Your dreams shouldn't be limited by the reality life sometimes imposes on us.
In rundown and underserved communities across the nation, talented kids are labeled "at risk" and left without the resources to play, create or study. We find those diamonds in the rough and give them the tools and resources to succeed in life: youth sports sponsorships, music, dance and film programs, scholarships and mentoring.
- Sports, arts, education, careers
- English and Spanish
- Founded in San Jose, CA
We bridge the gap between young people eager to succeed and the resources that make success possible.
Most of the time it isn't a lack of motivation that keeps a kid off the field, the stage or the campus. It's the registration fee, the uniform, the laptop, the tuition, and not having someone who believes in them. We partner motivated students with the tools, resources and mentors they need.
The gap is real. So is the talent.
In underserved communities across the United States, the odds are stacked before a kid ever steps on the field. Here's what they're up against.
- 36%
of U.S. kids in households below the poverty line played sports in 2024, the only income group whose participation went down.1
- 9x
is how much more high-income families spend on their child's out-of-school activities than low-income families: $6,588 a year versus $734.4
- $1,016
is what the average family spent on one child's main sport in 2024, up 46% in five years. Across all sports it's nearly $1,500.3
- 1 in 4
teens from families earning under $30,000 have no computer at home, compared with 4% of teens from families earning $75,000 or more.7
What we fund
We partner enthusiastic, motivated students with the tools, resources and experts they need to succeed in their field of focus.
Sports
Organized sports give kids a team, a coach and a reason to stay on track. We help motivated athletes cover what keeps them out: registration fees, uniforms, equipment, travel and camps, and we connect them with coaches and trainers who can take their game further.
Learn moreCreative arts
Digital media, filmmaking, music and dance. We match young creatives with the classes, instruments, cameras, software and studio time they need, and introduce them to working artists, producers and choreographers who've built careers doing what they love.
Learn moreScholarships & education
Quality education shouldn't depend on a family's bank account. We award scholarships for college, community college and the trades, and provide the basics school now requires: a working computer and reliable internet.
Learn moreMentorship & networking
Talent grows faster next to someone who's already done it. We pair every student with a mentor and host networking events that put them in the room with experts in their field: engineers, artists, coaches, entrepreneurs and tradespeople.
Learn moreFamily support
Many young people who aspire to more are held back by family limitations. When a household lives paycheck to paycheck, a dream can feel like a burden on an already struggling family. We connect families to local organizations that help them learn new skills and get by, so students can keep going.
Learn more
How do we know this works?
Our founder, Lawrence David Alvarez, was once on the receiving end of this exact principle. He was labeled a mistake and became another statistic because of where he was born and the conditions he was raised in.
Society had already decided how he would end up. But heroes and volunteers from all walks of life came together to lend a helping hand, and showed that no matter how difficult the situation, with the right mindset, the right tools, the right resources and the right team, people can overcome even the greatest obstacles.
He went on to earn his GED, a bachelor's and a master's, then spent 17-plus years at one of the most iconic companies in the world. There he became a leader in his field and volunteered as an educational pillar lead, using his role and his lived experience to show others what was possible.
They told him he'd never belong in a place like that. He ended up representing it.
Now he's paying it forward.
How we work: the E3 Blueprint
Engage, Empower, Excel. The method our founder used to go from a statistic to a leader in tech, now built into every program.
Identify
Name the real barrier: a fee, a missing laptop, an empty fridge, or a belief that says "not for people like me."
Engage
Show up in person, in the neighborhood, and step into the problem instead of studying it from a distance.
Empower
Hand over the resources and the belief. We don't do the work for young people; we show them they can do it.
Excel
Break the barrier, document the win, then help the next person run the same blueprint.
Three ways to help
Partner
Companies, leagues, studios and schools can sponsor a team, a class or a scholarship.
Become a partnerHelp the next kid rewrite their story
Every gift pays for something real: a registration fee, a uniform, a camera, a laptop, a scholarship, a mentor's time.