the Robin Hood Center

The Robin Hood Center is a young organization looking for funding to help with capacity building, general operating support, and program support. If selected we would use these funds to secure a location, purchase equipment, and cover the costs of our programmatic work. 

Levell Strong is a community organizer, activist, and political operative working on building Black political and economical power. He is a member of the Dream Defenders, BYP100, the Movement 4 Black Lives Electoral Justice League, People’s Action and causes rooted in liberation. Levell is working to shift the political landscape in Florida. He believes in building power, transformation, and miracles and here is how he is doing that in the state of Florida. As an organizer with Second Chances Fl Levell led volunteer petition gathering efforts that would help amendment 4 make the ballot. As an alum of the Electoral justice project Levell would help mobilize, register and turnout voters in South Florida leading to a successful passing of amendment 4 with nearly 80% of voters saying yes in his home of Broward County. He then transitioned this experience to be Field Manager at Engage Miami registering over 19,000 youth and returning citizens before the pandemic hit to vote in the 2020 election as well as training and developing over 100 canvassers. Adapting to the pandemic Levell would help implement the Freedom Fall Fellowship with BYP100 that gave fellows real experience on talking to and persuading low propensity voters to not only turn out for this election but to also show up and vote for Harold Pryor soon to be Florida first Black State Attorney. As Deputy Campaign Manager at People’s Action Levell led a team of canvassers who persuaded voters calling all the  major battleground states of Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

The Robin Hood Center founded in 2019 to address the issues of gun violence, crime, poverty, and recidivism through art and culture. Since the implementation of No Child Left Behind legislation has led to lower time in classroom spent by students, different access across communities, and an increase in recidivism rates. Black and brown communities have less than half the available resources provided to arts and cultural program than their white counterparts.The idea of this program is to create a cultural hub and skill incubator that would serve as a diversion program for at risk individuals to complete a workshop or course in leiu of criminalization. Students that participate in art and cultural programs are 4 times more likely to achieve academic success, 3x more likely to attend class, and decreases dropout by 5 times in working class youth. Youth that participate in arts and music programs for 4 years or more score 100 points higher on SAT exams than their peers who did not receive art and music study regardless of socioeconomic class. Critical Links found across 62 different academic research studies that art and cultural education helps close the achievement gap, improve academic skills necessary for reading, language, and math development and motivates youth to learn independently. Returning citizens who participle in art and cultural programs are 80% less likely to recommit a crime. Individuals who engage in arts and cultural programs are more likely to achieve gainful employment, attend and graduate college and excel in the workplace.

This work takes a innovative approach to solving two problems we face in this present system of over criminalization and minority communities and lack of access to resources to learn art and entrepreneurial skills. The Robin Hood Center is a not for profit organization dedicated to empowering youth and returning citizens to take control over their lives by building leadership and entrepreneurial skills to provide a sustainable life. The RHC invests in youth and returning citizens through arts and culture programming leading to better outcomes in school and workplace. The RHC creates a culture and builds community through partnering with local organizations who specialize in providing workshops in the area of our programs. The RHC works with the State Attorney Office to provide a diversion service to reduce, replace, or in lieu of a expected sentencing, sentence, or conviction of crime. 

This organization will empower youth and returning citizens to become leaders and entrepreneurs through providing regular weekly arts, cultural, job training, and recreational workshops. We will reduce youth incarceration, direct file, and recidivism rates among returning citizens through providing skill sharing resources and opportunity to complete a diversion program.

The Robin Hood Center will provide space for four quarterly events hosted and held by local community leaders, artists, and nonprofits. Serve 75 mile radius Partner with local community orgs to create facilitated programs. Utilize community spaces for workshops