The Brilliance Collective - Los Angeles

The Achievement Initiative Foundation (an affiliate of the Sims-Fayola Foundation) is built to resolve the disparity in opportunities that exist for young men of color in underserved communities. The Brilliance Collective's mission is to ensure that these young men are successful, effective, positive role models and contributors at school, in their communities, and in life. We believe that by giving these young men access to vital resources, necessary knowledge, and a support system that will last a lifetime, they will feel confident within and powerful enough to make a change in the world they live in. By supporting the WHOLE young man through social-emotional learning, nurturing a growth mindset, mentoring, and knowledge building, the young men will be successfully equipped via the BIPOC BP curriculum to complete the AIF Step-by-Step Mastery Program. The program focuses on seven key components of development in young men of color; Ancestry, Attitude of Gratitude, Education, Financial Knowledge, Social Action, Mentorship, and Community. Each step encompasses a curriculum-driven pathway to acquiring Brilliance Badges in multiple areas of character, integrity, and accountability. Upon completing the program and as the young men move into the new phases of their lives, our mentors will continue to nurture their relationships and build a network of resources around them. Our vision is to create a network of young men who make a village they are proud of and continue to come back to support.

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Los Angeles Unified School District has developed an achievement plan to reallocate 36.5 million toward black student achievement. LAUSD defines black student achievement as, "academic performance, strong social-emotional awareness and management, and a positive cultural identity." In the budget breakdown, the Board of education has identified 1 million dollars to community partnership. In this allocation A.I.F has opportunity to contribute to the continuation of investment in Black Student Achievement. We are able to do so in the following ways: First, the "Tried and True" development approach of AIF will help young men of color obtain the life skills necessary to address the disparities in their communities and beyond. The goal of the AIF is to provide support in the educational setting that encompasses resources such as financial literacy, cultural-identity reinforcement, and personal transformation. Through these core values our plan will enable the youth to access to scholarship opportunities, internship opportunities, stronger community building capabilities with school faculty and peers. Our mission is to make certain that every young man is equipped to navigate their educational journey with a plan to accomplish their goals in the next phase of their lives, whether it be college, trade school, entrepreneurship, military, etc. Each young man will receive an individualized education planandmentorshipregimetoensurebuildinglifelongconnections

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In School Programming

The Achievement Initiative Foundation is built to resolve the disparity in opportunities that exist for young men of color in underserved communities. The Black, Indigenous People of Color Brilliance Project (BIPOC) mission is to ensure that these young men are successful, effective, positive role models and contributors at school, in their communities, and in life. We believe that by giving these young men access to vital resources, necessary knowledge, and a support system that will last a lifetime, they will feel confident within and powerful enough to make a change in the world they live in. The program focuses on seven key components of development in young men of color; Ancestry, Sense of Obligation, Education, Financial Knowledge, Social Action, Mentorship, and Community. Each step encompasses a curriculum-driven pathway to acquiring Brilliance Badges in multiple areas of character, integrity, and accountability.

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Addressing Social-Emotional Learning/growth mindset

● Step 1: Who am I? - ancestral explorational, journey through self-reflection and untapped potential and cultural awareness.

● Step 2: Attitude of Gratitude - appreciating where you come from and planning where you plan to go.

● Step 3: Education - innovation, knowledge of the unknown, mental/physical health, growth mindset, life skills, college applications, networking, interviews.

● Step 4: Application of Financial Knowledge - budgeting, financial services, credit, coin recognition/value, goals, identity theft, investments, etc.

● Step 5: Social Action - responsible listening, respectful empathic debate, collaborative creativity, reflective improvement.

● Step 6: Mentorship - training and development leadership,

● Step 7: Community - giving back to the program by becoming a Brilliance Ambassador, getting involved in their communities, project planning, organization development, and nonprofit.