History and Outlook

In September 1999, we began our first youth empowerment groups every other Sunday under the Umbrella of Calvary United Methodist Church in Atlanta Georgia. During our time at Calvary, our youth group grew from five teens to over 30. By 2005 our mission and vision had taken on a life of its own. From 2005-2008, No Stones Movement worked with the youth of InSpirit Truth Center once a month. While the nuclear group was small, we began a tradition of holding community lock-ins. In 2006 we hosted over 30 teens at the Andrew and Walter Young Family YMCA. Each year we have hosted similar events with the mission of uniting young people from different walks of life, creating safe places for young people to grow.

2008 was a second birth for No Stones. We filed and were granted 501c3 status and we launched our second program, My Way Home School Collective - later becoming a fully accredited high school, Tamu Sana Kanyama Preparatory Academy (TSK). Our students have matriculated to colleges all over the United States and began sustainable careers. Between 2021 and 2022; 40% of our graduates were honored by Georgia as Governor's Honors scholarship recipients. Over 70% of our graduates have gone to college or trade school on academic scholarships. 100% of students who graduate from Tamu S. Kanyama Prep have been accepted to post-secondary schools or universities.

Another vital pillar for No Stones is Name of the Game: Chess in Real Life (NOTG). This program has proven to be a strong facilitator in nurturing the journey of our community youth. Established as a class to complement the school, NOTG teaches strategy, focus and critical thinking skills. In addition to the classes still offered through TSK, this program now collaborates with The Black Man Lab, Next Level Boys Academy, Optimize The Vision and the Atlanta Juneteenth Festival. NOTG brings the benefits of chess to over 300 students each year.

In 2017, No Stones Movement, Inc. and the Andrew and Walter Young Family YMCA came together to launch our first annual “Kwanzaa: Taste of the Diaspora” event. This has become an annual celebration to raise funds and cultural awareness in our community. In 2018 the program had over 400 registered attendees, and we expect a similar turnout for our 2023 event.

In 2023 we will launch our first young adult focused program. Seeds Connect is a volunteer program which has a goal of reaching young adult community volunteers, ages 18-25. Through career workshops, life skills support and community engagement activities, we will support and connect a network of young people preparing for leadership. We expect to recruit 12 participants in year one, and we have the potential to serve hundreds of community members through this program.