ActiVida: Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders

WHY WE EXIST: TO EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS

Every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive, lead, and make a difference - no matter their background or financial means. Yet, students from underserved communities often face additional obstacles that restrict them from realizing their full potential. Socioeconomic hurdles, cultural stigmas, language barriers and limited resources perpetuate cycles of marginalization and social division.

ActiVida is a new grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Our mission is to break down barriers and uplift underserved populations in Littleton, Colorado through youth-led community leadership programs focused on sports and fitness activities. We are dedicated to empowering Littleton youth from all backgrounds to find their voices, communicate, and lead together with confidence toward more successful futures. ActiVida aims to transform leadership potential into authentic impact, cultivating a new generation of change makers. At the core of our work is the belief that character and leadership skills, when cultivated early, have the power to transform not only individual lives but entire communities.

THE PROBLEM: BARRIERS TO LEADERSHIP FOR UNDERSERVED YOUTH

Limited Resources: Schools and communities frequently lack funding or supportive programs to nurture leadership among underserved populations.

Lack of Representation: Many young people never have the opportunity to work with leaders who share their experiences, understand their culture, or speak their language.

Cultural Disconnect: Programs designed with good intentions often fail to engage youth in meaningful, culturally relevant ways, which can create disconnect and prevent participants from envisioning themselves as leaders.

Unique Challenges for International Students:

The unique struggles of students who are still learning English amplify the need for programs designed to support this demographic of students, the vast majority of whom face additional hurdles to success, such as language barriers, prejudice, and discrimination.

OUR SOLUTION: YOUTH-LED, COMMUNITY-CENTERED LEADERSHIP

ActiVida’s youth-led, community-centered leadership programs empower young people to become catalysts for change. Built around three core pillars, our programming equips participants to lead confidently and work together to engage their communities in powerful ways:

1. Leadership Development: Participants work on building life skills such as self-belief, communication, adaptability, and teamwork through workshops, challenges and mentorship.

2. Team Empowerment: By celebrating diversity of strengths in team settings, we foster trust, connection, and community pride.

3. Community Engagement: Participants apply newly gained skills to real-world challenges, creating projects that inspire positive change and unity in their schools and communities.

TRACK RECORD OF PROVEN IMPACT

ActiVida’s pilot program at Littleton High School (LHS) demonstrates the transformative potential of this initiative:

Youth Empowerment through Diverse and Inclusive Programming: ActiVida is uniting native English-speaking students from the US and students from Argentina, Cuba, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, and Venezuela, many of whom are still learning English.

Gender Equity: 84% of participants in our program at LHS are female, helping to work toward closing the gender gap in leadership opportunities.

No Financial Barriers: We work with community partners to offer free youth empowerment training filled with leadership workshops and confidence-building physical challenges like dance, martial arts, ninja warrior training, yoga, sports, and outdoor adventures.

Community Connections: Our program at LHS featured interactive experiences designed to build confidence in public spaces, like a school toy drive for families in need, an intergenerational fitness event with seniors with Parkinson’s disease, and a riverbank restoration service project with local park rangers.

Safe and Welcoming Presence: ActiVida helped transform a divisive moment into a celebration of unity through the “We are ALL Lions” initiative at LHS - breaking down cultural barriers and combating prejudice and discrimination.

Cultural Celebration: Our partnerships have fostered pride in diverse cultural heritage and promoted belonging through youth-led events like hosting a Día del Niño celebration at LHS and leading youth activities at the inaugural Día de los Muertos Expo at East Community Center.

WHY NOW: A CRITICAL MOMENT FOR ACTION

With societal divisions on the rise, the need for programs that unite young people across cultural and social lines is greater than ever. Investing in ActiVida’s mission ensures that youth in underserved communities have access to the training and support they need to thrive and create stronger, more inclusive communities.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Your support will help sustain and expand ActiVida’s leadership programs, making a difference in the lives of more youth and fostering broader community transformation. 

Every donation - no matter the amount - fuels the generosity of others and makes it possible to:

FUNDING NEEDS $30,000

Short term - $10,000 to offer 2025 Community Leadership Summer Immersion Program for LPS youth

Long term - $20,000 to sustain 9-months of ActiVida Club programming at Littleton High School during the 2025-2026 school year and expand our outreach to ensure more Littleton youth can benefit from our transformative leadership opportunities.

JOIN US

Thank you for your support and belief in the power of youth leadership. By choosing to invest in ActiVida, you are helping to provide more underserved Littleton youth the opportunity to learn how to step forward to thrive and lead together.

Let's break down barriers and strengthen our community to build a better future!

Shawn Stein, Executive Director

-Together our reach is beyond measure!

Contribute: GoFundMe or Venmo @actividainc

Follow us on social media: @actividainc

Check out opportunities to volunteer with us to help us grow our reach and share our story: https://activida.org/