This past weekend, Tyree Dumas (aka “TOPDOLLAR”) spoke at TEDxYouth@Hewitt about his DOLLARBOYZ program. Established in 2005 in Philedelphia, the DOLLARBOYZ, originally created as a dance group, has since evolved into a “full-time youth-led movement.” According to the DOLLARBOYZ website, the program provides children with opportunities to engage in rewarding, community-building activities, in areas such as “Creative & Performing Arts, Sports, Advocacy, One-on-One mentoring, Educational Guidance, and Drug Prevention & Intervention” Ultimately, the goal is to inspire social development in hard-to-reach and vulnerable youth.
The DOLLARBOYZ have performed numerous times, including at an event in the National Constitution Center, at high schools, and, most recently, at the TEDxYouth@Hewitt conference.
After watching their TEDxYouth@Hewitt performance (directly above), I had an opportunity to speak with Tyree Dumas and a few of the DOLLARBOYZ themselves. They were very happy to speak to me, and I was equally excited to learn more about their organization.
I asked one of the DOLLARBOYZ, who was wearing DOLLARBOYZ apparel, about his experiences with the program and what led him to join it. He responded, “I joined DOLLARBOYZ because it gives me more opportunities.” He mentioned that he particularly enjoys making videos with DOLLARBOYZ, some of which have received over 7.4 million hits on YouTube. As the DOLLARBOYZ confirmed, the program has most certainly done its job of helping children take a better path in their lives.
Click here to listen to Tyree telling me about DOLLARBOYZ, and click here to watch Tyree’s Speech at TEDxYouth@Hewitt.
Also be sure to check out the DOLLARBOYZ on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about the movement!