BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — A nonprofit aims to inspire the next generation of leaders by “empowering them to success” with a newly expanded camp.
Empowering Ourselves, a Bedford-Stuyvesant-based organization that works to reduce violence in central Brooklyn and provides youth programming, is looking to raise funds to extend its Summer Enrichment Academy.
Founder Jarrett Mathis created the nonprofit in 2010 to give back to his neighborhood, he said.
“Just from my own experience ...a lot of times there weren’t a lot of positive programs or events for us kids,” Mathis, 30, said.
“That was kind of the motivation that I felt. Growing up, I was fortunate to have family who was able to provide, but a lot of kids didn’t have the same support, or someone there to push them.”
Mathis started the organization and the summer academy to meet the needs of kids in the community, he said.
Empowering Ourselves began offering the academic camp in 2014 with three weeks of programming for children ages 5 through 11 to get them ready for the school year.
Now, Mathis hopes to raise $25,000 through an online crowdfunding campaign to extend the season to six weeks.
The Summer Enrichment Academy teaches children subjects like reading, nutrition, math, filmmaking, African dance and African-American culture and history, touching on figures like Frederick Douglass and Shirley Chisholm.
“It inspires them, teaches them where they come from and the great people who came before them,” Mathis said of the curriculum.
Organizers hope to have kids take on leadership roles at the group’s annual “Rally to Promote Peace & Empower Young People,” a gathering that aims to “uplift people of the community.”
The summer event showcases speakers, musical acts and more and highlights efforts in conflict resolution and ways to combat violence among youth.
“Unfortunately, each year we still see so much violence in the community, so we keep doing something to reach different demographics, to show people that we don’t tolerate violence and we’re trying to do something positive,” Mathis said.
With the expanded summer academy, he hopes to have kids participate in the August rally by performing.
“If we help develop these kids and show that they have a support system, I think they can go ahead and be community leaders,” he said.
For more information on the Summer Enrichment Academy or to donate, visit the Indiegogo page here.
