HER STORY
Tonya founded Empower our Youth Foundation when her middle daughter experienced cyberbullying her senior year of High School. The incident left her family disheartening and dismayed in how law enforcement and her school dealt with the severe bullying incidents. She had thought of suicide to escape the pain she was enduring daily. The recurring incidents opened her eyes to how many parents/youth were experiences the same anguish and stigmas with no resolution. Empower our Youth Foundation began to focus on enhancing the lives of families, and youth/teens ages 5-17 years old in the Columbus and surrounding areas through bullying prevention, Literacy/STEM, mental health wellness, community engagement, suicide prevention resources and assist families with the official reporting of bullying to the appropriate authorities.
Our Executive Board consists of four members and six Board Members who are community-driven decision-makers who make positive impacts in the lives of youth, teens and our community. The Board members represent: published author, military veteran, entrepreneurs, city official, teachers and volunteers who work towards collaborating with community leaders, agencies, and individuals to establish community partnerships to expand the mission and vision of Empower Our Youth Foundation.
2022-2023 Highlights
● EYOF Celebrate Life and Diversity Antibullying Fashion Show August 21, 2022
● Launched The EPIC Kids Literacy/STEM Academy December 3, 2022
● Developed a Partnership with The UCbus to participate in their micro-grant accelerator
business program and won a $3065 pitch grant competition
● Young, Black & Lit donated over 350 books to the organization, so we could giveaway to youth to build home libraries.
● 50 boy attendees at the Boys, Books and Badges community event 2022
● 2022 Chamber of Commerce, MBAC and Columbus Urban League members
● Hosted a Empower Up the Girls Empowerment Event - April 30, 2022 25 girl attendees
● Antibullying Fashion show event during the Reynoldsburg Juneteenth Festival 2022-2023
● Executive Director Tonya Kelly, 2022 National Alliance Public Change maker Award
Tonya is a community activist for bullying prevention resources and services with her Empower Our Youth Foundation organization that is working to bring attention to the problem of all forms of bullying happening in our schools and communities. Tonya is available for educational speaking engagements.
