About Us
Second Nature for Children, Inc. (SNFC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established on October 20, 2011. Our mission is to inspire youth to reach their greatest human potential through IQ, EQ, and wellness mentoring. We fulfill our mission by providing inner-city marginalized youth of color with mind, body, soul mentoring and by helping them to form second nature habits which will benefit them for a lifetime.
We are governed by a nine-person Board of Directors, (including myself). Our Board is made up of professional men and women who are from the neighborhoods that we serve. Collectively, we administer organizational fiscal management, develop the organization’s strategic plan, and oversee the program’s activities to ensure alignment with our vision, mission, and goals.
We served thousands of kids over the years, saving many of them from high school dropout, criminal activity, obesity, and premature death. In fact, it is not uncommon for 70 or more youth to attend our mentoring sessions on any given day. At risk youth are craving guidance and direction, and we are there for them 5 days per week.
We are governed by a nine-person Board of Directors, (including myself). Our Board is made up of professional men and women who are from the neighborhoods that we serve. Collectively, we administer organizational fiscal management, develop the organization’s strategic plan, and oversee the program’s activities to ensure alignment with our vision, mission, and goals.
We served thousands of kids over the years, saving many of them from high school dropout, criminal activity, obesity, and premature death. In fact, it is not uncommon for 70 or more youth to attend our mentoring sessions on any given day. At risk youth are craving guidance and direction, and we are there for them 5 days per week.
What We Do
SNFC is a year-round inner-city youth mentoring program that uses positive youth development principles to help disadvantaged youth improve their mind (thinking ability and IQ); body (physical health and nutrition); and soul (development of self or Emotional Intelligence ~ EQ). Mastery in these areas are shown to empower youth and aid in their successful transition into adulthood as competent contributing members of society.
Key elements of the program include daily after school mentoring “chop-up” sessions where kids from the streets of Atlanta meet in a large group for daily inspiration from the Executive Director, followed by engagement in social, athletic, and academic activities. Our afterschool program essentially serves as a blueprint for disadvantaged youth to follow in preparation for college, career, and life as a healthy, crime-free, self-sufficient adult.
Key elements of the program include daily after school mentoring “chop-up” sessions where kids from the streets of Atlanta meet in a large group for daily inspiration from the Executive Director, followed by engagement in social, athletic, and academic activities. Our afterschool program essentially serves as a blueprint for disadvantaged youth to follow in preparation for college, career, and life as a healthy, crime-free, self-sufficient adult.
Why We Do This
Education:
If you asked a child - any child - what they would like to be when they grow up? None of them would say illiterate, poor, homeless, an addict, a victim, prone to sickness, in jail/incarcerated or dead. Nevertheless, this is the current trajectory for thousands of low-income disadvantaged youths attending Atlanta Public Schools (APS). Although APS is among the largest school districts in Georgia and spends more per student than many of the largest counties in the state, almost 60% of 3rd graders and over 40% of 8th graders attending Atlanta Public Schools either cannot read or they are not reading on grade level. To add, the APS high school graduation rate is a mere 77.9%. And of the APS graduating seniors, only 48.5% are ready for college or career when they graduate (SchoolGrades.Georgia.gov 2021).
Health:
Our current generation of kids are the least active kids in our nation’s history (Aspen Institute 2017). Not surprisingly, a leading health concern among today’s youth is unprecedented adolescent obesity. According to Everyday Health, the number of overweight adolescents in the United States has actually tripled since 1980. This is largely due to changes in eating and activity, and due to less parental and school engagement in these areas. As a result, youth experience energy imbalances, predisposing them to an unhealthy amount of weight gain.
Currently, 71% of adolescents are not engaging in 60 minutes of daily activity as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC.gov). This is unfortunate because, physical activity in youth does more than just burn calories, it improves overall wellbeing, increases aptitude and productivity, improves mental health and esteem, and reduces life-threatening diseases (CDC.gov).
While at home, young people have increased their screen time on games, television, and cell phones; meanwhile at school, physical activity has decreased significantly or has been eliminated altogether.
As a result, it’s been reported that 1 in 6 children between ages 6-11, and 1 in 5 children between age 12 and 19 are obese in the United States, (NIH.gov).
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-24 and college students. More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, aids, birth defects, strokes, pneumonia and chronic lung disease - combined.
We need your help, to help our children.
If you asked a child - any child - what they would like to be when they grow up? None of them would say illiterate, poor, homeless, an addict, a victim, prone to sickness, in jail/incarcerated or dead. Nevertheless, this is the current trajectory for thousands of low-income disadvantaged youths attending Atlanta Public Schools (APS). Although APS is among the largest school districts in Georgia and spends more per student than many of the largest counties in the state, almost 60% of 3rd graders and over 40% of 8th graders attending Atlanta Public Schools either cannot read or they are not reading on grade level. To add, the APS high school graduation rate is a mere 77.9%. And of the APS graduating seniors, only 48.5% are ready for college or career when they graduate (SchoolGrades.Georgia.gov 2021).
Health:
Our current generation of kids are the least active kids in our nation’s history (Aspen Institute 2017). Not surprisingly, a leading health concern among today’s youth is unprecedented adolescent obesity. According to Everyday Health, the number of overweight adolescents in the United States has actually tripled since 1980. This is largely due to changes in eating and activity, and due to less parental and school engagement in these areas. As a result, youth experience energy imbalances, predisposing them to an unhealthy amount of weight gain.
Currently, 71% of adolescents are not engaging in 60 minutes of daily activity as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC.gov). This is unfortunate because, physical activity in youth does more than just burn calories, it improves overall wellbeing, increases aptitude and productivity, improves mental health and esteem, and reduces life-threatening diseases (CDC.gov).
While at home, young people have increased their screen time on games, television, and cell phones; meanwhile at school, physical activity has decreased significantly or has been eliminated altogether.
As a result, it’s been reported that 1 in 6 children between ages 6-11, and 1 in 5 children between age 12 and 19 are obese in the United States, (NIH.gov).
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-24 and college students. More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, aids, birth defects, strokes, pneumonia and chronic lung disease - combined.
We need your help, to help our children.
Other Things We Teach
- Dealing with the soul (ensuring they love themselves and respect others)
- Financial literacy (the understanding of money)
- Self-Identity (knowing who they are and their history)