PLATINUM MINDS INC

1. To enable scholars in our program access to academic support that enhances their ability to graduate from high school and attend an institution of higher learning.

2. To enable scholars to develop a suit of practical life skills that result in personal characteristics that strengthen their leadership skills and motivate them to take action to enhance themselves and their community

3. Scholars apply their academic, personal and leadership skills gained by taking action to improve their community.

Platinum Minds believes that by developing the leadership skills of intelligent boys it can help its scholar’s transition into young men who can be productive and effective members in our society. Platinum Minds uses a grassroots path to instill change by encouraging scholars to utilize their gifts, talents, and skills to be positive role models to other young men in their schools and communities, today and into the future.

Platinum Minds accomplishes its mission through a comprehensive and proactive set of initiatives both in and out of the classroom that:

• Provide scholars access to better educational opportunities.
• Enable scholars to gain the knowledge and skills that will help unlock their potential and become effective members of society.
• Empower scholars to become active in their high schools and communities today and into the future.

Platinum Minds has implemented four specific programs that are designed to develop a scholar’s knowledge, self-confidence and leadership skills, through engagement in learning opportunities, mentoring, educational opportunities, developing skills in communication, public speaking, financial literacy, writing and entrepreneurship and fostering community engagement.

The day-to-day operations of Platinum Minds are run by the Executive Director, Yvette Long. In addition to the Executive Director, the Operations Manager, David Messineo coordinates the program’s operations and provides assistance to Mrs. Long as needed. Platinum Minds has an Advisory Board consisting of three members who provide the strategic guidance on the program.

Platinum Minds implements its program using its strong volunteer network and partner organizations. Volunteers come from a cross-section of disciplines and geographic areas that include Scholar mentors, website developers, data managers, and fundraisers and grant writers. Technical resources are also sourced from partner organizations that include; the Boys Scouts of America; United Way; Mentoring Coalition; Neighborhood Coalition, Morristown; Presbyterian Church, Morristown; Atone Lutheran Church, Asbury Park and; Young Scholars organization, Trenton. To date, over 20 schools participate in Platinum Mind Programs and we have secured agreements with 4 private schools to provide subsidized fees for our scholar program.

Between 2007 and 2011, Platinum Minds has invested over $ 300,000 to support over 300 young men covering Northern, Central and Southern New Jersey that includes:

• Over 100 through our Entrepreneur Leadership Symposiums.
• Over 80 through our Frederick Douglass Reading Programs in Morristown and Newark.
• Approximately 30 as “Platinum Minds Scholars”, benefitting from school tuition, summer camp, and additional programs.

Platinum Minds uses a results-based approach to measure its progress at the programmatic and individual levels. To date, the program has focused on short-term (output-based) measures and mid-term measures (outcomes) to monitor its progress.

While the initial results of the Program are promising, Platinum Minds is developing a more rigorous set of indicators that would measure the efficiency and effectiveness of the program in terms cost and results. A detailed Monitoring and Evaluation Plan is being finalized. The monitoring program will expand the use of survey tools to measure an individual scholars’ progress as well as get stakeholder inputs of the program’s effectiveness.

In the short-term, successful scholars should demonstrate increased community involvement, improved grades, enhanced leadership skills, a broadened world view, and increased confidence and public speaking skills.

• To date over 95% of our participants maintained at least a B average throughout the academic year, and we were able to reduce the truancy rate of these students to 0%. We have witnessed a fundamental change in our students from when they started our program, and after the second year of being a part of our Leadership Development Program. 98% of the students show increased interest, awareness, and hands-on experience in leadership and community related activities.

The medium term outcomes expected from a successful program are that scholars pursue an education beyond high school, believe they are valuable members of society, have a planned career path, view themselves as leaders, and demonstrate a desire to give back to their communities.

• Within the last two years, the first batch of scholars has graduated out of the program (14 scholars) and all of them have pursued a tertiary education.
• All of the graduating scholars have received either partial of full scholarships to pursue their higher education goals. The eight graduating scholars in 2013 have received a total of $800,000 support for the next four years.