Building the Next Generation of Leaders

Currently, more than 61 youth are on our Team Up Mentoring Program waitlist — children and teens across Hampton Roads who are waiting for someone to believe in them. These young people are eager to be matched with a caring, consistent adult mentor — someone who can listen, guide, and remind them that they matter. While they wait, we are not standing still. Our staff and volunteers are expanding our programming to reach youth even before formal mentor matches are made. Because every child deserves to feel seen, supported, and encouraged. Every child deserves the chance to discover their strength and shape their story. Your donation directly helps us do this. It fuels our capacity to bring evidence-based mentoring programs into schools, after-school programs, and communities where kids are facing the toughest odds. When you give, you’re not just giving money — you’re giving a child stability, confidence, and the belief that their life can take a positive turn.

The Leadership Institute: Building Skills While They Wait

Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, we’ve launched a powerful new initiative within Team Up: The Leadership Institute — a school-based, group mentoring program that helps students build life skills, resilience, and peer connections.
For example, at Elephant’s Fork Elementary School in Suffolk, a group of twelve fourth graders meets twice a month during lunch to explore leadership, emotional intelligence, and accountability. Referred by teachers for their promise – and the challenges they are navigating – these students are building confidence in a safe and inclusive space and learning to lead by example. Together, they explore what it means to be a leader — not just in theory, but in action. They share stories, practice new behaviors, and lift one another up.

Each session builds confidence in a safe, inclusive space where students are encouraged to lead by example. Teachers have noticed a difference: students are more engaged, more respectful, and more motivated to succeed. One student, overwhelmed by failing grades and missing assignments, shared her struggles with the group. Her peers listened, encouraged her, and helped her create a practical plan for getting back on track. Two weeks later, she proudly reported that she had turned in all her work — and raised her grade to a B! Another student, often disciplined for anger outbursts, began applying coping strategies he learned through group mentoring. Within weeks, his teachers noticed a transformation: fewer incidents, more focus, and a visible boost in confidence.

The impact of your support extends far beyond a single student. When a young person learns to lead with empathy and confidence, they influence their peers, families, and communities. Mentorship creates a ripple effect that can shift the culture of entire schools. Teachers report fewer behavioral incidents. Parents see their children more engaged and hopeful. Mentors gain as much as they give, learning patience, perspective, and joy in helping a young person grow. Your donation doesn’t just change one life — it strengthens the fabric of our entire community.