Causes

Youth development Community & economic development Education

Posted by

Chiwishi A.

Founder & Executive Director

Our mission

HERO empowers,educates and equips youth to pursue their dreams of a debt free education, entrepreneurship and employment to build strong families and build their community.

What we do

HERO ensures students thrive in school and life. Our core values; Healing, Empowerment, Resilience and Opportunity are foundational principles, also the acronym for our company.

1.Campus Ready
Connect* Tour *Explore
Students connect with peers and mentors throughout their academic journey .. Campus Ready provides mentorship, financial literacy and entrepreneurship workshops travel experiences and empowers students to utilize countless scholarships resources. Middle and Highschool students throughly consider their secondary education options while receiving academic support. Students who participate in Campus Ready are curious, have the opportunity to travel and discover new concepts, cultures, cities, and ways of thinking through this career exploration and life skills program.
Students are empowered to open a bank account receive financial literacy educational workshops. Students choose mentors to help them Create an 'Action Plan' to move proactively to achieve their goals!


2. HEROGirls
*Empowering Girls To Birth Their Dreams
HEROGirls is a tribe of professional women inspiring and mentoring young women of color age 12-24. Lovingly supported and challenged HEROGirls consistently break barriers and overcome obstacles. HEROGirls are healing from traumas , empowered, resilient and ready for opportunities! HEROGirls programs include a
weekly Girls Circle ( utilizing the One Circle Foundation curriculum)
A monthly MeetUp with mentors for fun activities like dance and yoga classes we call; 'Milkshakes & Mascara'
which includes networking events and travel opportunities and an Annual Retreat : The Birthing Suite Spa & Wellness Retreat every October. We are currently accepting student and mentor applications to join the HEROGirls tribe as we plan our first international trip to Nairobi Kenya for cultural enrichment and community service in August 2020. You can learn more by visiting our partners website Dreams To Founder Conference for our details supporting HEROGirls #ROADTOKENYA
http://events.dreamstofounder.org/


3.YoungHEROsCook
Join Philly's First Youth Led Catering Team! Students, young entrepreneurs andcreatives collaborate. Inspired to #createyourART and #useyourVOICE! Art & activism collide as students curate incredible menus and use social media to speak Up, show up and stand up for themselves! Awesome opportunity to receive job training, develop leadership skills, earn cash for college and perfect their crafts, that's YHC! We raise together with gratitude for each other and our sponsor LaColombe Coffee Roasters!


In addition to our three programs mentioned above. HERO offers adolescents a supportive extracurricular environment in which to build skills, set goals for the future, and create an action plan to graduate from college with little to no debt. HERO's programs provide a focused setting for young adults to learn and grow as individuals and future young professionals, as well as develop the financial literacy and connection to resources needed to achieve their goals. As an organization, HERO recognizes that the prevalence of youth
who have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Philadelphia is high, and that providing programs from a perspective of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is fundamental for students to achieve success and growth. Alongside programs for fitness and cooking, HERO provides students with opportunities for participation in evidence-based Girls Circle(r) group therapy, weekly checkins and monthly meetups with peers, mentors and health professionals; specifically therapists, social workers and nurses. HERO is committed to serving students facing any number of challenges, from stress at school or bullying, navigating health choices as a young person, and balancing practical financial issues with collegiate goals, all while understanding that traumatic experiences, toxic stress, racism, and ACEs impact a student's ability to achieve short and long-term goals. Reducing the impact of ACEs and toxic stress through providing practical programs from a perspective of TIC aids students to achieve success and build resilience to carry them into becoming healthy, strong, and confident young adults.