Community Organizations
Denver
CO

A proud graduate of Langston University, Kenneth is living proof that education is a must for today, tomorrow and beyond. Good values were instilled in him at an early age by both parents and all of his siblings. While interning at Langston, he was able to actually see the importance a foundation can have on a community. He also realized the importance of giving back and helping others. It wasn't until later that he decided to creat his own way of "giving back". The Crowley Foundation is an avenue that will prepare today's youth for tomorrow.

Can you explain a little bit about your program?

We’re a College Prep program. We focus much of our time and energy on mentoring young men. Boys to Men is our central entity right now. In it, there is Leadership Development, Emotional Learning, Career Exploration, and our summer program. We provide some local university scholarships, but we’re also starting to push and promote trade schools that support plumbing, solar, machine shop, welding, trades (to name a few). Through relationship-building with these young men, we can define what the needs are.

When was your company established, what are you focusing on?

We are going into our 10th year right now. We started in 2009. Currently, our passion is just working with these young men to ensure they don’t end up in the system and become victims of the tragedies in this world right now.

Can you talk about the value of relationships and mentorship when it comes to impacting the youth?

Many people say they want to help, but they can’t make time to help. To do this type of work, you must be passionate about the need and the people that you serve. You have to be an authentic and selfless individual. You have to make sure that your morals and your values are in the right place. This job takes heart! It’s not something you do for money. It’s about the people you serve.

What is the core value of your organization?

Our first core value is family. This separates us from other organizations. Young people gravitate towards it because they see the passion, and they love it. You must be authentic about what you do to build with students nowadays; they see right through you. They hold you accountable to what you say you’ll do, and be where you say you’ll be.

Anything exciting coming up for your organization?

There’s always room for growth and other opportunities, and I think you know the key to that is to make sure that you keep an ear to the street and a connection to the young people. I’m excited about the relationships that we have. Much programming has begun due to new needs, concepts, and ideas that arise. Next comes the research so that we can make these programs successful.