Deryk Toles' Inspiring Minds coming to Youngstown

YOUNGSTOWN

A nine-year-old program aimed at motivating and providing opportunities for young people is moving into the city.

Inspiring Minds, which has been active in Warren for several years, will offer a summer and after-school programming beginning this summer. Inspiring Minds was started by Deryk Toles, a former NFL player who grew up in Warren.

The Youngstown program will be led by Tim Frost, executive director and a Youngstown East graduate, and Simon Arias, board chairman and a graduate of Ursuline High School.

Both men told city school board members Tuesday that they wanted to return to the city to help the community where they grew up.

Toles, who played in the NFL before being injured, said his program isn’t intended to change curriculum in the city schools.

“We want to be a piece of the solution,” he said.

The summer program combines academics, athletics, nutrition with cultural and other fun activities to combat the summer backslide of learning. It runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The after-school program runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and focuses on improving classroom performance and increasing college and career readiness.

Visits to college campuses are part of the program, Toles said.

Read more about the program in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.