OUR TEAM
Laighton Scott
Program Director / Mentoring Specialist
IL State Certified as a Firefighter
33 years of experience in the Fire Service and 16 years in present Fire Captain position Vehicle Maintenance Education
T·Job readiness training and crisis case management specialist) DLD program focus on reducing violence in Cook County communities. We tend to focus on a small number of carefully selected individuals who are perceived to be causing a large amount of the violence. We hope to steer youth towards pro social activities, while they emphasize reducing violence. Instead of trying to convince a youth to leave a gang.)
Demetrius Wade
Mentoring Specialist / Life Guard instructor
Nationally Paramedic Certified
IL State Certified as a EMT
Fire Science Education
Curious young teens connect with like-minded peers
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Virtual or in-person sessions meet likely
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Engage with other students around video games, anime, writing and exploring new places
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Meet new people and make friends
Denard Wade II
Financial Literacy Mentor Specialist
Associates Degree in Business Administration
Bachelor's Degree in Finance
Financial Literacy Vault
Understanding Money is a digital financial education resource that addresses both financial concepts and social-emotional learning skills that build toward better financial health.
Lajuan Wade
Co-Founder Human Resource Manager
Human Resources Manager 24 years experience, is responsible for overseeing personnel and daily operations of the human resources department.
Their duties include hiring HR personnel, managing the
hiring and onboarding procedures for other company employees and coordinating with members of their department to provide support to company employees regarding personal and professional incidents
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Catrece Smith
Authorized Organization Rep
Responsibilities: Coach, evaluate and performance manage.
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23 years experience in grant writing
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knowledge of proposal submission and fundraising process
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Ability to study and understand programs and funding requirements of the organization
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Strong research skills and knowledge of information sources Multitasking, organizational and time management skills
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Ability to handle confidential matters with utmost integrity
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Working knowledge of computers
Darius Wade
Firearm safety instructor / Youth Mentoring Specialist
Darius is the lead instructor over our firearm safety awareness campaign he hosts a Lock-it-UP giveaway to prevent accidental death by guns.
Training ensures
that gun owners are educated on the responsible practices for
handling and using firearms, storing them securely at home, as well as carrying guns in public.
Admin Team
Logistical Coordinators
Ashley, Wanda, and Corin Wade are highly experienced in
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Event Planning
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Project Management
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Community Engagement
Our Staff and Partners Mission
DLD For Youth Staff and volunteers understand that we must be successful and cause success in others. In our pursuit of excellence, we shell sow seeds that produce the next generation of professional leaders. We are a 501c3 organization that is committed to providing a safe environment for young people to freely express themselves and encourage them to make healthy decisions.