The Academy

The Empower 225 Leadership Academy helps youth ages 13 – 24 become leaders through Educational Support, Life Skills Training, and Employment Training.

Academy Programs include:

  • the Dream Center Accelerate Program (DAP), an after-school program that provides a safe positive place and educational support for at-risk youth ages 13-18 after school and during the summer;

  • the Chafee Independent Living Program, providing life-skills training for youth ages 14-21 in foster care or aged out of foster care; and

  • the 225 Employment Program , an 8-week curriculum to prepare young adults ages 18-24 to obtain and retain successful employment.

Dream Center Youth Programs

The Street Outreach Program (SOP) provides street-based services to homeless and at-risk youth ages 12-21. For questions, contact SOP at 225-286-9344 or streetoutreach@empower225.org.

The Basic Center Program (BCP) provides temporary emergency shelter, preventative services, case management, counseling and linking to resources to eligible runaway or homeless youth, ages 12-17, in Baton Rouge and Livingston Parishes who might otherwise end up in contact with law enforcement or in the child welfare systems.

The Awareness, Mentorship, Prevention, Protection (AMPP) Violence Prevention Programs goal is to reduce youth violence with comprehensive positive youth development case management.

Housing Programs

Anchor House provides stable housing and support for homeless or at-risk male youth ages 16-21 in Baton Rouge who are trying to improve their lives. It is an eight-bed family-style transitional living program used to create a supportive home environment.

The Rapid Rehousing Program provides short-to-medium term housing assistance for qualifying homeless youth ages 18-24. Participants are assigned through the statewide Coordinated Entry program.

Youth & Family Services

The Foster Care/Adoption Initiative provides awareness and advocacy for youth in care and available for adoption; recruits and supports foster and adoptive parents; and partners with the Louisiana DCFS workers. The traveling Louisiana Heart Gallery facilitates and utilizes professional photographs, paintings, and videos to highlight the personalities of children awaiting adoption. We network with the faith-based community and other organizations to help find forever families for children awaiting adoption and to help support the needs of youth in the foster care system. We offer support for foster families through support groups and providing resources. We have also partnered with a donor in our community to provide personalized birthday boxes for children in care in East Baton Rouge. For more information email louisianaheartgallery@empower225.org.

My Community Cares (MCC) programs mission is to prevent child abuse and neglect and entry of children into foster care by partnering together to build the capacity of communities to connect Louisiana’s most vulnerable children and families to the supports and services they need to be safe, stable, and self-sufficient. Email mcc@pelicancenter.org for more information.

The Family Support Collaborative consist of bi-weekly Saturday community days, follow-up parenting support classes for life skills, and quarterly family nights. For more information, contact family.support@empower225.org .

The HOPE Team

The HOPE Team provides supportive services, mentoring, and housing to victims of human trafficking. It also facilitates training for those who serve these victims including law enforcement, medical employees and state officials. Email hope@empower225.org for more information.

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