The recipient entity's physical address:
           1533 MARSHALL
STE 203
SHREVEPORT, LA 71101

The recipient entity's mailing address (if different):
           1533 MARSHALL
STE 203
SHREVEPORT, LA 71101

Type of Entity (for instance, a nonprofit corporation):  Non-Profit Corporation

If the entity is a corporation, list the names of the incorporators:
          RASHIMA MCMILLON
TENESHA SHARP
LATASHA HUNTER-LEE
HELEN PLATER
JOSEPH SHEPARD
CONSTIDIOUS JOHNSON

The last four digits of the entity's taxpayer ID number:  2651

What is the dollar amount of the request?  $100,000

What type of request is this?  General Appropriation

Is this entity in good standing with the Secretary of State?  Yes

Provide the name of each member of the recipient entity's governing board and officers:
           Business Address: 1533 Marshall Street, Suite 203, Shreveport, LA 71101
Telephone: 866-945-2131
Email: contact@best13.org
Constidious Johnson/President
Latasha Hunter-Lee/Vice President
Helen Plater/Treasurer
Rashima McMillion-Wilson/Secretary

Provide a summary of the project or program:
           BEST 13 is requesting funding to establish and implement its YouthBuild Workforce Development and Youth Empowerment Initiative, a comprehensive education, workforce training, and youth development program designed to serve approximately 25 underserved and opportunity youth annually in Shreveport and surrounding Northwest Louisiana communities.
The proposed YouthBuild program will provide young adults facing barriers to education and employment with opportunities to earn their high school equivalency diploma (HiSET), obtain industry-recognized credentials, develop leadership skills, and transition into sustainable employment, postsecondary education, or registered apprenticeships.
The program will integrate academic instruction, hands-on occupational training, career readiness, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, mentorship, and community service. Participants will have access to career pathways in construction, healthcare, commercial driving (CDL), barbering, and drone technology, with construction training and community improvement projects serving as important components of the YouthBuild model.
BEST 13 will collaborate with local training providers, employers, educational institutions, workforce development agencies, and community organizations to deliver specialized instruction, work-based learning opportunities, and employment placement assistance. The program will also provide individualized case management and supportive services to address barriers such as transportation, housing instability, childcare, financial hardship, and other challenges that interfere with educational and career success.
Funding will support qualified instructional and administrative personnel, occupational training, participant stipends, educational materials, equipment, supportive services, community service projects, and program operations.
The overall goal of BEST 13's YouthBuild initiative is to break cycles of poverty, unemployment, educational disengagement, and justice involvement by creating sustainable pathways to economic independence. Through education, workforce development, and strategic community partnerships, BEST 13 seeks to equip young people with the knowledge, credentials, leadership abilities, and resources needed to achieve lasting personal and professional success while strengthening the economic future of Northwest Louisiana.

What is the budget relative to the project for which funding is requested?:
          Salaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Professional Services. . . $15,000
          Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . $20,000
          Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . $0
          Major Repairs . . . . . . . $40,000
          Operating Services. . . . $25,000
          Other Charges. . . . . . . $0

Does your organization have any outstanding audit issues or findings?  No

If 'Yes' is your organization working with the appropriate governmental agencies to resolve those issues or findings?
          

What is the entity's public purpose, sought to be achieved through the use of state monies?
          The public purpose of BEST 13's proposed YouthBuild Workforce Development and Youth Empowerment Program is to promote economic development, reduce youth unemployment, improve educational attainment, prevent crime and violence, and strengthen communities throughout Shreveport and Northwest Louisiana.Through the requested $100,000 in state funding, BEST 13 seeks to provide underserved and opportunity youth, ages 16–24, with access to academic instruction, high school equivalency (HiSET) preparation, occupational skills training, industry-recognized certifications, career readiness education, leadership development, and supportive services.
The program will serve approximately 25 participants annually, preparing young adults for sustainable employment and continued education in high-demand career fields, including construction, healthcare, commercial driving, barbering, and drone technology. Funding will support program personnel, instructional services, occupational training partnerships, participant assistance, educational resources, and essential operating expenses.
Additionally, the program will address barriers associated with poverty, educational disengagement, unemployment, and justice involvement through mentorship, financial literacy, individualized case management, violence prevention initiatives, and community service opportunities.
The requested state funds will be used exclusively for eligible program-related expenses that advance these public purposes and provide measurable benefits to Louisiana residents. BEST 13 will maintain appropriate financial oversight, expenditure documentation, and program performance records to demonstrate accountability and responsible stewardship of public funds.

What are the goals and objectives for achieving such purpose?
          At BEST 13, we believe every young person deserves a chance to succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances. Too many youth in Shreveport and Northwest Louisiana face poverty, violence, educational setbacks, and limited employment opportunities. Our mission is not simply to provide job training, but to restore hope, rebuild confidence, and create pathways to a brighter future.
Through our YouthBuild Workforce Development and Youth Empowerment Program, BEST 13 will pursue the following goals:
1. Increase Educational Opportunities: Enroll approximately 25 eligible youth annually, provide HiSET preparation and individualized academic support, and target measurable educational or skills development progress for at least 80% of participants.
2. Create Meaningful Career Pathways: Provide hands-on training in construction, healthcare, commercial driving, barbering, and drone technology. Our targets are for 75% of participants to complete occupational training and 70% of program completers to enter employment, apprenticeships, or postsecondary education.
3. Break Cycles of Poverty, Crime, and Violence: Offer mentorship, leadership development, financial literacy, conflict resolution, and positive alternatives that help young people make informed decisions and build productive futures.
4. Remove Barriers to Success: Provide individualized case management, supportive services, and community referrals addressing transportation, housing, childcare, and other challenges that prevent participants from reaching their goals.
5. Strengthen Families and Communities: Engage participants in community service, construction projects, and neighborhood improvement activities that promote responsibility, pride, and positive community involvement.
6. Promote Long-Term Success and Accountability: Build partnerships with employers, educational institutions, and community organizations while tracking participant achievements, employment outcomes, and responsible use of public funds.
Our Commitment
The requested $100,000 in state funding represents more than an investment in workforce development. It represents an opportunity to change lives, strengthen families, and create safer, more economically stable communities.
For some participants, YouthBuild may be their first real opportunity to finish school, earn a credential, secure meaningful employment, or believe in their own potential.
BEST 13 believes that changing one young person's life can change the future of an entire family. When we strengthen families, we strengthen neighborhoods, and when we strengthen neighborhoods, we build a stronger Louisiana.
Our ultimate goal is to ensure that young people are not defined by their circumstances but empowered by their opportunities. We are not simply requesting funding for a program; we are seeking an investment in hope, second chances, and lasting change.

What is the proposed length of time estimated by the entity to accomplish the purpose?
           12-month implementation period

If any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official is an officer, director, trustee, or employee of the recipient entity who receives compensation or holds any ownership interest therein:
     (a) If an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of the official and the office held by such person:
                
    
     (b) If an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of such person; the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related; and the nature of the relationship:
                

     (c) The percentage of the official's or immediate family member's ownership interest in the recipient entity, if any:
                

     (d) The position, if any, held by the official or immediate family member in the recipient entity:
                 

If the recipient entity has a contract with any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official or with the state or any political subdivision of the state:
(a) If the contract is with an elected or appointed state official, provide the name and address of the official and the office held by such person: 
               

(b) If the contract is with an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official:
          Provide the name and address of such person:
              

          Provide the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related:
               

          What is the nature of the relationship? 

(c) If the contract is with the state or a political subdivision of the state, provide the name and address of the state entity or political subdivision of the state:
                

(d) The nature of the contract, including a description of the goods or services provided or to be provided pursuant to the contract:
               


Contact Information
name:  LATASHA HUNTER LEE 
                                       address:  11115 SANDWOOD DR.
kEITHVILLE, LA 71047
                                       phone:  3185188968
                                       fax: 
                                       e-mail:  contact@best13.org
                                       relationship to entity:  VICE PRESIDENT