Life Pieces To Masterpieces

Who we are:

Founded in 1996, Life Pieces To Masterpieces provides opportunities for African American males in greater Washington DC by developing character, unlocking potential, and empowering them to transform their lives and communities. We serve more than 200 boys and young men annually in under-served communities in Washington, D.C. Our continuing goal is to nurture, embrace, encourage, and elevate African American boys and young men so that they grow into mature men who demonstrate social responsibility and create positive change in their communities.

What we offer: Life Pieces' mission is actualized through three main programs:

• LPTM After-school—This program engages about students (ages 3- 14) in artistic expression, rigorous after-school homework assistance, tutoring, literacy training, math skill development and computer training. Our LPTM Central location at Drew Elementary School is open to apprentices 6-7 days a week—from 3:30-7:30 after school during the week and flexible hours on the weekends.
• LPTM Saturday Academy—This program is a twice-monthly, five-hour long program that offers African American male students (ages 14 - 17) training in our proven-effective Human Development System (HDS) as well as a series of workshops focusing on important skill sets for college-bound students, including résumé building, mock interviews, essay writing, financial management, college preparedness, study skills and many others.
• LPTM Education Architect - This program is an innovative approach to inspire Black males (ages 18 - 25) to serve as classroom leaders in local schools. Our trained Education Architects/EAs (young men ages 18 – 25) complete 9 month training on techniques for successful classroom leadership and management. Education Architects also receive test preparation to take the ETS ParaPro Assessment examination (required exam to serve as an Educational Aide in DC Public Schools). To aid their personal growth and classroom leadership, our Education Architects participate in ongoing professional development sessions in effort to prepare them to lead classrooms in the future.

What we've done: Here are a few of our most recent accomplishments and distinctions:

• 100% graduation rate (this in a city where less than 40% of African American males ever graduate)
• Selected artwork is being documented by the Smithsonian for display in the Anacostia Community Museum and the African American History and Culture Museum (2015)
• Our Co-founder, Ms. Mary Brown, received Georgetown University's John Thompson Jr Legacy of a Dream Award during the Martin Luther King Celebration on January 20, 2013 at the Kennedy Center
• LPTM was selected as the sole nonprofit beneficiary of the 2013 BET Honors