Equip

The Essie B. King ‘love in action’ community service scholarship endowment fund

In partnership with The Winston-Salem Foundation, The Taiwo Foundation has established The Essie B. King 'Love In Action' Community Service Scholarship Endowment Fund for graduating high school seniors who demonstrate a commitment to community service through dedicated actions that sees the pain, suffering, and needs of others and executes a plan to help.

Domestic Violence, Child Sexual Abuse Prevention, and Risk Reduction Initiatives

We help parents, community leaders and youth protection agencies in St. Vincent develop and deploy community initiatives that increase the awareness and prevention of domestic violence and child sexual abuse and motivate communities to protect women and children.

In 2018, Taiwo Foundation facilitated a very engaging, emotional, and productive current state assessment and future state planning session with practitioners and staff in the Ministry of National Mobilization on Domestic Violence and Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and Risk Reduction Initiatives. 

In 2019, Taiwo Foundation facilitated a Parenting Empowerment Session for single parents participating in the Positive Approaches to Parenting (PAP) program under the Ministry of  National Mobilization Child Development Division.  A 2-year program where participants meet twice a week, PAP provides tools, resources, and training in parenting skills, social skills, continuing education, coping skills, and job training. Participants wrote down and shared their life goals as well as their personal short term goals for the end of the program. They also completed an individual SWOT analysis with homework to develop 6-12-18 and 24 month action plans to achieve their goals.

International Service Learning and Culture Immersion Program

We provide international service learning projects that promote leadership development and inter-cultural exchange opportunities for Caribbean youth and American youth leaders.

Since 2016, over fifteen high school and college students, as well as youth leaders have traveled to St. Vincent to participate in a global exchange of ideas and experiences.  From sharing insights on leadership, peer pressure and self-esteem to practical applications on academics, college prep and community service; every participant is forever changed and transformed in to global minded, service centered citizens.

state-side college mentorship program

Since the Fall of 2016, Taiwo Foundation has mentored seven female student athletes from St. Vincent, providing a clearinghouse service that identifies post-secondary academic opportunities for them at major American universities.  At the completion of education experiences- which includes nurturing, mentoring, and community service; they are expected to give back by securing employment and returning to their respective communities to make an academic, financial or social impact.

In addition to the St. Vincent students,  the mentorship program has grown to host international students attending local North Carolina schools for Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks and dinners.

COLLEGIATE SPORTS AND ATHLETICS SUMMIT

Since its inception in 2017, over 100 aspiring student athletes, seeking to apply to US colleges for athletic and academic scholarships, have benefitted from the information shared at the Collegiate Sports and Athletics Summit.  The annual forum allows US coaches and current student athletes to share the academic and athletic requirements to successfully apply, matriculate, and graduate as a student athlete.

girl talk (GT) Sessions

The commitment to enhance the quality of young girls lives in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is driven by the proliferation of social crisis that young girls in the SVG adversely encounter – primarily, Domestic and Sexual Violence.  As a result, Taiwo Foundation through collaborative linkages with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and other public entities have intentionally developed a mentoring and training programs in SVG communities such as Braga and Baroli.  Created goal of reversing the trend of high teenage pregnancies and high school drop-out rates, Girl Talk sessions provide a forum for young girls to freely talk and express themselves on sisterhood, confidence, and self-love.  In 2019, three young ladies successfully graduated from high schools after four years of mentorship through the GT sessions. 

college and career prep summit

What started in 2017 as an annual forum to equip young girls matriculating into college with information to thrive in their first year has exploded into a coed College and Career Prep Summit, equipping high school and college students and their parents with tips and tools to prepare for, excel in, and graduate from college.  Over 120 students have benefitted from workshops and panel presentations on Planning, Applying and Paying for College; College Readiness 101; Financial Aid 101; Writing and Articulating Your Own Narrative; Managing Stress and Your Mental and Emotional Health; Academics:  Setting the Stage For Success; Centering the Margins: Why You Matter; Entrepreneurship; Effectively Parenting a College Student; and College Mental Health: A Checklist for Parents.  Taiwo Foundation seeks to partner with educational institutions and other non-profits and expand the footprint and impact of the College and Career Prep Summit across the country.

Soccer clinics & tournaments

Taiwo Foundation sponsored its first St, Vincent Youth Soccer Cup in summer of 2016 where over 500 youth ages 10 -18 competed from across the island.  With support from the SVG Youth Soccer Federation, the event was repeated in 2017 with over 350 participants.  After establishing the Blossom Unlimited FC & Academy, the Taiwo Foundation integrated the Youth Soccer Cup into the Youth Soccer Showcase hosted by the Academy.  Taiwo Foundation will grow the Soccer Showcase and Tournaments through partnerships throughout the US and Caribbean nations.

blossom unlimited FC & Academy

In partnership with Blossom Unlimited FC & Academy, Taiwo Foundation has established the Read and Play program that works with parents and schools to ensure that the U-10 and U-14 boys and girls are receiving the parental support needed for sound academic performance and engagement in the St. Vincent public schools. In the twelve months of its inception, the youth soccer program has grown form 75 to 200 participants. Taiwo Foundation also advises the Academy on club governance, sponsors soccer showcase tournaments, and provides soccer gear and equipment annually. To date, over $2000 in soccer gear and equipment have been donated to the club.

Pre-med Service Learning Project

Create pre-med internships that enable US medical school students to travel and provide free medical services to isolated communities around the world.