DIRECTED INITIATIVES FOR YOUTH INC
Leading the way, it's in our DNA
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Imagine if every child, no matter their circumstances, had the opportunity to find and nurture their inner greatness. How would our world be different? At Excite All Stars, we’ve dedicated our lives to making that a reality. Our mission is to give all kids equal opportunity to find, hone, and maximize their God given talents and become agents of change in their communities. Born in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Excite All Stars began as a much-needed refuge for at-risk kids coping with unimaginable trauma. Thirteen years later, we are still filling critical gaps in our communities with comprehensive leadership development programs that provide exposure to academics, the arts, and athletics. These are life-changing experiences our kids simply do not get anywhere else!
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
EASFlightPlan Mentoring Program
EAS Flightplan is a mentoring program facilitated by EAS Coaches that are currently in college. EAS Coaches work with students in their communities to build confidence as leaders, improve academic performance, and to become more excited about learning.
Excite Girls Rock Female Empowerment Program
The ultimate goal of Excite Girls Rock! is to utilize sports as a tool and a variety of other activities to
provide a foundation of healthy habits that will positively impact the participants throughout their lives and
generations that follow. Short term goals are to improve overall self-image and confidence of participants.
Our specific objectives include: develop 2 new healthy habits; try at least two sports they have never
participated in before; develop 3 personal goals, and show improvement on the Pacer (Progressive Aerobic
Cardiovascular Endurance Run test) given pre and post and the Sports 4 life designated pre and post youth
survey. We expect our participants to attend at least 90% of the programing provided. In addition, Excite will
conduct a program satisfaction survey of both parents and participants, which will provide information on
what participants liked and what improvements may be needed. We will be seeking parent’s overall program
satisfaction of 80-90%. In addition, we will survey parents to find out if there were significant changes in
their girls’ attitudes and overall view on being healthy and the effects and affects of their daughter(s)
participating in sports. Concurrently, what is the direct impact has their daughters participation have on
their family since their involvement in the program. Our objective for this outcome is to see an overall 90%
improvement in attitude and impact on family.
EAS techNOkids STEM Initiatives
Excite techNOkids Learn and Play program is an innovative Summer Program that meets the overall goal of “enhancing student interest and retention in STEM fields.” Our programs serve elementary and/or middle-school students in New Orleans, who are predominantly under-represented minority students from families with low socio-economic status. techNOkids has a number of collaborators led by 2 winners of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM). Our program focuses on STEM Learning, but also addresses STEM awareness, leadership, social justice, mindfulness, and the power of play. The eight-week STEM Learn and play program focuses on building students’ leadership skills, self-confidence, and personal skills that have an impact on life-long success in STEM fields. Programming includes our STEM/Sports curriculum, The Walking Classroom, FAB Lab @ Delgado, Reader’s Theatre and other STEM based projects .Successful STEM professionals from across the New Orleans area are recruited as facilitators/mentors, providing students with insight on their decision to enter a STEM field and how they subsequently succeeded. Our STEM facilitators come from both industry and education. We explore with our campers the exciting innovations of STEM, and the key leadership characteristics, commitment, and academic experiences that contribute to success in STEM fields.
Another Excite STEM initiative is our Anchored 2 Soar Aviation program– Young people are diverse and dynamic, taking many different pathways to success. The mission of “Anchored to Soar” is to educate young people in aviation by training youth in STEM related programs that will engage, equip, and empower the next generation to fill the aviation workforce of the future and soar to new heights. Excite’s partnership with Black Pilots of America (Golden Eagles) serves to not only develop potential pilots, but also use aviation as a pathway into aviation-related careers. Using the "STEM Pilots curriculum", the curriculum will teach students how to learn, think, problem-solve, assess risk, and display judgement. The program will be open to youth ,ages 12-18, in our after school programs during the fall and spring semesters.
EAS Step N2 the Light Arts Program
Getting your “act” together….
MANY CHILDREN IN NEW ORLEANS have little or no opportunity for formal arts instruction, and access to arts learning experiences remains a critical national challenge. New Orleans, a city known for the Arts and creative expression, is sorely lacking in opportunities for youth to learn how to express themselves creatively and learn about the rich culture that they are growing up in.
The Seven Broad Purposes of Arts Education at Excite All Stars:
1. Arts education @ Excite aims to foster broad dispositions and skills, especially the capacity to think creatively and the capacity to make connections.
2. Arts education @ Excite aims to teach artistic skills and techniques without making these primary
3. Arts education @ Excite aims to develop aesthetic awareness.
4. Arts practices@ Excite aim to provide ways of pursuing understanding of the world.
5. Arts education @ Excite aims to provide a way for students/campers to engage with community, civic, and social issues.
6. Arts education @ Excite aims to provide a venue for students to express themselves.
7. Arts education @ Excite aims to help students develop as individuals.
EAS LIT Academy (Leaders in Training)
According to studies conducted by The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the number #1 skill deficiency of today’s young people is LEADERSHIP – At Excite, our Leadership Academy teaches youth to “leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals; and we develop interpersonal skills to coach and develop others.”
“There is a profound gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st century communities and workplaces.”
At Excite, we aren’t teaching to a test, we teach to life, and the realities and challenges that come with it. Best educational practices today call for a fusing of the 3Rs with the 4Cs (Critical thinking and problem solving, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity and innovation) – this is just what we do at Excite All Stars
More than 50% of high school graduates were “deficient” in skills such as oral & written communication, critical thinking and professionalism. The leadership skills that we teach and learn at Excite, as reflected in our LEAD Approach (Learn Life Skills, Envision your Future, Accept Challenges and Do For Others) addresses these deficiencies and prepares teens to take on leadership roles at home, school, work, camp and in their communities.
IMPACT STATS for LIT ACADEMY: (3 Graduating Classes)
LIT ACADEMY:
- 93 % of participants said the program gave them opportunity to learn new skill such as communication, leadership, and social responsibility
- 72% said they feel an increased sense of social responsibility and community involvement
- "The program encourages us to take responsibility and initiative and to change things in our city which we don’t like – to deal with them, rather than running away".
- The staff echoed this view, claiming that the program made the young people more involved in school and generally more caring.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Afterschool Alliance 2017
USA Track and Field 2016
American Camp Association - Member 2012
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of students at or above a 90% attendance rate
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
EASFlightPlan Mentoring Program
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This indicates the number of overall participants that were enrolled in Excite All Stars programs and had a 90% attendance over the course of the program.
Number of students who receive scholarship funds and/or tuition assistance
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
EASFlightPlan Mentoring Program
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of students who demonstrate improved overall literacy
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
EASFlightPlan Mentoring Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number reflects a percentage of students who showed improvement from pre-post assessment after 8 week program.
Number of students educated through field trips
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
EASFlightPlan Mentoring Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of students who attended 10 educational field trips over an eight week period.
Number of students enrolled
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
EASFlightPlan Mentoring Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of students showing interest in topics related to STEM
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Preteens, Children, Adolescents
Related Program
EAS techNOkids STEM Initiatives
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
A Stable Support System
Excite All Stars began as a refuge for kids in the face of adversity. Today, we’ve become a family where all are welcome and embraced for exactly who they are. Our kids build life-long relationships with our coaches and mentors--and each other. This nurturing community gives kids the support and confidence they need to not just excel, but become All Stars in life.
Exposure to All-in-One All Star Experiences
Our diverse, one-stop-shop programming fills a critical need in our communities, giving kids exposure to experiences and information that they just aren’t getting anywhere else. From STEM to social justice, arts to athletics, the unique combination of activities gives our kids the opportunity to think differently, break out of their shell and discover their inner greatness. And, of course, it’s fun!
Trailblazing Thinking
Our motto is “Leading the Way, It’s in Our DNA.” And it’s true! From our first kids in 2008 to launching our virtual platform EAS 2 Geaux, we’ve been paving a new path for our community.
Our kids see that leadership modeled everyday, and are trained to put it into practice as they graduate to become coaches themselves. So that they recognize their own power to envision new possibilities and create change.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Excite All Stars is a non-profit organization that empowers kids to become leaders that change the world. We do this by providing a stable support system, exposure to all-in-one All Star experiences in leadership, academics, the arts & athletics and trailblazing thinking that teaches kids to create change in their community
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Born in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Excite All Stars began as a much-needed refuge for at-risk kids coping with unimaginable trauma. Thirteen years later, we are still filling critical gaps in our communities with comprehensive leadership development programs that provide exposure to academics, the arts, and athletics. These are life-changing experiences our kids simply do not get anywhere else!
But the real impact is our All Stars: who gain the confidence, skills and experience to be champions of change in their communities for generations to come
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
To date, we’ve served 0ver 3,700 families with over 50,000 hours of programming in 2019 alone. And this is only the beginning. From our roots as a New Orleans summer camp, we’ve grown into a 360-degree community support system, with after-school programs, camps, workshops and a virtual learning studio to expand our reach nationwide.
Last year DIY: 90% of its youth demonstrated improvement in physical abilities and improved health, 80% demonstrated improved conflict resolution skills and 90% demonstrated heightened cultural awareness and civic engagement.
We are working to provide additional academic support to students in the form of our innovative mentoring and leadership development opportunities.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
DIRECTED INITIATIVES FOR YOUTH INC
Board of directorsas of 01/23/2023
James Wagner
State Farm Insurance
Penny M Williams
Excite All Stars
Brian Friedman
Self Employed/Film Producer-Writer
Harry Doughty
SUNO-Adminsitrator/Professor
Michael J Winsberg
Attorney
Tiffany Nappier
Publicist
James Wagner, Jr.
Insurance Agent-State Farm
Ronald Cojoe
CPA
Lisa Camper
Community Activist
Melody Logan
Parent/Liaison
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data