Nadine Etienne
Founder / Executive Director
ODO Achievement Center
Ms. Etienne is the Founder of Odo Achievement Center. Her work with youth includes volunteering in a hospital pediatric unit during her teen years, creating and facilitating an adolescent pregnancy prevention program at a community center, training middle school students on peer mediation & conflict resolution, and working as an HIV Test Counselor for a teen clinic.
PURPOSE & MISSION
Odo (Aw/ dûh) in the Yoruba language means youth, and in most African communities the youth are revered as equally as the elders.
Odo Achievement Center focuses on promotion of teen development from the demeanor of children to the cultivation of responsible young adults. Odo is an organization for teens where they will have access to educational programming offered outside of the school setting.
For teens that are not enrolled in high school, Odo sessions provide an opportunity for them to interact with their peer group. The Overarching goal for this population is re-enrollment back into the school system, completion of an alternative program or entrance into the workforce. Odo generates an environment where teens feel comfortable to be themselves.
Our mission is to aid in children of color development with acquiring skills that will enable them to become functional and influential members of society. These skills will be developed through education & training, participation in life skills activities and community service.