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To bring a new model of economic development to financially underserved communities across the DelMarVa Region. We do this by:
-Educating youth and marginalized populations in financial and business literacy
-Launching businesses that provide essential services, employment, and ownership opportunities
-Focusing on populations often excluded from traditional career pathways:
✔ High school underclassmen and graduates
✔ Individuals aging out of foster care
✔ Veterans
✔ Formerly incarcerated individuals
Traditional economic pathways have failed too many of our young people Eastern Shore Youth-in-Action (ESYA) is building a movement of young, ethically grounded and community-focused entrepreneurs to revitalize underserved communities across the DelMarVa region In a city where opportunity can feel out of reach, BYA provides a powerful alternative:
“It is God’s heart and desire for all individuals and communities to flourish. This was His desire and design from the beginning of time.”
At ESYA, we don’t believe anyone is born empty-handed. We believe each person comes into the world equipped with gifts, purpose, and value. Our job is to help unlock that potential.
We achieve this by:
Harnessing the collective time, talent, and capital of the community
Providing practical training and mentorship in launching social enterprises
Creating community-owned businesses that meet real, local needs
Helping participants become both contributors and co-owners in the growth of their neighborhoods
ESYA is here for youth and emerging adults who are ready to own their future.
We focus on:
• High school underclassmen and recent graduates (college-bound and career-track)
• Youth aging out of the foster care system
• Recently incarcerated individuals returning to the community
These individuals are often overlooked by traditional systems—but they are at the center of ESYA’s vision for regional transformation.
For too long, traditional economic models have left behind urban and rural communities alike. The decline of manufacturing, the rise of automation, and the centralization of wealth have created vast regions of economic stagnation—especially in places like the Eastern Shore.
ESYA believes the solution lies in a new kind of leader:
Young social entrepreneurs, trained and motivated to own and operate enterprises driven by community goals and economic sustainability.
Inspired by the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?
“How shall we turn the ghettos into a vast school? …
How shall we make every house worker and every laborer a demonstrator, a voter, a canvasser and a student?”
ESYA takes up this call with a modern-day application:
This isn’t just training—it’s a life path to purpose, prosperity, and peace.
Programs will include:
Whether you are a young person seeking direction, a community leader ready to partner, or adonor who believes in the power of ethical entrepreneurship, we invite you to join us.
