About Us
The Junior Leadership Academy Medellin, is a Colombia-based non-profit organization whose mission is to guide and empower vulnerable fatherless teenage boys during their transition from boyhood to manhood. Our organization achieves its goal by running programs that include trauma resolution and mentorship to foster each participant’s emotional growth and healthy masculinity.
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Junior Leadership Academy Medellin was born out of our desire to transform the lives of fatherless young boys in Medellin who may otherwise not have the opportunity to receive the mentorship and guidance they need to thrive.
“A child that is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth”
African Proverb
Meet the Team
Scott Impola
Executive Director
Meet Executive Director - Scott Impola:
Between 2015 and 2020, I worked as the Executive Director of a youth empowerment organization in Miami helping hundreds of vulnerable kids and teens in the neighborhood of Little Havana. During this time, we saw a 50% reduction in PTSD symptoms (nearly 70% of our youth had PTSD levels of trauma, many coming from very difficult countries such as Nicaragua, Guatemala, Venezuela, etc.) of youth attending our programs from fatherless homes.
In 2020, I relocated to Medellin, Colombia, and soon realized that there was an urgent need for the type of mentorship and guidance that I had been providing to youth through my former organization. This is how the Junior Leadership Academy Medellin was born.
Our Mission
To guide and empower vulnerable teen boys on the path of transition between boy and man.
Our Vision
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The Junior Leadership Academy builds resilience and leadership that creates a positive ripple effect in families, communities and future generations, as our boys grow into adult men and fathers.
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We become a best in class evidence based academy by providing healing and empowerment for middle school-age boys from vulnerable neighborhoods.
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We have a top notch passionate staff & volunteers who are called to this life mission.
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Donors are eager to support the cause we are championing and site visits are a source of pride/inspiration/prompting to give