Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassondra Corbin-Thaddies.
Cassondra, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a mom of two African-American young men and I am always concerned for their social and emotional well-being. When the shooting happened with Trayvon Martin, I became very overwhelmed with emotions and anxiety all at once. I also began to wonder how my boys and boys like them were taking in the information. How was it shaping their consciousness and what story were they learning about who they could become? I initially wanted to find an organization that was working with African American/Black boys so that I could volunteer. However, one solely focused on Black boys did not exist in my area. I then decided to start one myself. I wanted an organization that validated, listened to, and reflected all that is and can be great about Black boys. I wanted them to feel empowered to write their own narrative and realize that despite what they were seeing or hearing via the media they could connect to their greatness –thus the organization’s name Connect to Greatness.
Connect to Greatness, Inc. was founded in 2016 in my living room with my husband and five of our close friends who believed in the mission. The organization has two signature programs, The Boys to Men Leadership Academy and The Women of Boys Empowerment Program. The organization serves middle school boys ages 10-14 in South Palm Beach County. The Boys to Men Leadership Academy provides a “village” approach to mentoring. This means that as a group, all participants have access to a cohort of African-American men at their disposal for support, guidance, and leadership. We have African-American males from the community who serve as “coaches” for our boys. We intentionally use the terminology of “coaches” instead of mentor because “coach” resonates with the communities we serve. We began with just five boys in 2016 and now have 20 young men on our roster. This year, we will have our first graduating cohort of 8th graders who began with the organization as 6th graders. We believe in quality over quantity to ensure that there is a sustained, life-long impact in the lives of the boys we touch.
The Women of Boys Empowerment Program specifically focus on building the leadership and advocacy skills of the women caregivers of our African-American boys. The goal is to impact social change by providing African-American women with opportunities to gain exposure to information/knowledge and resources that help to build their skills and confidence to become an informed leader and advocate for themselves and the community. As a cohort, the women discover the leader within themselves and shift their mind-set while supporting, modeling, and inspiring each other to become change-makers in the community.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Nothing is ever smooth. If it were, we wouldn’t be able to grow and become a better version of ourselves. Some of our challenges have been much like most start-up non-profits, recruitment of male coaches due to time constraints or other life factors and funding as a new organization. However, over the past year, we have begun to build partnerships in the community and have received funding from great organizations like United Way, Palm Beach County, Children’s Services Council, and the City of Boynton Beach. We also have a phenomenal cohort of men that currently serve as coaches for our boys and we are always looking to bring on more African-American/Black male coaches to serve.
Connect to Greatness – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
There are a lot of mentor programs. Our program provides a foundation for African-American/Black males all three years of middle school. Our youth enter the Boys to Men Leadership Academy as ‘Trailblazers’ in the sixth grade and continue with the program through the eighth-grade years and graduate as ‘Changemakers.’ Post-graduation, the Boys to Men Leadership Academy ‘Changemakers’ become peer mentors to the current class of ‘Trailblazers’. In addition, they are required to attend quarterly meetings with the mentors as a graduating cohort to discuss their progress and any high school challenges. The mentors will be available ongoingly to listen and support them to become successful high school graduates. We use literature to support our boys to discover empathy and compassion while accepting the challenge and responsibility of giving back to the community.
Through literature, our boys gain an appreciation and understanding of their African-American culture and history which instills pride and builds their confidence. Our differentiators include:
1. Consistency/foundation building through the three-years of middle-school.
2. We make the family unit stronger by supporting the caregivers through our Women of Boys Empowerment Program. Note: Single dads have also attended as observers and have been invited to become a mentor.
3. Caregiving youth support: Our caregiver youth component of the program promotes the internal awareness of family caregiving by providing our boys with a framework for understanding what family caregiving is from a youth’s perspective. Many of our boys have come to realize that they had been a caregiver at one time or another for a relative. Topics discussed include empathy, compassion, and privilege.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success as the moments that shift my trajectory to become the next best version of myself. For Connect to Greatness, Inc. success has been realized when I see our boys speak with confidence in front of a group of adults and people in leadership such as the superintendent and the police chief. Success is when African American/Black men have been consistent and committed for three-years to being that trusted adult in lives of these boys and doing whatever it takes to be present. We call that showing up! Finally, success is realizing that for three years (6th-8th) grade the families of our boys have found value in our work and trusted the volunteers of Connect to Greatness with their boys who are now positioned to become the worlds Change Makers!
The work of Connect to Greatness, Inc’s programs would not be possible without the commitment of our passionate volunteers including our Boys to Men Leadership Coaches, Andre Thaddies, Calvin Phillips, Clarence Brockett, Cartier Scott, Marvin Blaise, Michael Evans, and Earl Bryant. Our Women of Boys Empowerment Program Parent Liaison, Ingrid Evans, and our Boys to Men Leadership Academy Academic Coach, Theresa D’Souza.
Pricing:
- Our program is FREE!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1530 W. Boynton Beach Blvd #3525, Boynton Beach, FL 33424
- Website: www.connect2greatness.com
- Phone: 561.325.9118
- Email: C2Ginc561@gmail.com
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