Young Women of Promise, Inc.

Young Women of Promise, Inc., (YWOP) promotes the involvement of parents, families, educators, business and community leaders in programs that provide academic, social and community service learning activities. Young Women of Promise, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded in September of 2001 by Kinston, NC  native Theresa Williams Bethea.

The mission of Young Women of Promise (YWOP) is to inspire and empower our young African-America girls and other youth with a passion for learning.  YWOP believes that the strength of a community lies in its youth.  We strive for a society where young African-American women and other youth are respected as powerful leaders and active community members. 

Our program serves young women from low-income communities in rural eastern North Carolina. An assessment of the neighborhoods where most of our students reside reveals troubling conditions and profound challenges for school-aged children. We have provided a safe space for young women who are most at-risk for behaviors that can keep them from reaching their full potential.

Since 2001, YWOP programs have served more than 1,500 students and provided social, academic and community service learning activities designed to help young women find their voices and acquire skills and knowledge that will help them become productive citizens.

Our programs include the Project Promise Mentoring Alliance for youth in grades 6-12;
A Promise to Read literacy initiative, which provides free book distributions; Camp Promise summer enrichment programs; and Teens and Kids Who Care service learning and youth recognition program.

The work of Young Women of Promise is designed to help discover the promise and talent that resides within the youth we serve. We feel that failure to provide an academic and enrichment program to help our young women overcome high-risk behaviors might otherwise impede healthy development. 

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