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Small & Gutsy: Nonprofit Stories with HeartAuthor: Laura S. Wittcoff
Small & Gutsy offers our listeners the opportunity to learn about the smaller, less known nonprofits and social impact organizations with revenues under 10 M. Our aim is to bring their stories to life, celebrate them, and further build their client, potential employee, volunteer, and funding networks. The goal of the Small & Gutsy podcast is to raise the visibility of this Big little social impact sector. Tune in as we interview a different organization so you can learn about them, maybe find a job, volunteer, or donate. Language: en Genres: Business, Education, Non-Profit Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Small & Gutsy Features Active Plus, Opportunities for Inner City Youth to Succeed
Episode 127
Tuesday, 28 April, 2026
In this episode, host Dr. Laura Scherck Wittcoff sits down with Tarik Kitson, Executive Director and co-founder of Active Plus NYC, to discuss how a chance volunteering opportunity in East Harlem evolved into a transformative nonprofit serving thousands of underserved youth across New York City. Active Plus provides free fitness, nutrition, mindfulness, and leadership programs to children and teens ages 5-18 who lack access to quality physical education and wellness resources. THE ORIGIN STORY Tarik, a former collegiate athlete with a background in health and fitness, started visiting a middle school in East Harlem on Saturday mornings to volunteer with students. What he discovered was shocking: children weren't getting recess, physical education classes had over 50 students, and there were no after-school sports programs. A consistent group of 30 kids showed up every Saturday morning hungry for structured activity and mentorship. When the school invited Tarik and his co-founder back the following fall, they launched after-school programs in football, soccer, basketball, and volleyball. Local news coverage of their work sparked interest from other schools and community organizations, and Active Plus was officially born in 2013. THE GAPS THEY'RE FILLING Active Plus addresses multiple critical needs in underserved communities. In New York City's massive public school system of over one million students, many neighborhoods lack adequate physical education, mentorship, and guidance on health and wellness. Additionally, school curricula often don't include nutrition education, leaving elementary-aged children who buy their own food at delis and corner stores without knowledge of healthy choices. The organization also recognized the need for mindfulness and emotional wellness programming years before the city mandated it in schools. COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMMING MODEL Active Plus operates a multilayered approach that goes far beyond athletics. Their programs include physical fitness activities like basketball, dance, yoga, running, boxing, and calisthenics; mindfulness and emotional wellness through meditation and stress management; nutrition education for kids and families; and leadership and life skills development. They deliver these services directly to students in schools, parks, housing developments, and community centers across all five boroughs, rather than requiring kids to come to a facility. This go-to-the-community model ensures accessibility for the most underserved youth. THE FAMILY FLAVORS PROGRAM Tarik's favorite initiative is Family Flavors, a nutrition and cooking program that engages families together. This program has proven remarkably effective at drawing parents to school events—something traditional parent-teacher conferences often fail to do. When families cook together and learn about nutrition, they take that knowledge home and can replicate it, creating lasting behavioral change across households. RECESS AS AN ENTRY POINT The most requested program by school principals is Active Plus's structured recess programming. In New York City schools with limited outdoor space and over 100 kids at recess, unstructured free play often leads to chaos and injury. By providing trained, structured activities during recess time, Active Plus solves a major operational problem for schools while getting kids moving and building healthy habits. SCALING WITHOUT LOSING QUALITY Tarik emphasizes that the organization's growth from serving 30 kids to nearly 3,000 annually came from deliberately building infrastructure. He highlights the critical mistake many nonprofit founders make: trying to do everything themselves. Active Plus grew when Tarik and his co-Founder focused on building a strong board of directors with specialized committees for programming, marketing, finance, and fundraising. They treat the nonprofit like a business, recognizing that nonprofits generate income through multiple streams—grants, donations, volunteers, and sponsorships. MENTORSHIP ACROSS GENERATIONS A unique strength of Active Plus is how they leverage older youth as mentors. High school students from the neighborhoods where programs operate serve as summer camp instructors, coaches, and role models for younger children. This creates natural peer mentorship, makes younger kids feel safer, and provides meaningful employment and internship opportunities for teens. Several alumni have gone on to successful careers—including one former youth coach who is now a lawyer but still volunteers with the organization. DISRUPTING CYCLES OF CRIME AND GANG INVOLVEMENT Active Plus strategically uses its programs to reclaim community spaces and provide alternatives to gang involvement. When a new basketball court was installed in a housing project but became a site of crime and drug use, Active Plus activated it with structured programming and recruited high school youth from the neighborhood to participate. This created a safe, supervised space for younger children. Their "Heal Our Youth" program combines restorative justice practices with mindfulness and physical activity specifically for high school students ages 15-18, addressing trauma and building resilience. THE PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE With a master's degree in public health from Columbia University, Tarik approaches youth wellness holistically. He advocates in Albany and works with government officials to highlight gaps in services and push for policy change. He's been surprised to discover that many elected officials aren't fully aware of conditions in their own districts, underscoring the importance of nonprofits doing advocacy work and holding government accountable. EXPANSION BEYOND NEW YORK Active Plus has recently expanded beyond New York City's five boroughs to Connecticut and Nevada. They partner with the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, providing sports science activations that blend basketball with STEM education. This national expansion demonstrates the scalability of their model and video-based curriculum. WHAT MAKES THEM GUTSY Tarik identifies Active Plus's gutsy nature as their refusal to accept the status quo and their vocal advocacy on behalf of underserved youth. Despite receiving a $1 million Department of Justice grant to research their programs, the grant was cancelled by those who question the organization's approach. Yet Tarik continues to speak up about systemic failures and champion evidence-based solutions. HOW TO GET INVOLVED Active Plus is actively seeking board members to fuel continued growth and expansion. The organization welcomes supporters from anywhere, not just New York City. To learn more or inquire about board opportunities: Social Media: Active Plus NYC Website: www.activeplus-nyc.org Email: TKitson@activeplus-nyc.org KEY TAKEAWAYS The power of organic grassroots organizing when you witness a real need. How proper infrastructure and delegation multiply nonprofit impact. Why mentorship and role modeling are irreplaceable in youth development. How holistic wellness programming addresses not just physical health but mental health, nutrition, and life skills. The critical importance of advocacy in creating systemic change. Why treating nonprofits as businesses—with committees, multiple revenue streams, and strategic planning—enables sustainable growth. Small & Gutsy Mission Small & Gutsy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit podcast spotlighting nonprofits and social enterprises with budgets under $10 million. The show elevates the visibility of small but mighty changemakers doing bold, passionate, and impactful work. Small & Gutsy has been ranked #8 on FeedSpot's Top 30 Social Impact Podcasts and #9 by Million Podcasts for Youth Empowerment episodes. Do you know a nonprofit doing incredible work? If you know of a nonprofit or social enterprise making a real impact, nominate them to be featured on Small & Gutsy. Contact Dr. Laura Scherck Wittcoff at laura@smallandgutsy.org. Check out other episodes of Small & Gutsy at SmallAndGutsy.org.
