Terrance Roberts

Terrance Roberts is the founder and Executive Director of The Prodigal Son Initiative Inc., an organization that offers after school programs that include tutoring, mentoring, and education about healthy lifestyles. The Initiative offers regular opportunities for at-risk children to be a part of positive activities throughout the Denver metro community.

Terrance is a Denver native who was raised in the Park Hill neighborhood where his family is still very active. Growing up without his father or other positive male role models, Terrance fell into running with a negative peer group in North East Denver. He spent the majority of his teenage years and early twenties affiliated with this group. When Terrance realized he could spend the remainder of his life incarcerated because of this affiliation, he decided that a life change was in order. He determined that he could take his own negative experiences and use them to not only change his life, but the lives of children in the community who face the same challenges he did.

Terrance not only made this decision; he took action. He helped organize a march protesting gang violence in east Denver. Upon the success of the march, Terrance began to build other community organizing activities aimed at improving the quality of life for residents of all ages. He volunteered for other nonprofit organizations in the community working with at-risk youth. At the same time, Terrance took courses on how to start up his own nonprofit organization and has now successfully created a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization: The Prodigal Son Initiative, Inc.

Terrance has spoken at dozens of schools to both students and resource officers, and continues to organize neighborhood events. He works daily with dozens of Park Hill youth in after school programs at Hallett Science and Technology Elementary School. Many other schools and centers for at-risk youth are asking for The Prodigal Son Initiative to open in their communities.