Project WE Foundation
Project WE ™is a non-profit organization made up of a select group of savvy and experienced veterans from the world of fashion, sporting goods, entertainment, athletic development and grooming industries dedicated to improving the lives of young people through participation in arts, entertainment, fashion and athletic development programs designed to change the actual thought process in which young people approach life.
Project WE™ offers a full spectrum of programs, activities and events designed to impact youth during their most formative years. Each program is created and implemented to promote staying in school, the importance of higher education, enhancing career awareness and improving life opportunities, while encouraging a sound approach towards life skill development, and creating partnerships to further enhance a young person’s individual growth and the growth of the communities that they will serve.
“The AKE”
To Learn more about the core life principles click each photo for a learning overview!
Project WE core life principles “The AKE”
• Having Awareness of, Knowledge to, and the Experience within.
• Stirring the soul, exploring the internal possibilities to a better way of life.
• Opening up a youth’s world to a wealth of opportunities; and
• Leaving an impression for a lifetime.
Founders Dream Big Story
My journey unfolded over a 20 year career as a high level executive in the sports, fashion, and entertainment industry. During that time, I found myself on a constant search for something more fulfilling a deliverance from consumption. For many years I successfully marketed to young people with a false sense of value and an incomplete understanding of what my professional work meant in my overall life’s purpose. Along this path of personal discovery, I was led to my true purpose in life – to return what I had not marketed to our young people – hope, possibility and support in attaining one’s dreams.
I founded Project WE with the goal to work collectively with like-minded individuals, organizations and communities to change the face of this country by thinking differently and holistically about how we make a difference in the lives of our most valuable resource, our young people. Together we will benefit from engagement in the community not just from a consumption standpoint, from a holistic standpoint of giving back and cultivating the leaders of the next generation and ensuring youth live a life where they DREAM BIG.
Project WE is a calling to do something greater, for I believe that there is no higher calling than to improve the lives of our children who are the gateway to our future.
Dream Big! Jeff Penix
The Proclamation
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Project We Day
Project WE receives a proclamation in honor and support of National Foster Care Month. This past May the Board of Commissioners of Clark County, NV honored Project WE Foundation by presenting a proclamation that named May 18th as Project WE Day! This honor is for the organizations tireless efforts to help young people connect with achievable career options and develop a holistic approach towards mind, body and soul.
The Presidential Proclamation
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President Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation declaring May 2010 as National Foster Care Month! Nearly a half-million children and youth are in foster care in America, all entering the system through no fault of their own. During National Foster Care Month, the nation’s leading child welfare organizations come together to present a unified, compelling and robust public face for foster care. The national campaign raises visibility for the issue and attaches a strong call-to-action message that encourages more people to get involved in lives of youth in care. In the month of May we recognize the promise of children and youth in foster care, as well as former foster youth. We also celebrate the professionals and foster parents who demonstrate the depth and kindness of the human heart.
Join millions of American’s and President Obama during the month of May and beyond. No matter how much time you have to give you have the power to do something positive to change the lifetime of a young person in foster care.
Operation Bowl
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Three Strikes and You’re IN!!!! This past May Project WE went BLUE in honor of National Foster Care Month hosting Operation Bowl a fun filled day of bowling, entertainment, and celebration of our youth in realizing their dreams.
The event featured Project WE’s signature program, Operation Head to Toe (OH2T) a career mentoring initiative in the sports, fashion and entertainment industry and signaled our dedication to continuing to raise awareness of the issue of foster care and to honor those already working to make a difference and do something positive to change the lifetime of a young person in foster care!
Operation Bowl hosted over 125 youth, community members and corporate and non-profit partners all coming together to lift up the vision of Project WE to create a world where young people have the opportunity to dream big!
Project WE Group would like to thank all of their supporters for celebrating National Foster Care Month and going blue with Project WE Group.
Special Thanks To:
Casey Family Programs · Workforce Connections · Clark County Department of Family Services · Nordstrom · AND 1 · Zappos · UPS · Chris Christmas Brand
The WE Creative Suite
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Their Voices, Their Wishes, Their Vision! Operation Head 2 Toe youth work together as a team in the WE Creative Suite to finalize their creative briefs that will serve as the artistic direction for their signature T-shirt collection. The Creative Suite signals the final phase of OH2T where youth have an opportunity to work side by side with Industry Veterans to incorporate all (7) industry disciplines by executing their collection from concept to marketplace. The youth inspired brand will support the mission, vision and philosophy and will support a cause related campaign featuring a social responsibility platform aimed at elevating the invisible issue of foster care.
The Launch – A Blue Ribbon Affair
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The first Project WE program, Operation Head 2 Toe (OH2T) launched May of 2008 during National Foster Care Month (NFCM), a national campaign that serves to raise awareness of the needs of youth in foster care and encourages involvement of the general public. This “BLUE RIBBON AFFAIR” highlighted fifteen exceptional youth in care from Las Vegas, NV who had the opportunity to engage with industry professionals and experience a complete view of the fashion and sporting goods industry and gain a solid foundation towards career discovery and educational empowerment.
This launch was made possible through a successful partnership with Casey Family Programs (CFP) a Seattle based operating foundation established by UPS founder Jim Casey whose mission is to provide and improve – and ultimately prevent the need for foster care. Casey has been serving youth and families in the child welfare system for over 40 years.
The Zappos Experience
OH2T students get the inside scoop on what happens inside the world of Zappos one of the largest online retailers for shoes and clothing.
Luv What You Do – Do What You Luv
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The “Luv What You Do…Do What You Luv Tour” is a customized career module that supports the OH2T core learning components – The AKE.
The goal of the tour is to launch youth on an early career exploration path which will lead to internships and job shadowing opportunities designed to career track them into key positions within these industries.
You Are A Brand
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The You Are A Brand Session is a customized career module that supports the OH2T core learning components – The AKE.
From this session youth learn to craft their own “Brand Position” or “Personal Mission Statement” that defines who they are in the marketplace as if they were a corporate brand. This session is a complete youth development experience with the goal to help prepare, shape and define a young person’s own self-portfolio.
Parish Nation Lifestyle Suite
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OH2T students displayed their SWAG going behind the scenes of the Parish Nation style suite with co-founder Tony Shellman during our Love What You Do Tour catching celebrities from BET in Los Angeles, CA. Youth also had a once in a lifetime experience during MAGIC interning with Parish Nation staff to build out the style suite for MAGIC show weekend. Parish Nation is one of the top ranked men’s clothing lines, evolving from a brand that debuted onto the scene with a retro-mix and highly graphic prints to one that now relies on detail and subdued motifs; PARISH is well-known for its outwear and denim lines that use premium fabric and a modern, fitted cut, PARISH rises above competitors with its custom patterns, embroidered designs, and washes.
Magic Experience
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OH2T students tour the MAGIC show and learn first-hand what goes into showcasing your brand at the world’s largest apparel trade show. The MAGIC Marketplace Men’s Apparel Guild in California is the preeminent trade event in the international fashion industry, hosting global buyers and sellers of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, footwear, accessories and sourcing resources. As an incubator of fashion, MAGIC is where new trends surface and develop into what will be seen on the consumer. The show’s goal is to connect and inspire the fashion community, fuse diverse trends, while offering unbeatable service to its customers.
A Day In The Life At And1
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Touring the lifestyle fashion capital of the world Los Angeles, CA OH2T students have the opportunity to get first-hand look at the latest brands! It was time to educate and motivate and Industry Veteran Rob Purvy of AND 1 Basketball Company was up for the task. On this day OH2T students learned about the history of the company and its RISE, FALL and RISE again with the re-launch of the beloved Tai Chi basketball shoe AND 1’s most successful shoe of all time. They learned about the soul of game and the evolution of street ball swagger “from street to elite”. Leaving with an understanding that the AND 1 brand is more than just a collection of basketball shoes and apparel it is a way of life. Founded in 1993 – AND1 is an athletic shoe company specializing in basketball shoes and apparel and is the authority on all things basketball.
A Day In The Life At Vans
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OH2T students get the inside scoop on latest trends in skate, surf and lifestyle during the VANS Day tour in Los Angeles, CA. OH2T students also learned the in and outs of the VANS corporate structure and the do’s and don’ts of how to join the VANS world of originality. Since 1966 VANS has been leading the skate and lifestyle revolution with humble beginnings in Anaheim, California.
Holiday Dream Big Affair
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On December 19th Project WE rang in the holiday cheer by inviting the community to learn more about Operation Head 2 Toe (OH2T) our signature mentoring, life skill and career awareness work force development program and to celebrate with OH2T youth, the community and corporate partners the successes of the present and the goals for the future.
The event was a great opportunity for youth in foster care to learn about how they can be involved in the next cycle of OH2T where new youth will be selected to DREAM BIG with Project WE this May! Guests were also able to talk with Industry Veterans from companies such as Zappos and Nordstrom along with current OH2T youth about what they have learned as a result of their unforgettable journey into the world of cool fashion and cool kicks! Each youth also walked away with the OH2T Holiday SWAG Bag with cool items from Zappos, Parish-Nation, Nordstrom, VANS, AND 1 and more!
