Today, Esperanza’s Vice President of National Programs Rev. Dr. Emilio Marrero and Programs Director Melinda Sanchez are in Dayton, Ohio meeting with the leadership of The Academy for STEM & Sports, Joselito Garcia, Luis Cintron, and Johnny Lugo.
The TASFF is a non-profit organization that seeks to provide local minority youth in Dayton, Ohio with tutoring resources and mentoring opportunities while promoting a healthy lifestyle, with an academic focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. “We want to inspire students to pursue STEM careers by serving as a bridge that connects community professionals—scientists, engineers, professors, architects, doctors, bankers, etc.—with students through volunteer, tutoring, coaching, and mentoring opportunities as well as interactive STEM projects,” reads a quote from Garcia on their website.
The integration of STEM and sports education helps not only to make learning fun and hands-on, it also promotes a sound body for a sound mind. By graduation, this program will have cultivated educated, socially competent and competitive individuals to the benefit of their community and society at large.
Esperanza is proud to have been a part of the development of this organization from their initial participation in our mentoring program under PACO (the Puerto Rican & Carribean Organization) in June 2014 to helping them obtain their own 501(c)(3) this April and continuing to further develop their mentoring program serving the Dayton, Ohio region.
The Esperanza Opportunity has extended farther than anyone could have imagined almost 30 years ago at the conception of our own organization because of this amazing network of community and faith leaders that has resulted from the simple mission of, “serving the least of these.”
We congratulate The Academy for STEM & Sports and encourage anyone who has a heart for service to use their natural talent, profession, and connections to create programs that lift up your community wherever you are.