Valpresious worked with her family to create a “Little Entrepreneurs” class through her family’s community recreation program, which focuses on teaching children entrepreneurial skills that they later use to develop a real business model and plan. Should they choose, these children leave the program with a business model and incorporation forms ready for registration by the end of their program.
As an undergraduate, she made it her personal mission to begin two community support programs in Dover, Delaware which still exist and continue to deliver a positive impact on children from marginalized communities over a decade later. One program began as “Radio Kids”, which Val created and ran as a program advisor along with Delaware State University’s student radio station advisor, Ava Perrine. The other is a weekend cooking class called “Kids Cook” which teaches children basic food preparation techniques and the fundamentals of safety as outlined by the ServeSafe certification program. Both programs have since evolved into STEM-based programs she runs at a local community center she owns with her family.
Describe how the nominee has exhibited drive, innovation, community involvement and or leadership in the economic development industry
At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Val and her family opened a community center focused on health and wellness as a response to schools closing. Her family is made up of serval educators and mental health professionals, and they all felt deeply concerned about the impact school closures would have on the academic and social development of the children in their community. In the two years of their opening, they have been able to support over 500 children from local families through their advocacy work and the development of educational programs focused on economic development. Val’s passion for providing resources, advocacy, and opportunities for upward economic mobility for marginalized communities and individuals living with different abilities makes her an undeniable candidate for this award.