In brief
Tony DiBenedetto continues to serve as the founder and chair, with Amy Alley as the executive director and Jim Bowman as the chair of the New Jersey Advisory Board.
Origin
Originally founded in 2016 in Tampa Bay, Florida, by tech executive and entrepreneur Tony DiBenedetto, Think Big for Kids has since expanded to Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and New Jersey.
Mission
Think Big for Kids is breaking the cycle of poverty for kids by preparing them to excel in today’s workforce.
Programs
Think Big for Kids partners with companies from diverse industries to provide the awareness, guidance and support young people need to set and achieve their post-graduation goals. Our unique “Three Pillars” approach incorporates career exploration, mentorship and job readiness and placement. We’ve developed a programmatic roadmap that first engages kids during the critical middle school years and supports them throughout high school and into young adulthood. During the program, students learn about career opportunities and work with experienced mentors to pursue their educational and professional goals. As they approach graduation, we offer work placement, internships and scholarships to help them pursue on-the-job training, trade school certification or a 2-4 year college degree. To further our mission to break the cycle of poverty, we work with our partners to connect graduates to jobs they’re passionate about after completing their education.
Achievements
Our goal in 2019 was to serve 2,000 kids by 2022 for the workforce. Before the end of 2021, our program had already reached nearly 3,800 kids. We want to serve as many kids as possible and are excited to see the progress we are rapidly achieving with the program.
Goals
Our new goal in 2022 is to serve 10,000 kids by 2025 by partnering with organizations, companies and volunteers to provide middle and high school students in poverty with opportunities for career exploration, mentorship and job readiness and placement.
Fundraising
Our fundraising is primarily comprised of corporate donations, individual donations and grant funding.
Benefactors
We are supported by a diverse array of individuals, partner companies and our top level Strategic Partners that have a multiyear investment in Think Big, which include A-LIGN, Appspace, Hays, NextPath, ReliaQuest and Roger West.
Finally
Think Big for Kids awarded $50,000 in scholarships in 2022.
Conversation Starter
For more information, please contact
Jenna Teschel, regional program manager, at jenna.teschel@thinkbigforkids.org, call 813-230-0148, or go to: thinkbigforkids.org.
