Dontae played a key role in developing “Paving a Trail of Hope,” a curriculum for the Pathfinder Network designed to support high school-aged youth impacted by incarceration, detention, and deportation.
The program uses art, self-expression, and community-building to guide youth from experiences of harm and trauma toward hope and healing. As part of the Pathfinder Club, participants engage in creative activities and reflective practices that foster resilience, connection, and empowerment.
Dontae’s work focused on building partnerships with local high schools to integrate the curriculum, ensuring that young people in the community could access consistent support and safe spaces for growth. Through this initiative, he helped create a replicable model for trauma-informed, restorative programming that meets youth where they are while fostering long-term personal and academic success.
By combining creative expression with structured support and systemic collaboration, Dontae’s leadership in the Pathfinder Network aligns with LDYC’s mission: empowering youth, strengthening communities, and transforming systems to provide pathways to opportunity and healing.
“My thought was, what is the PATH in Pathfinders, how are we showing up for the people we serve when we meet them where they are and walk along side them on the Path they choose to find success. Through inspiration, encouragement and action, we can give hope to someone who feels helpless and keeps running into dead ends. Through leadership we can Pave A Trail of Hope”. -D. Mathis
Acronym “Paving a Trail of Hope”.
Created by: D. Mathis For the Pathfinder Network
