Meet Our Founder
Valorie Evans, LMSW Executive Director
My travel experiences started early with annual trips to Florida, Maryland and South Carolina to visit extended family; however, It wasn’t until my first trip abroad during my Junior year of college that I really understood the power of travel. My first trip out of the country was a Spanish immersion trip to Spain and Gibraltar. During this trip my eyes opened to the world being more than just what I knew and it sparked my curiosity to see who is all on this Earth with me! New faces, languages, food, architecture, customs, and ways of being. My first abroad experience opened my heart's travel door and I hold travel experiences as one of my top priorities in life. I have traveled to Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Guatemala, & Mexico. As a black girl born to a teenage mother residing on the westside of Detroit, losing my father at the age of 5, having easy access to drugs and alcohol, etc. statistically I am not supposed to be where I am today. Being taken out of my “world” as I saw it, showed me that I can be different, that I do not have to be what I see around me. My travel experiences have changed my view of the world and all of its possibilities.
“Travel is never a matter of money but of courage.”
Paolo Coelho
Board of Directors
Fai Cheleuka, LLMSW Board President
Fai Cheleuka, LLMSW Board President
Fai Cheleuka, LLMSW Board President
Executive Director, Freedom Villa Inc.
Mashell Lawson
Fai Cheleuka, LLMSW Board President
Fai Cheleuka, LLMSW Board President
Owner, Soul Stretch Yoga & Wellness
Emmet Mitchell
Fai Cheleuka, LLMSW Board President
Diane Cartwright, LMSW, CST
Executive Director, The Milestones Agency
Diane Cartwright, LMSW, CST
Joi Watts, BSN, RN Parent Advisory Board Member
Diane Cartwright, LMSW, CST
Owner & Therapist, Hope is Here Counseling Services
Joi Watts, BSN, RN Parent Advisory Board Member
Joi Watts, BSN, RN Parent Advisory Board Member
Joi Watts, BSN, RN Parent Advisory Board Member
Pediatric Nurse, Henry Ford Hospital
Sherron Ellis Former Parent Board Member
Joi Watts, BSN, RN Parent Advisory Board Member
Joi Watts, BSN, RN Parent Advisory Board Member
Owner, Fun on the Run Soulfood
What We Do
Educational Workshops
Parent Engagement & Workshops
Educational Workshops
Club members will participate in engaging educational workshops centered around Healthy Minds (Mental health), Healthy Body (Physical Health) , and Healthy Pockets (Financial health).
Local Field Trips
Parent Engagement & Workshops
Educational Workshops
We're taking monthly field trips to explore Detroit and its surrounding cities. You can't know where you're going unless you know where you've been!
Parent Engagement & Workshops
Parent Engagement & Workshops
Parents are an integral part of our program and there is a place for parents in everything The Brown Explorers do! In addition, quarterly parent workshops will be held on self care, financial success, and other topics identified by parents.
Domestic Travel
Club members will have the opportunity to travel within the U.S., to various states, experiencing the cultural differences across the country.
International Travel
Fundraising Experiences
International travel can be a life changing experience. Club members will have the opportunity to travel to various countries experiencing cultures and traditions that they've only read about or seen on TV.
Fundraising Experiences
Fundraising Experiences
All club members and parents will have the opportunity to develop and participate in fundraising activities/events. 100% of fundraised dollars by club members will go toward travel experiences.
A Special THANK YOU To Our Partners, Funders & Supporters!
