Programs
In light of the pandemic's impact on students' academic and mental well-being. The critical components of our programs are to help fight bullying, food insecurity, learning deficits, and social-emotional problems in our youth/teens. The E.P.I.C. Kids STEM/Literacy Academy program and the collaboration with local police officers hosting Books & Badges community events help close the learning gaps, provide vital Anti Bullying prevention resources/awareness, virtual learning services, and self-esteem empowerment to support elementary, middle, and high school students in Columbus, OH and throughout the United States.

The E.P.I.C Kids program

The E.P.I.C Kids program is committed to supporting students who have experienced academic loss from digital learning during COVID-19 and who need help in dealing with all forms of bullying happening in their home, school, and community. The programming includes Bullying and Social/ emotional learning curriculum by the Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center to incorporate healthy living and inclusion for all youth. EPIC Kids program consists of meeting the needs of our vulnerable students in the areas:

The Books & Badges and Blankets

The Books & Badges and Blankets began with local police officers collaborating with schools, community centers, and non-profit organizations in Columbus, OH to foster critical advocacy to provide hope and maintain stability for students in their families during these unprecedented times. Empower our Youth Foundation, CEO/Founder Tonya Kelly, joined forces with the local Police officers from around the city to improve and change mutual trust in hopes of building strong relationships between police and communities. Due to COVID-19 and racial relations "Books, Badges and Blankets offers a fun community event for families to interact socially and emotionally with local police officers to read aloud a story and share antibullying, cyberbullying and family safety information.

CEO/Founder Tonya Kelly, M.Ed and International Board Member Quan Abazie M.Ed are both currently highly qualified educators servicing students with multicultural backgrounds in Columbus, Ohio, and Erie, PA. International Board member Quan Abazie M.Ed has served students as a Special Education teacher for the Department of Education in the US. The Virgin Islands. Empower UP mission is to advocate for youth/teens who need remediation and academic learning loss from digital learning. Empower UP programming provides homeless vulnerable students who are in need of food, clothing, shelter, supplemental education, social-emotional skills, and bullying prevention services for free in hopes to help sustain their family's needs.

Empower UP

Empower UP makes a commitment to provide community impact by working with local school districts (especially Title I, community and charter school districts), law enforcement, churches, community centers, non-profit organizations, community leaders, and social agencies. Empower Up focuses on demonstrating these four expectations: Be Encouraged, Be Respectful, Be a Voice for yourself and others against bullying and Believe in yourself.