Vision Statement
Aspiring to Inspire envisions a world wherein youth are unfettered by barriers and disparities of any type and instead educated, empowered, and nurtured in constructive ways that facilitate their wholesome psychosocial, physical, socioeconomic maturation and successful transition into adulthood and society.
Mission Statement
Co-founded by Josephine and Michael Bolus, Holidays with Heroes (Aspiring to Inspire) is a 501 c3 nonprofit organization whose primary mission is to develop, implement, and support innovative activities and individuals that facilitate the wholesome psychosocial, physical, and socioeconomic empowerment of today’s youth.
WHY DO WE CHOOSE TO INVEST IN YOUTH?
Positive Youth Development (PYD) programs such as our Critical Thinking series engage young people in intentional, productive, and constructive ways while recognizing and enhancing their strengths. These programs promote positive outcomes by providing opportunities, fostering positive relationships, and giving the support that is needed to develop young people’s assets and prevent risky behaviors.
Research indicates that young people who are surrounded by a variety of opportunities for positive encounters engage in less risky behavior and ultimately show evidence of higher rates of successful transitions into adulthood. Moreover, the available evidence suggests that PYD programs can prevent a variety of risky behaviors among young people and improve social and emotional outcomes.
We are proud to work with our community partners, such as US Representative Hakeem Jeffries, in developing and implementing positive youth development programs that will accrue benefits not only for today's youth but for generations yet unborn.
CRITICAL THINKING SERIES
a2i’s critical thinking programs are currently being developed in response to the recent US Supreme Court decision rendering all academic diversity, equity, and inclusion programs nationwide constitutionally null and void.
In response, a2i began working together with educators, community leaders, local law enforcement officials, and elected officials to develop and hone the innate critical thinking skills that all children and adolescents possess.
a2i is committed to developing innovative programming that facilitates the development of essential critical thinking skills. These are valuable skills for youth that can help them in many areas of life, such as problem-solving, decision-making, and navigating the workplace. The following is the first of our “_Critical Thinking_” line of programming.
CRITICAL THINKING CHESS “CHESS IS THE GREAT EQUALIZER”
As the world changes, mathematics proficiency is seen as a prerequisite for gaining jobs in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Proficiency in chess can be taught and practiced so that it facilitates the development of many essential critical thinking skills.
In 2022, a2i partnered with local elected officials, community organizations, churches, and NYC Police Department’s Community Affairs and Explorer units to bring the game of chess to inner city communities.
For instance, our partnership with “_No Limits for Youth_” has seen us bring actual chess exhibitions to gymnasiums, police precincts, community centers, and even the mezzanine of the historic Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue subway station. In that year alone, hundreds of NYC youths and adults alike. Chess is a shared universal language that transcends all borders and barriers and facilitates connections across age, race, gender, and socioeconomic status.
In the summer of 2025, a2i, with our community partners and sponsors, will hold a chess event unlike any other before it in New York.
CRITICAL THINKING SUDOKU
The second of our programs in the critical thinking series is “CRITICAL THINKING: SUDOKO.”
SUDOKU is an extremely popular puzzle game. It offers educational benefits for people of all ages, remarkably similar to those provided by chess. Here are some of the most significant advantages of playing Sudoku:
Improved logical reasoning
Enhanced cognitive abilities
Develops spatial awareness
Boosts math skills
Fosters patience and perseverance
Enhances problem-solving strategies
Builds confidence and self-esteem
Delays cognitive decline
Improves focus and discipline
Enhances academic performance
Incorporating Sudoku into educational settings or personal learning routines can have a positive impact on cognitive development, academic performance, and mental health well-being.
In the Spring of 2025, a2i is working with our community partners and sponsors to develop, implement, and evaluate a trial Sudoku program in District 18, in Brooklyn, NY. A successful trial will lead to the growth of the program with benefits accruing to all, students, families, and communities citywide.
FIVE BOROUGHS UNITED A SHOPPING EXTRAVAGANZA FOR YOUTH SATURDAY DECEMBER 7, 2024
An annual event that pairs deserving underserved youth with their community heroes, with each youth engaging in a $200.00 holiday shopping spree at the Target store in the Gateway mall in Brooklyn, NY, courtesy of a2i, and our community partners and sponsors.
First held in 2018, and again in 2019, the event was suspended due to the global pandemic.
Now, in 2024 with support from our community partners, and sponsors, we will welcome a minimum of *Fifty *(50) underserved but deserving youth from across the five boroughs to shop and revel in the holiday spirit.
Critical Thinking, NY is a program that brings community members together by teaching adolescents and members of the community how to play the game of chess. Working together with the New York City Police Department's Community Affairs Units, we have conducted community "chess events" in churches, community centers, police precincts, and even a public subway station. Currently, we are in the planning stages of a September 2023 launch of chess clubs in 2-3 local NYC public high schools in Brooklyn, NY. With much hard work and perseverance, we hope to expand borough-wide with chess clubs, in local schools and community organizations.
The Joint Organizational Scholastic Excellence Program, JOSEP, is a program that is intended to provide NYC urban public-school students with essential academic support that will include online tutoring services, test preparation, and career/college counseling services. This program is a partnership between a2i, local, state, and federal elected officials, other local nonprofit agencies, and institutions of higher learning, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the US service academies.
The Holiday Shopping Extravaganza is an annual holiday shopping spree that provides underprivileged NYC youth with a $250 shopping spree at a local Target store. Held in December, typical invitees have included NYC Police Department Explorers. Starting this December 2023, we will expand our list of invited children to include those who participate in our Critical Thinking NY and JOSEP programs, as well as the minor children of fallen police and firefighters.
