The Parks Collective seal
The Parks Collective Foundation

The VineGuild Society

A citywide and scalable youth leadership House system for character, culture, and emotional mastery.

This blueprint is designed to be executable, transferable, and durable. If leadership changes, the standard remains. We build Houses that hold youth consistently, elevate dignity, and produce measurable outcomes across schools, neighborhoods, and systems.
Ages 8 to 21
Prevention-first youth development
Trauma-informed, culturally grounded
Faith-rooted, civic-ready partnership model
Polo House for boys
Ivy House for girls

Foundation Executive Summary

The VineGuild Society is a private-club caliber youth development ecosystem built for public impact. It restores dignity and expands life trajectories by giving young people a House, a standard, and a pathway. The model is scalable across a city, region, or national chapter system, with local adaptation under a shared charter.

Problem

Many youth are growing up without consistent systems that teach identity, regulate emotion, and shape responsibility. Without early intervention, grief, instability, school pushout, and violence exposure compound into lifelong outcomes.

Response

We intervene early, beginning at age 8, with structured mentorship, emotional skill-building, academic support, positive peer culture, exposure, and leadership formation for both boys and girls.

Result

Youth who know who they are, regulate emotion, show up with discipline, and lead with character. Communities gain stronger families, reduced downstream system costs, and safer neighborhoods.

Why This House Exists

This work began with a simple observation: our children are not broken. They are un-housed. They lack consistent systems that hold them, teach them who they are, and prepare them for who they must become. What we heard from men about manhood was clear: integrity, courage, accountability, protection, and being a person people can count on. What we know about womanhood is also clear: love, life, stewardship, wisdom, and protecting the heart where life flows from.

The VineGuild Society exists to restore what has been lost: Structure. Dignity. Belonging. Expectation. Legacy. This blueprint is written so the work can live beyond me. It is detailed, executable, and transferable because our children deserve systems that do not collapse when leadership changes.

LaShonda Hatch
Founder, The Parks Collective Foundation

What Is The VineGuild Society

Vine

Source, life, moral grounding. Spiritually rooted and non-sectarian in delivery, designed for civic partnership.

Guild

Training, mastery, lineage, protection. Clear pathways, discipline, standards, mentorship, and accountability that travel across environments.

Society

Shared responsibility for the public good. City chapters under a national charter, with evaluation, reporting, and integrity safeguards.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Theory of Change

Our model is simple, measurable, and aligned with best practices in youth violence prevention and positive youth development.

IF we provide early, structured intervention for youth beginning at age 8, including mentorship, emotional skill-building, academic support, positive peer networks, and exposure

THEN we increase protective factors, strengthen identity, reduce violence risk, and keep youth engaged in school and community

SO THAT boys and girls grow into healthy, confident, emotionally intelligent adults with strong futures, strong families, and strong communities.

Age 8 to 10 Identity and literacy foundation
Age 11 to 13 Conflict skills and early leadership
Age 14 to 17 Prevention, healing, and navigation
Age 18 to 21 Workforce and leadership pathways
CLEAR Path is the operating system

CLEAR Path is embedded across both Houses as the shared language for emotion, logic, reasoning, and action. It is used in coaching, discipline moments, conflict navigation, and leadership development.

CLEAR Operating Framework

CLEAR strengthens protective factors through Character, Leadership, Emotional Mastery, Agency, and Responsibility.

CLEAR functions as the internal operating system that guides all decision making, discipline, reflection, and leadership development across every House and age tier.

The framework aligns emotional wellness, character development, and leadership practice into a consistent structure that supports healthy growth, accountability, and long term resilience across all programs.

Intellectual Property and Privacy

All concepts, curriculum, and program architecture are original intellectual property of The Parks Collective Foundation.

CLEAR™ is a proprietary leadership and emotional regulation operating framework of The Parks Collective Foundation. Full implementation materials are available through licensed partnership only.

All participant data, youth records, and program materials are governed by strict privacy, safeguarding, and non disclosure standards in accordance with federal, state, and local child protection laws.

Ivy House

A leadership and stewardship House for girls, forming wise leaders rooted in dignity, emotional health, and legacy. Alongside love and character, Ivy House cultivates discipline in learning, academic confidence, and early career readiness, preparing young women to lead with both grace and competence.

Five Core Pillars

  • Dignity Before Display A girl’s value is not tied to attention, sexuality, or performance.
  • Sisterhood Sustains Life Safe peer culture and intergenerational mentorship.
  • Wisdom Is Power Discernment, emotional awareness, and boundaries as leadership.
  • Stewardship Is Leadership Governing heart, body, gifts, and future with intention.
  • Legacy Is the Measure A woman is known by how she tends her seeds and community.
“A woman is ultimately known by how she takes care of her seeds, how she tends the garden around her, and whether she is a good steward of life.” Tropikana

Age Tiered Pathways

  • Ivy Sprouts ages 8 to 10. Identity, voice, and self worth
  • Ivy Circle ages 11 to 13. Boundaries, confidence, and wisdom
  • Ivy House ages 14 to 17. Healing, discernment, and leadership
  • Legacy Ivy ages 18 to 21. Purpose, enterprise, and legacy planning

Core Program Tracks

Each girl’s journey is supported by integrated tracks that strengthen protective factors and long-term stability.

Ivy Prep

Life readiness and economic stewardship.
Academic goal planning, financial literacy, career exposure, professional identity, and enterprise fundamentals.

financial literacy career exposure soft skills stipends certifications

Rooted Sessions

Emotional wellness and heart stewardship.
TROP SESSION
TROP SESSION
tend root order produce

Emotional wellness and leadership formation through Group circles, individual support, and coaching that help young women regulate emotions, anchor identity*, establish healthy boundaries, and practice wise decision making while building confidence, discipline, and leadership capacity in family, peer, and community life.

Ivy League

Discipline, regulation, and embodied confidence.

Structured movement, wellness, and creative expression including sports, dance, yoga, and fitness practices that support emotional regulation, confidence, and self trust. All sessions are led by trauma informed coaches who prioritize safety, body awareness, discipline, and healthy boundaries.

Big Sister Covenant

Mentorship and wisdom.
Intergenerational mentorship, guidance, and a sisterhood culture that strengthens belonging.

Protection and Navigation

Safety and advocacy.
Safety planning, school and system navigation, healthy relationship education, and support in crisis moments.

Exposure and Legacy

Vision and leadership.
College and career exposure, culture, civic leadership, and legacy building experiences.

Polo House

A prevention-first leadership and healing House for boys, building honor, brotherhood, and emotional strength starting at age 8.

Five Core Pillars

  • Honor Before Everything Integrity and accountability are framed as strengths.
  • Brotherhood Builds Honor Safe peer culture and intergenerational mentorship.
  • Healing Is Honor Emotional language, grief, and help-seeking are normalized.
  • Work Is Honor Consistency and follow-through are tied to identity and self-respect.
  • Redemption Restores Honor Mistakes become teachable moments with a path back.
“A man’s word is the only thing that outlives him.” The Code of Polo House

Footnote: Polo House was originally built in honor of Cobe Hinkle and the boys who carry loss too early.

Age Tiered Pathways

  • Polo Cubs ages 8 to 10. Identity and literacy foundation
  • Junior House ages 11 to 13. Conflict skills and early leadership
  • Polo House ages 14 to 17. Prevention, healing, and navigation
  • Honor House ages 18 to 21. Workforce and leadership pathways

Core Program Tracks

Each boy’s journey is supported by integrated program tracks that reinforce protective factors and measurable outcomes.

Polo Prep

Workforce track.
Employability skills, certifications, job readiness, and real-world work experiences with local employers.


financial literacy career exposure soft skills stipends certifications

COBE Sessions

Emotional wellness and leadership formation.

courage ownership brotherhood emotional mastery

A character and leadership framework that strengthens emotional regulation, personal responsibility, healthy peer relationships, and resilient decision making through guided group work and mentorship.

Polo League

Discipline, teamwork, and regulation.
Sports and physical movement used as a vehicle for discipline, teamwork, emotional regulation, and positive competitiveness. Activities are led by trauma informed coaches who reinforce structure, accountability, and respect while supporting healthy expression and resilience.

Big Brother Brigade

Mentorship.
A structured mentorship network connecting boys with trusted men and older youth who provide guidance, support, and crisis response when needed.

Violence Interruption and Navigation

Safety.
Conflict mediation, school-based advocacy, juvenile court support, and hospital response partnerships to stabilize crises and redirect boys toward safety.

Exposure and Brotherhood

Enrichment.
Field trips, campus visits, arts and culture, and community experiences that help boys see beyond their immediate environment and imagine new futures.

Outcomes and Impact

The VineGuild Society is designed with clear, measurable outcomes that align with funder priorities in public safety, education, and mental health.

Key Outcomes

  • Reduced involvement in fights, suspensions, and justice-system contact
  • Improved school attendance, engagement, and performance
  • Increased emotional vocabulary and self-regulation skills
  • Stronger sense of belonging, identity, and future orientation
  • Greater exposure to career pathways and postsecondary options

Community and System Impact

  • Reduced violence and justice-system costs
  • Stronger partnerships between schools, families, and community
  • Increased economic stability through workforce pathways
  • Intergenerational healing and leadership among Black men and women
  • Stronger, safer neighborhoods led by the youth we invest in today

Polo House and Ivy House are prevention-first investments with the potential to reduce downstream costs while transforming life trajectories for youth who are too often overlooked.

Partnership and Next Steps

We are seeking partners who believe in investing early, centering healing, and building communities where youth are protected, prepared, and positioned to lead.

Partnership Opportunities

  • Launch funding
  • Multi-year support
  • Program sponsorship
  • Evaluation and research
  • Corporate and philanthropic partners

Implementation Ready

  • Clear mission, vision, and prevention-focused model
  • Age-tiered programming from 8 to 21 with defined outcomes
  • Culturally grounded pillars and House standards
  • Built-in storytelling and documentation to amplify impact
  • National charter with local chapter adaptation

IP, Privacy, and Contact

Intellectual Property
The VineGuild Society, Polo House, Ivy House, CLEAR Path, curriculum language, program architecture, and deck strategy are original intellectual property of The Parks Collective Foundation and The Parks Collective, Agency. No portion of this document may be reproduced, shared, adapted, or republished without prior written consent.

Privacy and Child Protection
This model is designed to operate with strict confidentiality, child safety protocols, and privacy safeguards. Any reporting, storytelling, photography, media capture, or case study usage must be governed by written consent, secure data handling, and participant protection standards aligned with local law and best practices.

Contact
Shonda@ParksCollective.org