LETT 'em play: Tennis Anyone?

LETT, Learning Excellence Through Tennis, is a small nonprofit serving Birmingham, Alabama.  Beginning in 1998 as the Birmingham Area Tennis Association, the organization provides tennis and academic opportunities to youth with an eye on improving health and offering a productive activity for children when they are not in school. Additionally, tennis teaches discipline, social skills, improves self-esteem, and promotes physical fitness.

LETT reaches 10,000 children each year with after-school, summer camp, and academic programs.  Children who are interested are given access to all the equipment necessary to play. The organization gears itself to take on beginners and see them through to USTA Youth Team Tennis competitions.

Do Something: You Could Save a Life

The award-winning DoSomething.org mobilizes young people to volunteer for a wide variety of great causes.  Right now the organization's nationwide bone marrow registry drive targets the best potential donors: college students.

Thousands of cancer patients need bone manor transplants every year, but only 2 percent of the population has had their cheeks swabbed to join the national registry. --DoSomething.org 

This nonprofit inspires college students to set up their own bone marrow drives on university campuses around the U.S.

This barely scratches the surface Do Something's mission.  Animal welfare, disaster relief, fighting prejudice, health issues, poverty, or bullying.  Do Something has your cause.  The organization even gives away grants to people 25 and younger so that they can start up programs in their own communities.

Visit the Do Something website to learn more.

Peer2Peer Tutors Impassioned in Education

Erik Kimel launched Peer2Peer Tutors as teenager.  At 16, he knew fellow students entrenched in academics were the best resource for struggling students.  Throughout college Kimel kept at the organization he founded and is now the CEO at age 25.  He not only provides academic help for kindergartners though college age but continues to employ youth as tutors starting at $12 an hour:

Peer2Peer also offers a sorely needed employment opportunity for young people, in an economic climate that has been especially tough on teens and college students. The tutoring company is poised to create 500 youth jobs. 

The organization is for-profit with a social mission.  Philanthropic efforts include donating 1% of its revenue to the communities it serves with free tutoring and services in Virginia and areas of Maryland and Connecticut tutoring Title 1 students free of charge.