Youth V.I.B.E. (Vision. Industry. Business. Empowerment.) was created in 1996. During the 1996 Olympics, Supreme Fish Delight had the opportunity to partner with Aramark Corporation to run 11 locations and 14 portable stands for the Olympic Trials, Olympics and Paralympics. The job of Mr. Waleed Shamsid-Deen, Youth V.I.B.E.’s Founder, was to recruit, hire, and train staff to run all 25 venue sites. However, Mr. Shamsid-Deen encountered numerous youth who lacked the necessary skills to be successful, including communication skills, business etiquette and basic work ethic. After the Olympics, Shamsid-Deen made a commitment to start a program to address this dismal reality facing society’s entering workforce. Committed to inspiring the youth filled with hopelessness in his community, Mr. Shamsid-Deen established a Mission Statement: To expose youth to the skills and experiences that teach and encourage business leadership. Shamsid-Deen worked diligently to assemble a team of committed and accomplished individuals who would share his vision of helping to prepare youth for both college and a career. Michael Johnson of BellSouth, Simone Collins of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Montez Crider of the Boy Scouts of America, Rosilind Coleman of Sprint, Brian Alleyne, and Dawn McKenzie were among the initial team. The program was quickly adopted as the South DeKalb Business Association’s Youth Mentorship Program. Starting with only five youths, the program quickly grew to its current tri-fold structure and afterschool program:
- Assisting youth in academics and enrichment
- Introducing youth to the world of business and entrepreneurship
- Enhancing youths’ social, cultural and community awareness
In the 18-years since its inception, Youth V.I.B.E. has been a provider of youth development programs for high school aged youth, 14 to 18 years. Youth V.I.B.E., Inc. has grown into a self-sustaining, community-supported and effective organization. And has served thousands of youth in the Atlanta Metro-area. Comparing Youth V.I.B.E. nationally to other non-profits providing youth services, through United Way’s Program Quality Assessment, Youth V.I.B.E. ranks above average in the following categories:
- Providing a supportive environment
- Participant Interaction
- Participant Engagement
- Creating youth centered policies and practices
- Establishing high expectations for youth and staff
- Providing access through staff longevity, student-teacher ratio, communication with families and students
Afterschool Program Schedule
Youth V.I.B.E.’s Afterschool programming is held on the school site Mondays – Thursdays throughout the school year between 3:30 -6:30 pm. The afterschool program offers students free academic tutorials/homework assistance, mentoring and workforce development skills. All afterschool programming is offered to qualifying students for free or reduced based on income.
Programming Schedule
3:30-4:00pm – Sign in, Healthy Snack, Home work help, Games and Transition
4:00-5:00pm – STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Projects) 5:00-6:00pm – Enrichment (Entrepreneurship, Character, Sports, Cooking, Theatre, Arts, Etc.)
6:00-6:30pm – Reflection, Journal Writing, Dismissal
The Youth V.I.B.E. Afterschool Program is a great way for your teen to receive free academic tutorials and mentoring opportunities, which will give them the skills and experiences to become successful adults.
All components of the Youth V.I.B.E. After-School program are free to all participating students.
Participating Schools
Mohammed Schools of Atlanta
Towers High School
Clarkston High School
To find out more information on the school sites Youth V.I.B.E. is currently serving, please call (404) 254-4374
How to Apply
Youth V.I.B.E., Inc. encourages participation by high school students throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area. Applying to Youth V.I.B.E. requires submitting a completed youth registration form and parent/guardian permission form to one of our participating schools.
Download our 2017- 2018 Student and Parent Handbook
21st CCLC Formative Report 2016
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