Larisha M. Jones

Raised in Columbia, MO, I have been exposed to the good and the bad of growing up in this community. Working with youth has always been a passion of mine and I have done so for over twenty-five years. In doing so, I have concluded that there is a disconnect with families, education and the community as a whole.

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In 2022, I founded the Positive Impact Empowerment (PIE) club and implemented it in 2023, at a local Middle School. PIE club is a community-driven initiative aimed at fostering personal and educational growth. The club brought together female scholars from diverse backgrounds, creating a space for mentorship, skill development, and empowerment.

 

I was not only a mentor but also a catalyst for collaboration and daily support at the middle school. Transforming vision into reality, as the club flourished, serving 20 young ladies once a week, I envisioned a larger impact—a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering scholars and their parents on a broader scale.

 

With a team of passionate mentors and advisors, individuals dedicated to my growth and success , I had the vision to take PIE club and add a male component known as Bro Code and parent component known as Single Parent Alliance (S.P.A). From that, The Youth Empowerment Collective was born- a non-profit organization committed to providing resources, mentorship, and educational opportunities to the community.We are designed to bridge the gap and become a resource to the school system, scholars and their families.