Dar'tavous Dorsey
Founder & CEO
Dar’tavous Dorsey is a lifelong Chicagoan and Associate Director at the University of Chicago – Crime and Education Labs. Dar’tavous provides management support across various project including analyzing cities and communities’ data, and performing research to design, test and scale programs and policies that improve educational outcomes and advance social justice. In the Fall of 2019, Dar’tavous launched the inaugural Student Advisory Council (SAC). The SAC offers a fellowship that fosters integral student-adult partnerships allowing student representatives to engage in issues related to the Chicago Student Success Initiative, whose mission is to advocate for school culture improvements and develop civic leadership skills.
Before transitioning to the Crime and Education Labs, Dar’tavous served as the West Region Supervisor at Youth Guidance’s Becoming A Man (BAM) program. Dar'tavous served as a mentor to 26 young men and supervised eight trained BAM Counselors, who serve hundreds of young men of color across fifteen high schools in the City of Chicago. Since joining the Summer of 2015, Dar'tavous has personally mentored more than 500 young men. As their mentor, he has supported their social, emotional, and academic development through life skills, college, and career programs. Dar’tavous currently sits on the Youth Guidance Associate Board and Alumni Mentoring Board.
Through his work with BAM, Dar'tavous observed that specific needs of young men of color were not being met despite several City initiatives and millions in investment. As a result, Dar'tavous launched the E.Y.E. Lead Foundation (Exposing our Youth to Excellence by providing Leadership) in March of 2019. The E.Y.E. Lead Foundation seeks to address the social, emotional, mental and financial needs for young men of color and expose them to excellence from people of color by providing them with leadership opportunities to change the narrative of their communities. E.Y.E. Lead seeks to address teen violence, youth homelessness and hunger, increase academic awareness, and encourage post-secondary & professional pathways. These pathways include the promotion of HBCUs and job readiness for any career or vocation.
Dar’tavous has over 15 years of experience, in advocating for youth of color. He specializes in social emotional learning, restorative practice, youth intervention, and mentoring. Dar’tavous's passion and expertise has landed him features in the Chicago Sun Times, WGN, the NBA and political media outlets. In addition, he hosted a focus group with Bill Gates and several Chicago Public School students/mentees.
Dar’tavous earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also has a Master of Arts degree in Secondary Education/Mental health from Chicago State University. Dar’tavous is a proud servant in the community with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and 100 Black Men, Inc. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his foster sons (Jalen, Deshaan and Ron), cycling, and caring for his dogs (King, Kobe and Bentley). Dar’tavous believes in inspiring, uplifting, and supporting others by removing roadblocks in order to allow one to realize their full potential.
Mentioned in the News-
https://abc7chicago.com/10391713/
https://abc7chicago.com/education/our-chicago-covid-19-pandemic-and-educational-inequities/10436248/
https://www.bettergov.org/news/few-programs-steer-child-carjackers-away-from-trouble/
https://twitter.com/nbacares/status/1164915197913509889
