Friendship Collegiate Academy and Friendship Tech Prep Academy are the first D.C. schools involved in national program co-founded by Cedric Bobo, former Carlyle Group principal

(L-R): Ckori Jones & Ashref Elshazli

Thirty high school students enrolled at Friendship Collegiate Academy (Ward 7) and Friendship Tech Prep Academy (Ward 8) in Washington, D.C. are wrapping up a 10-week course that is teaching them how to recognize emerging opportunities and achieve ownership in commercial and residential real estate developments. Project Destined, co-founded by Cedric Bobo, a former principal of private equity investment firm The Carlyle Group and now in 15 cities across the country, the social impact platform employs an on-line teaching curriculum to train students in the fundamentals of deal financing and sourcing, market research and the actual acquisition of real estate properties. Local real estate development company Brocar Properties is a sponsor of the local Project Destined initiative and helped arrange the partnership with the schools.

(L-R): Ckori Jones & Ashref Elshazli

According to Michael Robinson, Director of Extended Learning Programs for Friendship Public Charter School, Project Destined introduces students to real opportunities and teaches them how to acquire real estate and turn a profit, based in part on the utilization of real-life local properties - rather than using fictitious ones - that the students visit and study. The curriculum also entails a “Shark Tank-like” pitch competition which requires students to make investment presentations to judges. The students are using Minnesota Commons Apartments and Alexandria Gardens in southeast Washington, D.C. as the models in their studies.

“Brocar Properties previously worked with Friendship to develop a real estate and entrepreneurship educational program supporting both current students and alumni, and we believed Project Destined represented the perfect partner to provide opportunities for one of the District of Columbia’s largest and highest-performing public charter school networks, with 15 schools serving more than 4,500 students in prekindergarten through 12^th grade,” explained Ashref Elshazli who, together with Ckori Jones, co-founded and operate the Prince George’s County-based commercial real estate company. The company subsequently introduced Greysteel as a partner, solicited the financial support of one of their community lending partners, City First Bank, while also providing additional resource assistance.

“Many students come from underrepresented communities and often struggle with career direction and Project Destined helps open up their eyes to the possibilities of real estate,” Elshazli added. “The program has a tremendous track record of teaching the value of real estate properties, basic fundamentals and the opportunities that exist for anyone willing to exert the proper amount of effort to succeed. Most of all, Project Destined provides hope and a sense of wellbeing. The leaders of the organization and its teachers have their hearts in the right places and the model has proven successful in many different parts of the country. We believe this program is perfectly suited for students in Washington, D.C.”

Project Destined has impacted nearly 1,500 students since its inception in 2016 and is operated by a team of 30 professionals. “Our goal is to provide students with the skills, network and resources to become leaders and owners in their community,” explained Cedric Bobo. “These students experience real estate every day but many don’t consider real estate as a way to build wealth. Our apprenticeship style training model provides students with the tools and confidence to explore ownership --- and it has proven to have an immediate and powerful impact. Friendship has been a wonderful partner and met each important criterion necessary for inclusion in this program and the corporate involvement has been impressive and continues to expand.”

“Project Destined has transformed our students in numerous ways including changing their mindset about property and real estate,” stated Michael Robinson. “They experience construction activities in DC but previously didn’t envision themselves as part of the industry. Now they do with many expressing the desire to pursue real estate as a possible career. It has been life-changing in so many ways.”

For more information about Project Destined, visit www.projectdestined.com