The Alliance of Elite Youth Leadership is committed to empowering teenagers in McKinney

The Elite Youth Leadership Alliance was founded in 2013 in McKinney after founder Derrick Robinson told his wife, Sereta Robinson, about a “vision from the good Lord” that led them to create a mentoring program for teenagers.

Background

The couple grew up in Marianna, Arkansas, where they didn’t have many resources, Derrick Robinson said, but noted that they had parents who taught them how to “work with what we have and not have excuses.”

They wanted to provide the resources they lacked to the teenagers of Collin County.

“We felt that what we were dealing with when we were teenagers in Marianna, teenagers are dealing with everywhere,” Derrick Robinson said. “We wanted to be an example, to lead by example, and above all, we hope that our story can reach home.”

Magnification

The Alliance for Elite Youth Leadership, or AEYL, suggests four main programs.

Leadership development includes community mentoring for teens and young adults ages 12 to 24. This involves consistent one-on-one mentoring between a teenager or young adult and an adult staff member.

The organization’s academic and business development program provides scholarships to 45 high school seniors and provides internship opportunities in community businesses. AEYL also offers support for students entering the military, connections to AEYL alumni in the workforce, and workforce training, and the organization’s leaders also administer high school equivalency exams.

The Sports and STEM curriculum allows students to play sports such as basketball and soccer, as well as participate in science, technology, engineering and math activities such as robotics teams.

The community service program encourages students to get involved in their community through monthly service projects and annual events such as turkey drives and Christmas toy drives.

On average, a nonprofit has approximately 130-250 families participating in their programs on an ongoing basis.

What else?

AEYL relies on community-wide partnerships. The organization partners with various organizations, such as the Texas Workforce Commission, the City of McKinney and other businesses, to provide teenagers with opportunities to complete internships in the program.

“We’re always growing by finding these partners and building those relationships with other entities and organizations because we always want to make sure we’re providing additional resources to the families we serve,” Sereta Robinson said.

What they say

• “I just love how you learn a little bit of everything,” said junior AEYL member Demaris. “You learn leadership (and) you get mentoring if you need help with your studies.”
• “Honestly, it helped me tremendously,” said freshman AEYL member Kayla Robinson. “I am better with my leadership qualities. It helps me communicate more with large crowds. I don’t really like speaking in front of everyone, but it helps me learn to read the audience.”
• “AEYL is mostly just my springboard to get into (reality) and help me get healthy,” said AEYL senior Angel Solis-Hardy. “If you want to learn life skills, if you want to know how life works and how to have a good experience… I would tell you to join AEYL.”

Looking ahead

Although the nonprofit currently hosts programs in various buildings in Collin County, Derrick Robinson dreams of becoming an “AEYL Empowerment Center.”

“Our goal is to build a state-of-the-art facility that is more mind-shifting and really empowers not only our kids, but families to see a different quality of life where they can just walk into a building and get different programs,” – Derrick Robinson said.

Participate

The nonprofit has several year-end programs, including:

• November 16 Thanksgiving Turkey for families in our community
• December 21, gifts for teenagers (13-17 years old)

Learn more