from educational and employment opportunities thereby reducing poverty and violence within our community. As part of our environmental projects, we prioritize the well-being of our teenage girls and help them overcome the challenging periods of adolescence.  This mentoring program is relevant to our mission as it helps improve the relationship between parents and children, the youth’s educational goals, and their social-emotional development.

All in-person trainings will occur at our office located at 6202 Grays Ave Philadelphia PA 19142, which will be equipped with internet access, computers, printers and sufficient space for meetings. We will supplement our trainings with virtual meetings and interviews, field trips to businesses and other relevant venues, internships following completion of the course and mentoring, which will allow youth to develop support structures as well as identify and pursue their own interests and strengths. Our goal is to have a 2:1 match for mentors; for every two students, one mentor will be assigned. Students will be offered an incentive of $50 for each week of training they complete up to 12 weeks. In summary, the activities provided through our workforce fellowship program are set to enrich our youth community members’ lifestyle by:

1) Encouraging Philadelphia youth to stay in school and to pursue their academic goals after graduation.

2) Promote positive self-esteem, civility, respect, and leadership.

3) Creating a safe haven where the community feels safe and their basic needs are met.

Our Youth Workforce Fellowship is a complete twelve (12) week training course designed to develop long-term employment skills for up to 50 young people at a time. Our youth workforce fellowship program serves an average of 200 young adults on a yearly basis.

Our goal is to help increase the rate of employability among the youth community hereby decreasing the rates in criminal activities, family dissolution, substance abuse, poverty, and visible or invisible physical disabilities. Our organization engages in multiple activities in order to enhance employability among the youth community, promote healthy life habits, keep families united, and educate our community on the criminal justice system's laws and regulations. These activities along with the workforce development training yields significant outcomes for Philadelphia's youth community, and the Commonwealth in general. Another issue that we are attempting to address head-on is the lack of after-school programs, recreation centers, and libraries in the city of Philadelphia, which is a driving force to violence and substance abuse among children of our communities.

The foremost evaluative tool for the organization will be the accomplishment of the previously stated goals and objectives. At the heart of our evaluations are five deceptively simple questions that require reflection, encourage learning, and promote communication about what really matters – results. The Board and program staff utilize these questions when performing each and every evaluation:

1. What did we hope to accomplish?
2. What are our strategies for making this happen?
3. What are our organization’s capabilities for doing this?
4. How do we know if we are making progress?
5. What have and haven’t we accomplished so far?

Surveys and feedback mechanisms are utilized to determine whether the implementation was effective, and how they could be improved in the future.

Additionally, program objectives are reviewed and summarized at board meetings, on an informal basis, along with a comparison of actual results as of that date. When necessary, the Executive Director is able to take corrective action should plans not be falling in line with anticipated goals.

We are in a constant battle to identify new funding opportunities, find talented volunteers, encourage engagement, remain sustainable and improve both internal and external processes.  Taking the time to think strategically, putting processes on paper, and partnering with other organizations that can push a nonprofit forward are all great ways to overcome challenges.

We are currently hitting a finding plateau with funding and want to ensure that we are able to sustain. The organization is interested in purchasing a van and would like to connect with foundations and or private funders to secure funding by April 2022. We are currently understaffed and have very little funds to operate outside of the workforce development funds.

The management staff consists of the Executive Director, Angela Richardson, and the Founder/Program Manager, Akayla Brown, who is only 18 years old and founded the organization when she was 13. The Executive Director, supplemented by the Board Treasurer, is responsible for the organization's overall administration. The Founder/Program Manager handles participant recruitment, enrollment, assessment, and eligibility determination; with the help of office volunteers and volunteer, facilitators maintain participant records and provides services to participants in follow-up and through case management support. Board members and other volunteers offer additional administrative help and are used as paid facilitators for specific workshops or topics. Local business owners will be tapped to help provide expertise, real-world perspective, and feedback to the training.
At Dimplez 4 Dayz Inc., we understand that leadership is one of the essential management bases. We have adopted the shared leadership culture, enabling us to build successful lean management in an organization. We have decentralized the handling of power, and we encourage the sharing of ideas and information in the decision-making process. We keep our hierarchy informal and encourage employees to work with minimal supervision. Our upper management team is responsible for collectively creating a flow of work and ensuring that the team is aware and adapts to it to facilitate our cross-training program. We encourage collaboration and expect everyone to be a leader in their respective field, allowing upper management to focus more on the responsibilities that add more value to the service we provide to our community. The Executive Director manages the organization's day-to-day operations, and the Program Director is responsible for front-line staff and youth interactions. 

One of our major program sponsors is Philadelphia Works, Inc., a non-profit 501(c) 3 that develops and manages innovative workforce solutions. Philadelphia Works connects employers to a skilled workforce and helps individuals develop the skills needed to thrive in the workplace. The board is passionate about its community members and making a city and region-wide impact.

We also receive funding from The Patricia Kind Family Foundation, a private, family-managed, not-for-profit philanthropic organization. The mission of the Foundation is to financially support Philadelphia organizations that help those struggling daily with the effects of poverty. The Foundation is interested in encouraging practical and caring solutions to community problems by supporting preventive and direct service efforts. This includes assisting individuals, and families obtain physical and mental health care and related human services, such as food, shelter, clothing, and education.

At Dimplez 4 Dayz, Inc.,  most of our programs provide physical environments that are culturally relevant and support positive youth development; they help reduce risk factors for perpetration or victimization of gun violence and serve as alternatives to delinquent activities. Our Youth Workforce Fellowship program relates to Safe Haven and Mentorship’s goals. It helps develop and reinforce youth academic skills, character-building that fosters ethics, teamwork, self-esteem, and self-confidence, thereby strengthening unique abilities and talents; and improving interpersonal skills. Dimplez 4 Dayz is led by Akayla Brown, a 19-year-old black girl.

NA