Mentorship and leadership
Consistent adult guidance, goal setting, accountability, service projects and opportunities for young people to lead.
Genesis Youth Development Program
A young person’s future should be defined by possibility, not one mistake.
Genesis surrounds youth and young adults with trusted mentors, emotional support, practical skills, career exposure and family partnership. We help each participant build a plan and take the next step with confidence.
Why Genesis matters
We begin with a better question.
“What happens when this young person is surrounded by hope, mentorship and opportunity?”
- A mentor who believes in them
- Skills connected to real careers
- Mental health and family support
- Leadership and service opportunities
- A future shaped by goals, not mistakes
The Genesis experience
Whole-person support with practical pathways.
Each participant receives a plan based on age, interests, strengths, family needs and the next realistic opportunity.
Drone and aviation academy
Hands-on exposure to flight, drone technology, safety, career options and the science behind aviation.
Workforce and career pathways
Career exploration, job readiness, internships, employer connections and planning for college, credentials or direct employment.
Explore the trades
Introductions to electrical work, welding, HVAC, plumbing, construction, automotive careers and other high-demand fields.
Financial literacy
Budgeting, banking, saving, credit, smart shopping, needs versus wants and responsible money decisions.
Life skills and independence
Communication, time management, problem-solving, healthy routines, transportation planning and daily responsibilities.
Emotional wellness
The Rook House uses chess, reflection and practical exercises to strengthen self-control, empathy and decision-making.
Family and community
Parents, caregivers, mentors, schools and community partners work together to build a dependable circle of support.
Genesis + CRAFT
Education. Skills. A route to employment.
Genesis supports the young person. CRAFT organizes the career pathway. Together, they connect mentorship, school completion and family support with practical training, credentials and employer connections.
CRAFT stands for Career Readiness through Apprenticeship, Field Training, and Trades. It is TXFPF’s high school-to-careers workforce concept for students from economically distressed Houston communities, including youth rebuilding after justice-system involvement.
The goal is to help students prepare for skilled-trade and healthcare careers before or after graduation, with timelines based on age, training requirements and each career’s licensing rules.
Career Readiness
Attendance, communication, workplace conduct, resumes, mock interviews, budgeting and a written career plan.
Apprenticeship
Connections to structured earn-while-you-learn opportunities through participating employers and training providers.
Field Training
Age-appropriate, supervised practice linking classroom learning to job-site skills and credential requirements.
Trades
Career exploration in welding, electrical work, HVAC, plumbing, carpentry, manufacturing, transportation and healthcare.
The Genesis employment pathway
From school to training to a job.
- Build an individual plan. Review education progress, career interests, transportation and family needs with a Genesis mentor.
- Stay connected to education. Support high school completion or an appropriate education pathway alongside career preparation.
- Learn and practice. Connect students to training providers, career visits, supervised field experiences and apprenticeship opportunities.
- Prepare for credentials. Identify the certificates, licenses or entry requirements for the chosen occupation. Include TWIC application guidance for relevant maritime and port careers, subject to eligibility and screening.
- Connect with employers. Transition eligible, job-ready graduates to ForgeWork for employer matching, interviews and placement support.
- Support retention. Follow progress at 30, 60 and 90 days and address barriers affecting employment and continued learning.
Clear roles: Genesis and CRAFT operate under Texas Federation of the People Foundation, Inc. ForgeWork operates through TXFPF United LLC as a separate employment intermediary. Training completion does not guarantee a license, TWIC approval or employment.
Explore ForgeWork employment supportProgram development and accountability
Build the capacity. Measure the results.
CRAFT’s proposed expansion includes reactivating shuttered HISD campuses as community training hubs, subject to district approval, facility agreements and funding.
Training and employer network
TXFPF seeks schools, credential providers and employers to define training requirements, supervised experiences and hiring opportunities. Track availability depends on approved partners and resources.
Student support
Coordinate case management, mentoring, transportation referrals, family engagement and support for financial barriers.
Shared investment
Seek workforce, philanthropic, education and employer funding for instruction, equipment and participant support.
Measurable outcomes
Track enrollment, attendance, education completion, credentials earned, job placement, starting wages and 30-, 60- and 90-day retention.
Genesis for girls
Omilicha Girl Harmony Hub
The Genesis girls pathway combines dignity, emotional wellness, sisterhood, education and leadership. Girls receive trusted guidance, practical resources and a place to strengthen their voices.
- Health, hygiene and dignity support
- The Rook House emotional-regulation program
- Mentoring, money skills and career readiness
- Sisterhood, civic voice and leadership
- Five event logos with lessons girls can wear
Genesis boys initiative
Ụmụ Dike Men of Valor
Pronounced “oo-moo dee-keh”
Ụmụ Dike speaks to children of heroes and young people of courage. “Men of Valor” states the future we are helping boys build: responsible men who lead with strength, wisdom, service and self-control.
TXFPF created five earth-tone shirt emblems so every event can carry a lesson. A shirt is selected to match the event theme. Together, the symbols tell one story, from rooted boyhood to purposeful manhood.
Symbol 1
The Rooted Trees
“Roots Hold Us. Character Leads Us.”
The wide roots honor family, culture, mentors and community. The three trees show boys growing through stages of life while remaining grounded in responsibility, identity and service.
Designed for: Mentoring, family engagement and community heritage events
Symbol 2
The Mountain Path
“Every Step Builds the Man.”
The mountain represents a worthy goal. The winding path and stepping stones teach that maturity is built through discipline, persistence and one responsible decision at a time.
Designed for: Goal setting, career exploration and rites-of-passage activities
Symbol 3
The Wisdom Flame
“Strength Guided by Wisdom.”
The ram horns represent courage and strength. The open book and steady flame place knowledge, judgment and self-control at the center of true valor.
Designed for: Education, literacy, leadership and emotional learning events
Symbol 4
The Nurturing Hands
“Nurture the Boy. Strengthen the Man.”
The hands protect living soil while a young plant rises. The symbol recognizes that boys grow stronger when caring adults provide safety, guidance, resources and accountability.
Designed for: Wellness, hygiene, family support and resource giveaways
Symbol 5
The Guiding River
“Choose the Path. Lead With Purpose.”
The river represents life and changing circumstances. The compass and North Star remind each young man to choose direction, seek sound guidance and move with purpose.
Designed for: Decision-making, prevention, civic leadership and future-planning eventsThe Rook House
Emotional strategy taught through chess.
This eight-week anger-management education program helps young people recognize triggers, pause before reacting, communicate with purpose and make decisions with foresight.
Chess gives each lesson a practical language. The Pawn teaches patience. The Rook teaches structure. The Bishop teaches perspective. The Knight teaches flexible thinking. Every move becomes a lesson in accountability and recovery.
Skills participants practiceImpulse controlConflict resolutionEmpathyCommunicationProblem-solvingAccountability
Youth-centered services
Trust opens the door. Structure supports change.
TXFPF works with families, schools, youth-serving organizations and community partners seeking practical, relationship-based support for young people.
Credible Messenger Services
Trained mentors use lived experience, consistency and honest communication to build trust with youth who may resist traditional systems of support.
- Individual mentoring and goal planning
- Conflict mediation and de-escalation
- Accountability, life skills and positive decision-making
- Family communication and resource navigation
- School, community and referral-partner coordination
The Rook House Anger Management
This eight-week, chess-based education program helps young people understand triggers, regulate emotions and think beyond the next move.
- Trigger identification and impulse control
- Healthy communication and conflict resolution
- Empathy, accountability and recovery after mistakes
- Strategic thinking through chess-based lessons
- Group programming for schools and community organizations
How the program works
One plan. Five connected steps.
Genesis stays focused on progress, family communication and a clear next action for each participant.
Listen
Meet the young person and family. Identify strengths, interests, barriers and immediate needs.
Build the plan
Set education, wellness, career and personal goals with clear responsibilities and milestones.
Learn by doing
Connect classroom learning with mentors, career exposure, field experiences and practical skill-building.
Track progress
Review attendance, engagement, completed goals, credentials, placements and family feedback.
Move forward
Support the next step into school, training, employment, leadership or continued mentoring.
Accountability
We track what moves a young person forward.
Participant information remains protected. TXFPF reports program results through aggregated or de-identified data.
- Program attendance and completion
- Education and training enrollment
- Credentials, internships and job placements
- Goal completion and skill growth
- Mentor and family engagement
- Participant and caregiver feedback
Contact us now
Ask about youth services, referrals or partnerships.
Complete the form to contact TXFPF about Ụmụ Dike Men of Valor, CRAFT education and employment, Credible Messenger Services, The Rook House or another Genesis youth-development pathway.
info@txfpf.orgJoin the Genesis network