PilotOnline.com December 16, 2013 Most preschool leaders are middle-aged. She's 23. Kendra Robinson watched one of the teens at her church graduate from high school directly into flipping burgers at Wendy's. No college, no apprenticeship. Just burgers. Not that there is anything wrong with the work. But why settle for a minimum-wage job if you can do more? she thought. That question nags Robinson, who has seen so many others in her community follow a similar path. "If they had a mentor or someone to guide them, they would have been encouraged to get a trade or to go to school," she said. So began her mission to help students in 2008, when she founded the Christian Athletic Union just after graduating from Churchland High School. That group evolved into a nonprofit in 2010 and is now known as Community Outreach Coalition, a faith-based mentoring and tutoring organization for students of all ages. Now, Robinson has opened a preschool to help reach some of the most vulnerable - children with developmental disabilities from low-income families - before it's too late. She's the founder, CEO, teacher, fundraiser and - sometimes - van driver. She's also just 23. Most preschool and nonprofit leaders are middle-aged, educational and philanthropy researchers say. It's not uncommon for millennials to volunteer or donate to charities, but they're usually not starting nonprofits, said Keith Curtis, a Virginia Beach fundraising consultant who studies trends in philanthropy. "Somebody that age, they may not have lots of experience, so what's important is to have mentors," he said. That could help bring in larger donors who otherwise wouldn't readily give to a nascent organization, Curtis said. Donors typically give larger amounts to well-established charities. So newer groups must prove they're worthy investments. Robinson chuckles when her age comes up and acknowledges her steep learning curve. But children need help now, she said. Why should she wait? The preschool idea came out of tutoring sessions hosted by Robinson and her college friends. They realized that many students struggled with basic math and English. Middle and high school was too late to start addressing those problems. Better to start sooner, Robinson thought. She opened Young Achievers Christian Academy last year, just a few months after earning a bachelor's degree in biology from Norfolk State University. The preschool serves nine students ages 3 to 5. Those classes and the other programs are housed at her childhood church, Noble Street Baptist. More than 50 other elementary, middle and high school students participate weekly in after-school academic, sports and mentoring programs offered through her nonprofit. Many of their families receive some form of public assistance, she said. Robinson's at the helm, but she's not alone. Her organization received a $10,000 grant from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation this year. Noble Street Baptist allows the school to use its gym and second-floor classrooms in exchange for income-based rent and splitting the utility bills. The nonprofit's board of directors offers advice on programming and funding, and Robinson is pursuing a master's in business administration through the University of Phoenix. Her three part-time staffers boost their skills through training sessions offered by The Planning Council, a human services agency. Scores of volunteers chip in, too. Educating kids is fun, Robinson said. Running a nonprofit - not so much. Balancing daily duties with her schoolwork and lunch dates with friends is challenging. She's been down this road before, having been involved in basketball, dance and volunteering at nursing homes while in high school and college. But she's learning to balance the nonprofit's books, sometimes skipping a paycheck to ensure her staff is paid first. No worries, she said. Her college loans are deferred while she's in graduate school. And she's living rent-free at home with Mom and Dad. But the $4,000 monthly operating costs for her organization must get paid. She also had no fun firing her friend, the van driver. "If you're not taking it seriously or following our mission, then you can't work here," she said. But then she had to pick up the children and take them home until she found a replacement. One recent afternoon, Robinson led children in a lesson about seasons. "What colors are the leaves in the summertime?" she asked. "Green!" students replied. "And what colors are the leaves in the fall?" she asked next. Silence. She showed students a pile of crumpled leaves. "Brown!" they yelled. Robinson didn't have time to review winter or spring because a volunteer interrupted to ask what to do with children in the gym. Another teacher took over, and Robinson charged downstairs to shoot hoops with the students. Moments later, she hugged a sobbing girl and doled out goodbye embraces. There's never much downtime. But during students' midday naps, Robinson plans fundraisers and searches for grants to help subsidize the $110 weekly tuition. On Robinson's best days, she's teaching math and science, putting her biology degree to use. She never did become a dentist as planned. She spent more time in college working with children than studying in costly prep classes or for the dental exam, she admits. Her low scores were to her a sign from God to stick with the kids. "You should have told me before I spent almost $5,000," she recalled joking in her prayers. Teachers and volunteers keep the youngsters in tow while Robinson updates the organization's website or texts parents who want play-by-play updates on their children's activities. She understands their concern - parents entrust their children to her care. Besides, Robinson's mother still checks on her. Jessie Robinson, who supervises the night shift at a Newport News shipyard, stops by the preschool to volunteer during the day. But she's also there to give reminders to her daughter: Pay yourself, slow down, and shake off your haters - the folks who say she's too young and thinks she's all that. "They're just jealous and envious because they want to have what you have," Jessie Robinson said. "Just pray over it, and leave it alone. Just go on about your business; hold your head up. I don't care what they say or how they act, don't come to their level." Kendra Robinson doesn't have time to worry about those folks. Educating the students comes first. Tiffany Shepard said that priority has helped her 4-year-old children learn to recognize letters and write their names, Kenyon and Kamoni. Shepard said she hesitated to enroll her children in a new preschool with such a young director. But cuts to Head Start early education programs and long waiting lists for other programs made her reconsider. Meanwhile, Kamoni struggled to speak in sentences and to play with friends. "Kendra made her a teacher's helper. She's opened up a lot; she talks more," Shepard said. "I can see a difference." Robinson can, too, and that shapes her vision for the future. She wants to expand the school through kindergarten next year and, one day, own a stand-alone facility to offer up to the 12th grade. The building would serve as a school and community center, she said. By that time, Robinson hopes to have earned a doctorate and be teaching in college. She'll be a little older, but her passion is likely to remain the same. "Everything I learn I want to be able to give it back," she said. "And I can help people do the same thing that I'm doing if I teach them." Cherise M. Newsome, 757-222-5215, cherise.newsome@pilotonline.com SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.