Tag: Step Up

YouthQuest, Loudoun Youth Reward Problem-Solving Teens

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2019 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition finalists

Students came up with so many good ideas for solving problems in Loudoun County, Virginia, this year that the judges in the annual Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition couldn’t pick only one grand prize winner.

The iloom – Returns to Work and Resi-lution teams finished the final round of competition with identical high scores, earning $1,000 apiece to support their projects. The contest, run by Loudoun Youth, Inc. and Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services, challenges teens to identify community problems and implement innovative solutions. The YouthQuest Foundation has been the prize money sponsor every year since 2012.

The iloom team answers questions from the judges at the final round of the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition.
The iloom team answers questions from the judges at the final round of the 2019 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition

Step Up “taught us the power of compassion,” Sahana Arumani said as she explained iloom to a panel of judges that included YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks on April 11.

The project she created along with Shreya Arun, Abhinav Babu and Pranav Babu mobilizes manufacturers, online retailers and volunteers to address community needs with returned merchandise. They established a nonprofit organization that now has chapters in four states, where businesses send returned items, which are then sent to charities or sold for cash that is donated to charities.

Step Up competitors approach problems with a combination of the latest technology and social networking, along with old-fashioned deal-making skills and dedication to their community. Persistence helps, too.

Lacey Tanner, a senior at Rock Ridge High School, who launched a Step Up project to clean up Beaverdam Creek Reservoir, was one of the 10 finalists two years ago. This year, she shared the first-place prize with Carter Casagrande, Annabelle Monte, Ava Turicchi and Joe Waxvik – Brambleton Middle School students she has trained to take over the project when she goes away to college. Their Resi-lution team is organizing trash pick-up events in the 1,000-acre park and raising money for a shed to store cleanup equipment in preparation for the reservoir reopening to the public after being drained for repairs.

Members of the Resi-lution team celebrate their first-place finish in the 2019 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition
Members of the Resi-lution team celebrate their first-place finish

Academy of Engineering and Technology student Sanjitha Prabakaran took home the $500 third-place award for STEM for Scouts. Her project encourages Girl Scouts to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering and math through camps, classes and instructional videos.  

Each of the other teams that reached the finals earned $250.

More than 200 students representing two dozen schools made presentations to judges in the preliminary round of this year’s Step Up competition on March 28 at Loudoun County Public Schools headquarters in Ashburn. Those 65 teams were narrowed down to the top 10, who competed in the finals on April 11 at the Brambleton Library.

YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks presents prize money check to Loudoun Youth CEO Jared Melvin at the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition finals on April 11, 2019 at the Brambleton Library.
YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks presents the prize money check to Loudoun Youth CEO Jared Melvin

Before announcing the winners, Loudoun Youth President and CEO Jared Melvin noted there were lots of familiar faces among the finalists. The Bridges team, which works to make sure students whose first language isn’t English feel included in activities at Park View High School, and COBRA, which educates people about healthy alternatives to cancer-causing foods, were among the Top 10 in 2018. So was Ari Dixit. In response to the overwhelming caseload school guidance counselors in the county face, he developed StudentCounselor, a voice-interface app. Last year, Ari won third prize for a similar project to help immigrants prepare for the U.S. citizenship test.

The results of the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition has been so positive since it began in 2004 that the organizers are preparing to challenge the other largest school systems in the nation to step up with similar programs of their own to solve community problems.

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YouthQuest’s Five Favorite Memories of 2018

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3D ThinkLink students from Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy at University of Maryland Terrapin Works April 2018 Vocational Orientation

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As we wrap up an eventful year filled with accomplishments, here’s a look back at the YouthQuest Foundation’s most memorable moments.

Success for More At-Risk Teens

Sixty-five cadets from National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Programs completed our 3D ThinkLink training this year. We taught these at-risk youth to think differently about failure and success as they prepare to enter the job market or pursue higher education.

3D ThinkLink students from Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy receive awards December 2018
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Our classes help students develop sought-after STEM skills through hands-on experience with professional-level CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software, 3D printers and computers. In addition, the trial-and-error nature of 3D printing teaches our students about critical thinking, problem-solving, perseverance, resilience, creativity and collaboration. These “soft skills” are even more valuable to employers than the technical skills.

3D ThinkLink training takes place during the two annual class cycles at Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy, South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy and the District of Columbia’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy. Instructors from the schools come to our lab in Chantilly, Virginia, twice a year to update their skills and help us constantly improve the 3D ThinkLink experience.

Nearly 300 ChalleNGe cadets have completed 3D ThinkLink training since we launched the project in 2013. We have reached many more young people through our partnerships with the PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families at schools in Fairfax and Annandale, Virginia, for students with autism and other special needs; and with Horizons Hampton Roads, serving low-income children in Portsmouth, Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

This year, we rewarded 13 cadets for their outstanding performance in class by bringing them to our lab for a week of advanced training. Seven students earned scholarships for the essays they wrote about the impact the 3D ThinkLink experience had on their lives. The 2018 essay competition winners are: Caleb Pearson ($1,000) from SCYCA; Chigaru Todd ($1,000) and Jacob Foote ($500) from CGYCA; Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega ($1,000), Bradley Berry, Trevor Haney and Dante Isom ($500) from Freestate.

A Chance Encounter, a Lightbulb Moment

We put a lot of planning into Vocational Orientation to make sure our students get the most out of the events, which show them how 3D printing is used at businesses and universities. But sometimes the best parts of these field trips are unscripted. Freestate Instructor Jamarr Dennis recalled the moment during a Vocational Orientation tour of The Foundery in Baltimore that “the lightbulb went on” for Cadet Sthephanie Alvarez-Vega when she struck up a conversation with craftsman/entrepreneur Festus Jones.

Vocational Orientation and Inspiration

Like Sthephanie, South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy Cadet Caleb Pearson attended Immersion Lab training and earned a scholarship in the essay contest. And like her, Caleb was unexpectedly inspired by someone he met during Vocational Orientation. Nathan Lambert, a top graduate student, helped guide the SCYCA group through the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Mechanical Engineering Department in October. Toward the end of the tour, Nathan told the cadets that he’d hated high school and barely graduated, but after serving in the military, he discovered his passion for engineering and learned to excel in college. “It made me feel really confident,” said Caleb, an aspiring engineer who once struggled in school. “If this man has made it this far in his life … and I want to be exactly where he is, I can do it.”

Stepping Up With Loudoun Youth

The YouthQuest Foundation has been the prize money sponsor for the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition every year since 2012. The contest, run by Loudoun Youth, Inc. and Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services, challenges teams of teens in Loudoun County, Virginia, to identify problems in their communities, then develop and implement solutions.

We have been so impressed by Step Up’s results that we doubled our contribution to $5,000 this year. YouthQuest Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann made the announcement at the preliminary round of competition for more than 60 teams on April 5.

This year’s winning team, Princess Packages, started a volunteer organization to lift the spirits of young girls who suffer from sadness and isolation during long hospital stays. Other top-10 team projects included a tutoring and mentoring program for elementary school students, a chatbot app to help immigrants to improve their English language skills and study for the U.S. citizenship exam, and a networking service to connect teens with employment and volunteer opportunities.

Teams for next year’s Step Up contest have already formed and we can’t wait to see what projects they create in the spring.

Recognition for Innovation

YouthQuest Operations Manager Juan Louro, President Lynda Mann and Communications Director Steve Pendlebury send Drucker Prize semifinal round submission
Operations Manager Juan Louro, President Lynda Mann and Communications Director Steve Pendlebury send Drucker Prize semifinal submission form

We are honored to have been chosen as one of the 50 semifinalists for this year’s Drucker Prize, a $100,000 award for innovation by nonprofit organizations.

Our presentation about the 3D ThinkLink Initiative was selected from among more than 500 entries nationwide for the prize, which recognizes nonprofits that best exemplify business management legend Peter Drucker’s definition of innovation: “Change that creates a new dimension of performance.”

This was our third year competing for the Drucker Prize and each time, we get a little farther. We look forward to entering the contest again in 2019.

These excerpts from our Drucker Prize presentation sum up the principles that will continue to drive our organization in the year ahead.

The YouthQuest Foundation exists to help America’s at-risk youth become successful adults by changing the way they think about their past failures and providing opportunities for them to fulfill their potential through education and life-changing experiences.

The at-risk youth we serve – minorities, kids with disabilities and those from low-income families – make up a disproportionate share of America’s dropouts. They’re on a path that leads to poverty and even prison.

The kids we serve once saw themselves as failures. We help change their perception of failure, and of themselves, by offering an innovative way to get them on course to a better life.

Golf Tournament Raises Funds for YouthQuest Foundation

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2018 YouthQuest Golf Tournament

Friends of YouthQuest turned out on August 6 for the 13th annual golf tournament to support our foundation’s work with at-risk youth.

Golfer at 2018 YouthQuest golf tournament Challenge at Trump NationalMore than 80 players enjoyed a day on Trump National Golf Club’s scenic Championship Course in Potomac Falls, Virginia, recently ranked by Golf Digest as one of the nation’s best new private courses. 

In addition to having many new players at this year’s tournament, we welcomed three first-time sponsors: Kipps DeSanto Investment Banking; the Popera, Overholt & Holland Group; and Old Dominion National Bank. We are also grateful to our generous returning sponsors: AOC Solutions; FEDAC Processing; CrossFit PR Star; the Harry & Zoe Poole Foundation; Insperity; Gombos-Leyton and Valley Forge Acquisition Corporation.

Retired Redskins star Larry Brown and the winning team from Kipps DeSanto at the 2018 YouthQuest Golf Tournament
Retired Redskins star Larry Brown and the winning team from Kipps DeSanto

The Challenge at Trump National is YouthQuest’s premier annual event to raise funds for programs such as our 3D ThinkLink Initiative, which uses 3D design and printing as a vehicle for teaching at-risk youth valuable job skills and thinking skills. The program has earned us recognition as a semifinalist in this year’s Drucker Prize competition, which rewards innovation by nonprofits, and as a nominee for the 2017 Greater Washington Innovation Awards in the Public Service category.

Since 2012, YouthQuest has also been the prize money sponsor for the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition. This year, we doubled our support for the contest, in which teens in Loudoun County, Virginia, identify problems in their community and implement projects to solve them.

Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition winners at 2-18 YouthQuest Golf Tournament reception
Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition winning teams

At the post-tournament reception and awards ceremony, Loudoun Youth President and CEO Jared Melvin spoke about Step Up. Three first-place teams from recent years also were on hand to explain their projects to tournament guests. This year’s winners, Lina Alkarmi from Dominion High School and Shahlaley Nagra from Heritage High School, showcased their Princess Packages project, which lifts the spirits of young girls who are hospitalized. Students representing 2016 winner PASTA (Peers and Students Taking Action), explained how their group helps teens find opportunities to serve the community. And the young leaders of Charitable Act, the 2015 winner, promoted their nonprofit that provides summer theater camps for underprivileged children.

2018 Volunteer of the Year Tony Sanderson
Volunteer of the Year Tony Sanderson

Also at the reception, YouthQuest Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann announced that FEDAC Vice President Tony Sanderson has been chosen as our 2018 Volunteer of the Year. She also congratulated this year’s Strategic Partner Award winner, Maryland-based 3D printer maker M3D, and the Community Partner Award winner, Maryland’s Harford Community College.

Silver Sponsor Kipps DeSanto was this year’s winning team in the scramble-format tournament with a score of 59. Team members Kevin DeSanto, Scott Green, Rich Holland and Jonathan Moneymaker played with Larry Brown, the former Washington Redskins running back.

Golf Entertainer Brad Denton wields a 10-foot-long driver at the 2018 YouthQuest golf tournament
Golf Entertainer Brad Denton

Other VIP guest players were Redskins alumni Roy Jefferson, Carl Kammerer and Jerry Olsen, Air Force Col. Doug Hall, Loudoun Fire and Rescue Chief Keith Johnson, Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Chief Miguel Quijano, and Loudoun County Sheriff’s Deputies Joe Heydens and Kenny Tucker.

Edna Davis, YouthQuest’s 2015 Volunteer of the Year, served as the coordinator for our tournament volunteers.

Golf Entertainer Brad Denton was back this year, after missing the last tournament due to injury, to start the event with his always-amazing trick shot demonstration.

Scorpion Strike author John Gilstrap signed books at the 2018 YouthQuest Golf Tournament reception
Scorpion Strike author John Gilstrap

New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap, who volunteers his time and expertise to judge our essay contest in which 3D ThinkLink students compete for scholarships, was at the reception signing copies Scorpion Strike, the latest book in his Jonathan Grave thriller series.

We are also grateful to Jeff Mauritzen from inPhotograph.com for his tournament photography, Mercedes-Benz of Chantilly for providing the hole-in-one car, and Honor Brewing for serving cold beer to the thirsty golfers on a hot August day.

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YouthQuest Doubles Step Up Loudoun Youth Contest Support

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2018 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition finalist teams

What was your biggest accomplishment in seventh grade? Never forgetting your locker combination? Scoring a seat at the cool kids’ lunch table? How about creating a way to help immigrants become U.S. citizens?

That’s what Brambleton Middle School seventh grader Ari Dixit did and it earned him one of the top prizes in the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition.

2018 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition third-prize winner Ari Dixit from Brambleton Middle School with his Citisenship Coach app project display
Ari Dixit created the Citizenship Coach app for Google Assistant

Ari was one of a record 200-plus teens who entered this year’s contest, in which Loudoun County, Virginia students identify problems in their communities, then develop and implement solutions.

The YouthQuest Foundation has been the prize money sponsor for Step Up every year since 2012. We have been so impressed by the program’s results that we doubled our contribution to $5,000 this year.

YouthQuest Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann made the announcement at the preliminary round of competition for more than 60 teams on April 5 at Loudoun County Public Schools headquarters in Ashburn. She served as one of the judges, helping pick the top ten teams to make presentations in the April 12 finals held at K2M headquarters in Leesburg.

In addition to praising the teams of young problem solvers for devoting the time to create their projects, Lynda thanked the leaders of Loudoun Youth, Inc. and Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services for running the competition, which began in 2004.

Lina Alkarmi and Shahlaley Nagra tell the judges about Princess Packages, the project that won the top prize in the 2018 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition
Lina Alkarmi and Shahlaley Nagra tell the judges about Princess Packages

This year’s $1,000 first prize went to Lina Alkarmi from Dominion High School and Shahlaley Nagra from Heritage High School for their Princess Packages project. Both girls attend the Academy of Engineering and Technology every other school day and hope to become doctors. After learning that young girls who are hospitalized have an especially hard time with feelings of sadness and isolation, they started a volunteer organization to lift those children’s spirits.

Every little girl wants to be a princess, Lina and Shahlaley explained to the judges. So they mobilized volunteers to assemble packages of goodies such as crowns, wands, bracelet kits, stickers and other craft supplies. More than 130 Princess Packages have been delivered to 4- to 10-year-old girls in Loudoun County hospitals.

YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks presents the Step Up prize money check to Loudoun Youth CEO Jared Melvin on April 12, 2018
YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks presents the prize money check to Loudoun Youth CEO Jared Melvin

The Nothing’s ImPASTAble team of Manali Gantaram and Umika Tunuguntla from Rock Ridge High School took the $700 second-place prize. They launched a program to help students in grades three through six improve their confidence and academic performance. Nothing’s ImPASTAble has provided nearly 700 tutoring and mentoring sessions so far.

Ari Dixit was awarded the $400 third-place prize for developing his Citizenship Coach app. It’s built on the Google Assistant platform, which allows immigrants to improve their English language skills and study for the U.S. citizenship exam by talking with the chatbot.

The other seven finalist teams received $200 each to support their projects, which address issues such as feeding the homeless, preventing cancer and obesity, connecting teens with employment and volunteer opportunities, recycling art supplies and encouraging English language learners to get involved in school and community activities.

Loudoun County business and community organization leaders served as judges for the Step Up preliminary and final competitions. Besides YouthQuest, sponsors include Backflow Technology and Maid Brigade.

Click here to learn more about the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition.

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YouthQuest Celebrates Prize-Winning Problem Solvers

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2017 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition finalists

YouthQuest’s dream is for all the young people we reach to become successful adults who give back to their communities.

That’s why Youth ChalleNGe Cadets in our 3D ThinkLink classes are required to complete a community service project. It’s why we’re training students to use their 3D printing, critical thinking and problem solving skills to serve their communities as Youth Mentors.

And it’s why we support the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition, which challenges teens to give back by solving problems in their communities.

The goal of the annual event presented by Loudoun Youth, Inc. and Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services is to encourage, support and reward teens in Loudoun County, Virginia, for making positive changes in their own lives and the lives of others. YouthQuest has been the primary prize money sponsor of the contest since 2012.

Judges listen to a team's presentation at the 2017 Step Up Loudoun youth Competition
Judges listen to a team’s presentation at the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition

Eighty teams submitted ideas last fall and 40 gave presentations during preliminary judging on March 27 at Trailside Middle School in Ashburn. Ten were chosen for the finals, held on April 5 at The Club at One Loudoun. More than two dozen local business and community leaders, including YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks, volunteered as judges.

The students choose the issues and develop the projects to address them, so Step Up gives adults a fresh view of the world through the eyes of the next generation of leaders. This year, the environment, physical and mental health, education, bullying and traffic were among the students’ concerns.

The topics often are a reflection of current events. After a year filled with news about hacking and other cyber-shenanigans, Kriti Ganotra from Broad Run High School came up with the idea for Call of Security. She earned the $1,000 top prize in the Step Up contest by developing a free device that detects computer network vulnerabilities.

Loudoun County is home to the East Coast’s version of Silicon Valley. Up to 70 percent of the world’s Internet traffic moves through data centers in the Dulles Tech Corridor, so a breakdown in Loudoun’s network can have widespread impact, Kriti explained in her presentation to the judges.

Kriti Ganotra presents her winning project, Call of Security, at the 2017 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition
Kriti Ganotra presents her winning project, Call of Security, at the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition finals

Kriti went online to research vulnerability scanning systems and find open-source code, which she modified to create a program that checks for weaknesses in all devices connected to a router by wifi, even TVs and appliances. Then she tested her scanner against Nessus, a leading professional service.

“Nessus is a vulnerability scanner used by the DoD (Department of Defense) costing about $50,000 a year and I found out my machine actually performs better than Nessus,” Kriti said in an interview with Loudoun Youth.

“I want to bring it to Loudoun County, using high schoolers to create a community where everyone is educated about cyber-bullying, cyber-security, cyber-threats and technology,” she added. “I want to bring this to every single house and eventually patent this into something that we can develop all around the nation.”

This year’s $750 second-place project was inspired a different sort of technological threat — the potentially deadly mix of smart phones and Northern Virginia’s notorious traffic congestion. The Put It Down team of Freya Panchamia, Saumya Sharma, Paras Sarjapur and Iyush Hoysal from Eagle Ridge, Mercer and Stone Middle Schools targeted the dangers of distracted driving by encouraging people to sign a pledge not to text while driving. They’ve reached more than 200 drivers so far and plan to continue the project.

The Put It Down team was excited to be picked as one of 10 finalists in the 2017 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition
The Put It Down team was excited to be picked as one of 10 finalists

“We know that we’re making a significant impact on Loudoun County because we’ve reached out to many people and we’ve gotten many pledges,” said Freya.

The Clean Kits team of Palak Shah and Areej Khan from John Champe High School made it to the top ten last year and went home with this $500 third-place prize this time. They have provided personal hygiene and sanitary products for homeless women in Loudoun and Fairfax Counties and Washington, DC, since last year.

“The reason we chose to tackle feminine hygiene is because people are afraid to talk about it. People are afraid to donate these products because they feel uncomfortable buying them,” Palak said. “The thing is, these are simple products that all women need.”

The Every Voice Heard project won the $150 fourth-place prize. Isabelle Nikkho and Tammy Niyomtes from Harper Park Middle School, responding to a recent rash of teen suicides in Loudoun, created website to raise awareness about depression and suicide and provide resources. They also raised funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The remaining six finalists all won $100 prizes for their projects.

Be Me for a Day – Anna Nguyen from Broad Run High School created “day in the life” videos to help students and adults choose a profession.

Clean Up Beaverdam Creek Reservoir – Lacey Tanner from Rock Ridge High School organized cleanup events and raised community awareness about protecting the reservoir.

Environment Rescuers – Shiril Yedhara, Rajul Vadera, Mira Warries, Keerthi Dasoju from Rock Ridge High School raised awareness among local students of the global water crisis.

Loudoun Purity – Priyanshi Jeevagan and Ananya Gahlot from East Ridge and Stone Hill Middle Schools organized a 3K walk to raise money for hygiene kits for people at the Leesburg Homeless Shelter.

Personal Teach – Ari Dixit from Stone Hill Middle School created a program with a voice interface fpr the Internet to help students improve their scores on standardized tests.

UnSalted – Taylor Jackson from Riverside High School developed an app to help students reduce stress.

Learn more about Step Up Loudoun Youth here.

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The YouthQuest Foundation Year in Review: 2016

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YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks with students in the 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab

The YouthQuest Foundation reached a milestone in serving at-risk youth as 2016 came to an end.

Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy 3D ThinkLink students graduate December 2016
3D ThinkLink students graduate from Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy, December 2016

“With December’s graduations in Maryland, South Carolina and Washington, DC, 200 Youth ChalleNGe Academy Cadets now have completed our 3D ThinkLink training,” said YouthQuest Co-Founder and President, Lynda Mann. “It’s been a joy to watch this project grow during the past four years.”

The 3D ThinkLink Initiative helps students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, creativity and confidence as they learn about 3D design and printing. The knowledge they gain gives our graduates an advantage in the tech-driven job market where demand for 3D design and printing skills is growing fast. Most important, they learn that failure is not final – a lesson that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.

YouthQuest launched the project at Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy in early 2013. Later that year, the District of Columbia’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy joined, followed by South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy in 2014.

Advanced students assemble JellyBox 3D printer kits in the 3D Thinklink Creativity Lab January 2016
Lab Week January 2016

This year began with eight top graduates participating in a week of advanced training at our 3D ThinkLink Creativity Lab in Chantilly, Virginia. They did hands-on research evaluating 3D scanners and assembling JellyBox 3D printer kits.

Our training for all ChalleNGe Cadets includes a four-hour community service project and a full day of Vocational Orientation visits to businesses and schools where 3D design and printing is used. This year’s destinations included some old favorites such as 3D Systems and the University of Maryland’s Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Lab, as well as new ones such as The Foundery and Under Armour’s Lighthouse innovation center in Baltimore.

“Being involved in 3D ThinkLink makes me think about the different opportunities I have,” said Freestate grad Josh Nembhard. “Being here gives you a better chance of going somewhere, for example, college or getting a job.”

Our new Youth Mentor Program offers graduates the opportunity to continue their 3D ThinkLInk experience by sharing what they’ve learned with their family, friends and neighbors. Beginning with Immersion Lab Week in January 2017, we will provide the equipment and training for our most qualified students to drive positive change in their communities by serving as Youth Mentors. Funding for the program launched this summer is already halfway to the $15,000 goal.

3D ThinkLink students at Vocational Orientation at University of Maryland Biomaterials Lab
Vocational Orientation at University of Maryland Biomaterials Lab

We also encourage our graduates to continue their education by awarding scholarships to those who write the best essays about how our training has affected them personally.  Four students earned $500 scholarships in 2016; Trevon Ahl and Alycia Freeman from South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy, and Brock Jasmann and Aunya’ Jones from Freestate ChalleNGe Academy.

“3D printing has helped guide me into making better decisions and gave me a new life skill along the way. It has really helped me understand my self-worth because now I know I can design my own future,” Aunya’ wrote in her award-winning essay. “I now see the bigger picture to my life’s problems and I’m not afraid to face them.”

PHILLIPS AND HORIZONS

Building on the success of our work with Youth ChalleNGe Academies, YouthQuest expanded the 3D ThinkLink Initiative to reach more youth programs in 2016

The PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families began semester-long 3D ThinkLink classes for high school students on the autism spectrum as well as those with mental health issues at its school in Annandale, Virginia, in the spring and will launch classes at its Fairfax campus in early 2017. 

“It’s made a big difference to our staff and to our students,” PHILLIPS Career Partners Director Lindsay Harris said. “These are students that have failed often in the classroom and they don’t always have the confidence that they can learn and be successful. This program really gives them that.”

According to the PHILLIPS Program Final Evaluation Report, the spring pilot program was a success, especially in the areas of student engagement, curriculum implementation and staff support. Lynda Mann credited the excellent work done by the PHILLIPS staff, especially teachers Samuel Son, Jim Field and Marcel Baynes.

“Their ability to recognize the innate creativity in these special-needs youth, and to use the 3D ThinkLink curriculum as a valuable way for the students to express themselves creatively while facilitating growth in critical thinking and problem solving, was brilliant,” she said. 

3D ThinkLink also took root and started growing in Virginia’s Tidewater region this year. We trained teachers and provided the curriculum and materials for Horizons Hampton Roads to run 3D classes for sixth graders as part of its six-week summer enrichment program.

This fall, teacher Franklin Baker used what he learned during the summer to create a course for older students. Horizons’ High School Scholars successfully completed their 3D class in December.

A REWARDING YEAR

2016 Step Up Loudoun Youth winning teams
2016 Step Up winning teams

2016 was the fifth straight year YouthQuest sponsored the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition.  The event organized by Louduon Youth, Inc. challenges middle school and high school students to identify problems in Loudoun County, Virginia, and create solutions. Local business and civic leaders judge the projects and YouthQuest donates most of the prize money.

This year’s Step Up contest drew more entries than ever and we hope for an even larger field of competitors in 2017.

This year’s many accomplishments would not be possible without YouthQuest’s generous supporters.

The Challenge at Trump National Golf Club August 2016
The Challenge at Trump National

The annual golf tournament was our most successful fundraiser. There were more sponsors than ever and more than 100 players took part in the event on August 8 at Trump National Golf Club’s Championship Course in Potomac Falls, Virginia, recently named one of Golf Digest’s best new private courses.  

At the annual VIP Reception a few days before the tournament, we recognized AOC’s Valerie Hightower as our 2016 Volunteer of the Year. The 2016 Community Partner Award went to Duncan-Parnell, Inc. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington received the 2016 Strategic Partner Award.  

Lynda Mann with Volunteer of the Year Valerie Hightower August 2016
Lynda Mann with Volunteer of the Year Valerie Hightower

Donors stepped up during the golf tournament and VIP Reception to get the ball rolling on funding the Youth Mentor Program.

Our participation for the first time in #GivingTuesday, a global celebration of charity on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, also gave our year-end fundraising a boost.

Contributions are welcome at any time of year, of course. Please click here or contact Operations Manager Juan Louro, who joined us on the first workday of 2016, at juan.louro@youthquestfoundation.org or 703-234-6300.

The Year in Pictures

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YouthQuest Congratulates Loudoun Teens Who ‘Step Up’

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The top three teams in the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition, sponsored by YouthQuest, on April 6, 2016

The YouthQuest Foundation has sponsored the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition since 2012 and every year, the projects that students create for the contest become more impressive.

The event challenges middle school and high school students in Loudoun County, Virginia, to develop and implement solutions to problems they’ve identified in their community. Local business and civic leaders judge the projects and award cash prizes for the best ones. YouthQuest provides most of the prize money.

The PASTA team makes its presentation at the final round of judging for the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition on April 6, 2016 at OneLoudoun
The PASTA team

“This was our largest Step Up yet,” said Loudoun Youth President and CEO Jared Melvin, who praised the “powerful, life-changing programs and messages” the students presented.

Fifty-nine teams – more than twice as many as last year – competed in the preliminary round on March 29 at Trailside Middle School in Ashburn.

YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks was one of three dozen judges who narrowed the field down to 10 teams that advanced to the finals, held at The Club at OneLoudoun on April 6.

PASTA (Peers and Students Taking Action), won the $1,000 grand prize. The student-run group with chapters in seven Loudoun County schools operates volunteer programs and helps students find opportunities to serve the community. PASTA’s recent projects include collecting more than 1,000 pounds of cereal and $400 in donations for a local food bank and raising $8,500 for a camp for children of cancer patients.

Carmine Gothard explains her Breaking Your Silence project during the final round of judging for the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition on April 6, 2016 at OneLoudoun
Carmine Gothard presents her project

The $750 second-place prize went to Briar Woods High School senior Carmine Gothard for a project that stemmed from a traumatic childhood experience. Carmine was sexually assaulted when she was 7 and kept it a secret until two years ago. She created Breaking Your Silence to empower fellow survivors. Her project includes a support website and activities to help kids who’ve been sexually assaulted speak up and begin the process of recovery.

Members of the We’re All Human team, who earned the $500 third prize, were also motivated by bitter personal experience with their chosen issue; suicide, the leading cause of teen deaths in Loudoun County.

The We're All Human team from Woodgrove High School presents their suicide prevention project during the final round of judging for the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition on April 6, 2016 at OneLoudoun
The We’re All Human team

After two of their friends killed themselves in 2014, the Woodgrove High School students started a suicide prevention campaign. Their first annual awareness-raising event took place on April 6, just hours before the final round of Step Up judging. All 1,500 Woodgrove High students joined in a 1.5-mile walk around the school in Purcellville, then watched a student-made documentary that featured classmates talking about their struggles with depression and despair.

The teams that finished in fourth through tenth place each received $250 for projects that addressed issues ranging from bullying to homelessness to child car seat safety.

Over the years, Loudoun Youth Founder and Chairman Emeritus Carol Kost has noticed an increase in the number of projects that deal with bullying, sexual assault and suicide. She says it’s important for the Loudoun’s leaders to recognize that, even in the nation’s wealthiest county, young people face many serious risks.

Not only do the Step Up teams help draw attention to those risks, they set an example for everyone in the county by taking action to solve the problems they see around them. That is why YouthQuest is proud to support the competition as part of our mission to serve at-risk youth.

Click here for a list of all the 2016 Step Up Loudoun Youth winners.

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Meet Bria Toussaint, Our Summer Intern

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YouthQuest summer intern Bria Toussaint

This summer is going to be the busiest ever for YouthQuest, so we’re pleased to have Bria Toussaint working with us for the next six weeks.

Bria, who will graduate from Spelman College next year, has already accomplished a great deal in the field of youth-focused nonprofits.

She is the Co-Founder and CEO of GRL-PWR, a 501(c)(3) organization that empowers young girls through activities that promote self-esteem, goal setting and service to others.

During the first half of this year, she took part in an exchange program at Stanford University, where she worked with law students and professors to develop creative outreach solutions to the problem of human trafficking.

Bria Toussaint and Royal Phillips led GRL-PWR mentor training for cadets at South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy in May, 2013
Bria and Royal bring GRL-PWR to SCYCA

Bria came aboard as our summer intern just a few days ago, but her connection to YouthQuest dates back to her time at Freedom High School in Chantilly, Virginia, where she and classmate Royal Phillips created GRL-PWR. They entered their project in the 2012 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition and won the first-place prize of $1,000 provided by YouthQuest.

Our Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann was one of the contest judges that year and was so impressed by Bria and Royal that she offered to help them take GRL-PWR to other states.  The Foundation sent them to the South Carolina Youth ChalleNGe Academy in May, 2013 to teach a group of at-risk young women to be GRL-PWR mentors.

Bria’s summer to-do list includes assisting with our 3D ThinkLink classes for a Boys & Girls Club summer camp in Fairfax County, preparing for our annual charity golf tournament and VIP Reception, supporting 3D ThinkLink immersion lab week and teacher training, and delivering rewards for backers who made pledges to our successful 3D ThinkLink curriculum project on Kickstarter.

We’re confident Bria’s internship with us will be a mutually beneficial experience. She’s gaining valuable hands-on experience in the day-to-day operation of a nonprofit organization and we’re gaining valuable insights from a smart, enthusiastic young woman who’s already making her mark in the nonprofit world.

YouthQuest Teams With Loudoun Youth to Reward Teens Who ‘Step Up’

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Teams set up their project displays for the 2015 Step Up Loudoun Youth competition, sponsored by the YouthQuest Foundation

One of the ways the YouthQuest Foundation encourages young people to be creative thinkers and problem solvers is by supporting the Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition.

YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks presents prize money for the 2015 Step Up Competition to Loudoun Youth President Jared Melivin
Tom Meeks presents contest prize money to Loudoun Youth President Jared Melvin

This is the fourth straight year we have provided the prize money for the contest, in which middle school and high school students from Loudoun County, Va., develop projects to address issues they believe are important in their community. The goal is to encourage, support and reward the youth of Loudoun County for making positive changes in their own lives and the lives of others.  

Twenty-seven teams presented their projects to a panel of judges on March 19 at the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building in Ashburn.

“I was very impressed. These kids are real go-getters,” said YouthQuest Director of Instruction Tom Meeks, who served as one of the two dozen judges for the first time this year. He praised the students’ passion for their chosen issues, which included education, homelessness, bullying, sexual assault, stress and depression, diversity, traffic safety and health.

Allison Ball, Kelsey Clark and Hannah Ratcliffe explain their project, Charitable Act, at the 2015 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition
(L-R) Allison Ball, Kelsey Clark and Hannah Ratcliffe explain their project, Charitable Act

The $1,000 grand prize went to Charitable Act, which provides summer theater camps for underprivileged children. Hannah Ratcliffe founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to “share her love for theater with the world.” Hannah and her Briar Woods High School classmates Kelsey Clark and Allison Ball wowed the judges with a presentation that featured a little three-part harmony and lots of enthusiasm.

Amina Bukasa from Virginia Academy took the $500 second-place prize for her Define Yourself project, which aims to boost young women’s self-esteem with activities that celebrate their inner and outer beauty.

Robab Newbury and Rohan Arora from J. Michael Lunsford Middle School earned third place and $250 for LOUDOUNHEALTH, a project that provides online information about health and diseases for the people of Loudoun County.

Winners of the fourth- through seventh-place prizes will get $200 and $100 will go to the eighth-, ninth- and tenth-place teams.

The top 10 teams will be honored at a reception on March 26, where they will talk about their winning projects and receive their prize money. A full list of winners and their projects will be available on the Loudoun Youth website.

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YouthQuest Sponsors Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition

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YouthQuest Foundation Co-Founder and Vice President Allen Cage speaks at the 2014 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition

YouthQuest Foundation Co-Founder and Vice President Allen Cage joined hundreds of students, parents and community leaders at Tuesday night’s Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition in Ashburn, Va.

YouthQuest Foundation Co-Founder and Vice President Allen Cage presents a check to Loudoun Youth President and CEO Jared Melvin at the 2014 Step Up Loudoun Youth competition.
Allen Cage with Jared Melvin

“We’re proud to be part of this and I applaud each and every one of you,” he told the crowd. “You do great work and keep it up.”

Forty-six teams from middle schools and high schools in Loudoun County were judged on presentations about their projects to solve problems in their community.

Allen kicked off the evening by presenting a check for $2,450 to Loudoun Youth President and CEO Jared Melvin, noting that this is the third year YouthQuest has provided the prize money for the contest.

“We look forward to doing it again next year, too,” he added.

YouthQuest Co-Founder and Vice President Allen Cage talks to the 2014 Step Up Loudoun Youth judges about the Foundation's work.
Allen tells the judges about Youthquest

Before the event at the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building began, Allen spoke about YouthQuest with the contest judges, who represented a wide variety of area businesses and organizations.

“We’re all about the kids,” he said, explaining that the Foundation raises funds nationwide to support youth programs such as Step Up.

He talked about YouthQuest’s signature fundraiser, The Challenge at Trump National Golf Club, coming up in August and the Foundation’s plan to create a fabrication lab as part of the 3D ThinkLink Initiative.

Madeline O'Neill explains her winning project to judge Cory Laws at the 2014 Step Up Loudoun Youth Competition
Madeline O’Neill explains her winning project to judge Cory Laws

Madeline O’Neill from Dominion High School won the $1,000 first prize for Special Needs Dream. Her project aims to increase community awareness of what people with special needs can contribute, and to provide educational and social events where families with special-needs children can connect.

The $500 second-place award went to the Happiness: Don’t Drink and Drive team.

Each of the three teams that tied for third place received $250. The prize for fourth through tenth place was $100.

Click here to see a full list of the winning teams.

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