Team Youth Initiative” Promotes Entrepreneurship Among Area Youth.

The Team Youth Initiative, which is in its second year, is a mentoring program for youth and young adults ages 13-18 sponsored by Life Opportunities, Inc., a non-profit organization located in Browns Mills, New Jersey. The goal of this year’s initiative is to encourage positive life choices among our youth.

On April 26th, 2011, 17 youth and 12 adults participated in the 8th session of the Team Youth Initiatives seminars. This session focused on entrepreneurship. The two presenters, Mr. Leonox Fourdice, of the National Communications Network, and Mr. Tony Miehle, of Primerica Financial Services, had an interactive discussion that challenged the participants to become agents of positive change through their involvement in civil society, economic development, and their communities.” “We are introducing “Entrepreneurship Education” in this year’s curriculum as an alternative approach to prepare our participants, to be responsible, enterprising individuals who become entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial thinkers. We are doing this by immersing them in real life learning experiences where they can take risks, manage the results, and learn from the outcomes”, states the initiative’s Executive Director, Inez J. Coleman There are four more sessions remaining in this year’s Team Youth Initiative. They are as follows:

o Goal Setting (May 10, 2011)

o Skill Sets- When Looking for Employment (May 24, 2011)

o Healthy Life Styles (June 14, 2011)

o Life Behind Bars (June 28, 2011)

There are still openings for youth and parents, who would like to attend. The sessions are held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, 6p.m., to 8p.m., at the Dominique Johnson Center, 101 Scrapetown Rd., Pemberton, NJ.

For additional information about the “Team Youth Initiative” or Life Opportunities Inc., contact Mrs. Inez Coleman at 609-735-2249 or ijc1955@aol.com.

Current Activities and Achievements

Awarded $10,000.00 in grant funding through the New Jersey Office of Faith Based Initiatives for organizational infrastructure development.

Currently in the application process with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to generate funding for land acquistion and property renovation.

Currently researching foundations, philanthropic organizations, non-profit entities, corporate donors and State and Federal agencies to facilitate the financial and technical resources necessary to facilitate the long-term sustainability of Life Opportunities, Inc.

Working with organizational development consultant to develop an on-going board training curiculum to insure that the members of the Life Opportunities, Inc. Board of Directors have the capacity and resources necessary to facilitate the organizational mission.