On a temperately beautiful California night, the electricity that naturally accompanies intense excitement was palatable in the air. Las Vegas-area high school students danced and shouted in pure joy, as they partied poolside at the Hilton San Diego Resort, celebrating college and the prospects of encouraging their friends and family members to pursue post-secondary education.

On June 28, 2010, Jerome “JYD” Williams and his brother, international youth activist Johnnie Williams III, teamed up with The Center @ UNLV’s GEAR UP program to take 87 deserving students representing nine Las Vegas high schools to San Diego for a four-day, three-night tour of area universities. The intent? Expose the soon-to-be graduating young people to the wide variety of opportunities awaiting them after high school.

To qualify, students readied themselves for the college tour by completing a rigorous three-week college preparation camp. Among other activities, they completed college applications, wrote personal statements and essays, and filled out college financial aid and scholarship applications.
Those who “graduated” from GEAR UP University were given the opportunity to participate in the California college tour where Jerome and Johnnie Williams provided an outstanding student-ambassador training session to enable the participating students and their peers to see college as a positive and attainable goal. The training also imbued them with the skills to help their peers do the same.

In addition to visiting San Diego colleges and universities; the students participated in team building/leadership activities. And, of course they enjoyed fun in the sun at San Diego’s amusement parks and the beach.

Thanks to the Williams brothers’ consistent delivery of positive life messages, generously blended with flashes of Hollywood excitement, the students enthusiastically accepted the GEAR UP/JYD Project challenge to “tag” at least five peers and encourage them to pursue college as a future goal. The event was unanimously judged a rousing success by both students and administrators alike.

Dedicated to ensuring Las Vegas-area youth every opportunity to succeed, the JYD Project continues to partner with The Center @ UNLV to encourage students to see education as the cornerstone of their future success in life.

CHASE Your Dreams: Bushwick Leaders’ High School for Academic Excellence

On April 14, 2010, Johnnie Williams III, youth activist, motivational speaker and founder of Change The World Movement, and Jerome Williams, former New York Knicks star and founder of the JYD Project, visited students at Bushwick Leader’s High School for Academic Excellence for their 3rd annual Chase Your Dream workshop. Fun, easy-to-understand, financial literacy exercises engaged and motivated students to chase their dreams. Chase Your Dreams is funded by a generous grant from the JP Morgan Chase Foundation.

Johnnie Williams III and Jerome Williams are clearly dedicated and passionate about their work with young people, inspiring our students to improve not only their financial literacy, but their academic standing as well. As Johnnie Williams says, “schools and their students can expect an upbeat, enlightening workshop that helps connect the dots.” Students will hear that undeveloped talent won’t pay their bills and developed talent, without a strong resume, will go undiscovered. Students will also be taught banking skills that will help them manage the money they make from employment. The program also introduces students to basic investing and credit education. All this content is packaged in a fun-filled three-hour workshop.

Bushwick Leaders is committed to preparing students to meet the technological advances and demands of our 21st century economy. Here, too, Chase Your Dreams provides valuable opportunities for young people to chase their dreams online. “The Chase Your Dream workshop,” Johnnie Williams explains, “was designed to assist students in connecting the dots between their dreams, their education and critical life skills. This unique workshop could one day be offered as an e-course
and national lecture series that provides local and regional lectures serving Chase bank clients and their children. An e-Course development in both English and Spanish would quickly and efficiently expand the program to serve
thousands of high school students.”

Catherine Reilly, founder and principal of Bushwick Leaders’ High School for Academic Excellence, envisions well-rounded graduates prepared for the real world. “Considering our tough economic times,” Ms. Reilly says, ”Chase Your Dreams empowers our young people in the areas of personal finance. The Williams brothers have excellent rapport with our kids and they keep them engaged and motivated. Our students look forward to seeing the Williams brothers every year.“

The First Annual JYD P.R.O.J.E.C.T.  Celebrity Car Rally

Benefiting Children’s Charities

This competitive and exciting event will feature celebrity navigators paired with serious car enthusiast.   Teams will be challenged by JYD’s version of celebrity round robin, black-jack and poker.   All drivers must raise a minimum of $5,000.00.  The more money you raise the better your celebrity draft choice.  For more information on becoming a sponsor or  a driver please contact

JYD P.R.O.J.E.C.T. at info@jydproject.com or
702-589-4658

City Impact Center to be exact.  There were kids from various local basketball teams on hand to assist with the project, as well  as students fromThe Center at UNLV, different Churches, the Boy Scouts of America, and from at least 3 different Clark County School District high schools, Bonanza, Cimarron-Memorial, & Palo Verde.  “I just put the word out to the Dogg-Pound that I needed some assistance doing some Spring Cleaning and the community rallied around me” Williams said.

The JYD P.R.O.J.E.C.T. organizes all types of community initiatives and Williams says, “this is just the beginning”.

News Channel “3″ was there in the Morning to do a story on the service project.  There were a host of distinguished VIP’s coming to lend JYD a hand including; Mayor Oscar Goodman, NBA Legend Spencer Haywood, UFC Champion Wanderlei Silva and Councilwoman Gerri Schroeder were all on hand.