About
About us
Who We Are
A community development initiative presented as a leadership program.
Our program connects the wisdom found through proper character development with the tools necessary for creating sustainable social change. The end result are students that understand the significance of their influence, and how to eagerly and responsibly handle it. It spans the entire 9-month school year, meeting with students several times a week during their free periods and certain Saturdays to facilitate programming and guide them as they create and implement plans to change their school for the better.
The Name
Community
"The essence of wisdom itself is found in community development. In order to create change, community has to be the focus. In order to create positive change—movement toward a Wise Society—community development must be a passion." - Foolish Genius, p177
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Ownership
We believe that the solutions that create positive lasting change in communities are those that are owned by the community itself. This requires a dedication to understanding the opinions, strengths, history, and assets of the community before developing a solution. Our students are taught how to garner the support and insights of their community as they work to imrpove it.
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Responsibility
Students are taught that responsibility is a requirement to living a wisdom-led life. Responsibility for their actions. Responsibility to their beliefs and principles. Responsibility to their friends and family. Responsibility to their purpose. All of these responsibilities build and support one another, and when considered with clarity, help leaders navigate the challenges they face.
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Excellence
Lastly, students are taught to carry a spirit of excellence in all they do. After they create a plan to change their school, they are guided by our staff in executing that plan with excellence. They learn to care about their work and connect their actions to impact.
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The Team
The Team
As President, Michael Jenkins coordinates life-skills trainings with local partners, oversees the program’s day-to-day operations, all while finding time to interact with our students on a weekly basis. His passion for both youth and community development has been proven time and time again after more than a decade of experience in local community development corporations and schools.
Michael Jenkins
Since the age of 12, David has been in leadership programs and positions, and since has developed a passion for leadership development. He seeks to discover processes that build better societies, and that eventually led to the Foolish Genius. He believes that walking in wisdom benefits the community without sacrificing the needs of the individual, and advocates for wisdom-led social change.
David Mahan
As our go-to consultant, Charity Butler oversees our event planning and consults on strategy and operations. She received her bachelors degree in Human Development and Family Studies and her Masters in Social Work. She also runs her own nonprofit, helping young women build confidence and personal wisdom through mental health and hair health education.
Charity Butler
As a member of the board and a trusted advisor, Dr. Tom's passes on his wisdom gained from his 35-year career that was framed through the lens of leadership, community development. He has been labeled a DEI leader, director, advocate, strategist, subject matter expert, and difference-maker. Dr. Tom has worked with a local schools for over 20 years.
Dr. Tom Edwards
If the health and wealth enable you to breath physically and creatively, it is in order to get to this. And in a return, meaning promotes higher personal health and wealth. Meaning is imperative to healthy lifestyles, united communities, and thriving schools.
Sophia specializes in embedding meaning in communities.
Meaning
When we say wealth, we define it as the amount of money necessary for you to work creatively and focus on meaning.
In our early stage analysis, we will look at research and reports from the school and the community around it to see what wealth promoting habits, knowledge and ideals are being practiced or should be implemented.
Wealth
The last few years showed us how imperative the role schools play as teachers and entire school systems put their students health as a top priority. As much as it has become a priority, schools are not traditionally outfitted to deal with every health issue.
We will analyze the top health risks of the school and recommend solutions.
Health
Schools were designed to be primarily places of learning, and that is still the case, only now they are expected to prepare their students to live productive and high quality lives. The role of the school has continued to expand, and Sophia partners alongside them to help them meet their increase in expectations.
Research shows that Wisdom leads to a high quality life. We sum up a high quality life into three categories: health, wealth, and meaning. Our work promotes increased health, wealth, and meaning in the lives of every stakeholder, not just every shareholder.
A Helping Hand
Why Wisdom?
“Wisdom has important implications at both individual and societal levels, and warrants further research as a major contributor to human thriving. There is a need for a greater emphasis on promoting wisdom through our educational systems from elementary to professional schools.”(1)
What We Believe
Everyone is a leader
Although everyone may not spark a social movement or become a CEO, everyone has a sphere of influence. Everyone has people they care for and are cared for by, people they inspire or dispirit, people who notice their actions. No person in any community has no impact. To strip them of that title is to undermine the potential power and change-making ability we all have. If everyone is a leader, then everyone should be taught the responsibilities of leadership, and beyond that, deserve to be treated as leaders as well.
Everyone has an equally deserving purpose
Put simply, purpose is the combination of gaps you’re meant to fill in the world. These gaps could be physical (skill sets and abilities), mental (perspectives and insights), or emotional. If everyone has an equally deserving purpose, every leader should seek to help others develop a sense of their purpose, as opposed to blindly following their own. This principle also encourages humility. No matter how skilled or naturally talented one student may be, each young leader will learn to respect the gaps that all of them fill, no matter how nuanced they are.
Our Principles
Wisdom is loving in nature
Love and Wisdom are inseparable concepts. One can not exist outside the other: to move in Wisdom is to move in love, and vice versa. In the context of change, your motivation for it needs to be derived from love if it is to be Wisdom-led. Love is more than good intentions and heartfelt sentiment. It needs to be proven over time, just like Wisdom. Anyone can say they are Wisdom-led, but their actions need to back it up.
Us in Numbers
$100M+
Clients’ Income during the Last Quarter
5
Industry Awards
355
Business Partners in over 30 Countries
27
Years of Experience