Paving The Way

When Kaven Jean-Charles couldn't find qualified candidates for many technology-centered jobs he sought to fill in South Florida, he was frustrated – and took action.

A managing partner at Bear Atlantic Group, a Miami management consulting firm, Jean-Charles was determined to discover the root of the problem. He began analyzing educational deficits in South Florida and discovered far too many. 

“South Florida’s educational system is missing core elements needed to enable economic growth to impact education and workforce placement,” says Jean-Charles.

So, in 2015, he joined with local businessman Vijay Singh to establish the Manifezt Foundation in Miami. The community development nonprofit provides STEM and personal development education to residents of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, with a special focus on youth.

“Our mission is to provide resources, implement STEM initiatives and develop partnerships that will help South Florida residents benefit from the career opportunities being created in STEM,” says Jean-Charles, who is executive director of the nonprofit.

Working with partners such as the Knight Foundation, the University of Miami and Florida International University, Manifezt offers programming like hands-on educational workshops for kids 6-18 years old (Science In The City and Youth STEM Program), after-school activities and supplemental resources that enable educators to lead STEM education projects in class.

The parents of children participating in Manifezt’s initiatives are significantly involved, too. They help staff determine their kids’ interest levels and sometimes attend workshops as well.

“One young girl did a workshop with [animal] heart dissection. It was the first time she was exposed to opportunities in the medical profession,” says Jean-Charles. “She was very excited and is now talking about careers in medicine.”

To date, Manifezt has served more than 1,200. The bulk of programming is aimed at middle and high school students, and about 60 percent of participating students are ages 6-12, he notes.

“I grew up here, and I was just tired of the lack of upward mobility within the region,” says Jean-Charles. “Exposing kids to STEM education at that age is critical for developmental purposes. That is when we can best inspire someone to pursue a career in science.”

For more information, visit manifezt.org.