OUR HISTORY

FOUNDED IN 2008

CLICK PHOTOS ABOVE FOR VIDEO PRESENTATIONS

 "Because I am a woman of faith, it would be remiss of me if I did not share God's vital role in the genesis of C.A.E. C.A.E. is God-breathed, God-ordained, and God-led. Its foundation is love. I am only a vessel God chose to empower like-mind people to implement His vision to transform culture for such a time as this."

– B.J. Pleasant, Founder & CEO

​

​

C.A.E. launched in 2008 after noticing a lack of alternative interactive learning programs, poor academic school performance, and increasing violence in Stark County, Ohio. C.A.E. was one of the first local organizations to recognize why underserved children were most impacted and committed to providing an alternative learning curriculum involving a three-prong approach of family, school, and community as the foundation.

 

C.A.E. began offering the performing arts and business management programming for youth 13 through 18. However, after much research to effectively combat chronic absenteeism, behavioral problems, and low course grades, C.A.E. expanded its reach to impact a broader range of services to children 7 through seniors 55+ with the training and skills necessary to compete in a technology-driven work ecosystem.

 

C.A.E. received its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the I.R.S. in 2009 and, after extensive planning, began offering arts-infused innovative programming to the public in 2010. C.A.E. launched its theatre arts program in the summer of 2010 with a student enrollment of 50 underserved youth. "C.A.E.'s Adaptation of 'The Wiz" musical production sold out both performances with a total of 2,200 people in attendance. Because of the show's tremendous success and improved social outcomes of the participating student body, C.A.E. began receiving multiple requests from local schools and surrounding community organizations to provide arts enrichment and later media and technology programming.

 

In 2011, C.A.E. partnered with Garfield Academy to provide after-school enrichment programming. In year two, C.A.E. found a new home in the "west wing" of Garfield Academy to provide daily enrichment and in-school support services. C.A.E.'s program delivery, supported by student performance data, uncovered skill gaps we are uniquely suited to impact the populations we serve. This data showed an overall combined average increase of 34% in Science, Reading, and Math performance testing results. Attendance rates average increase of 5% and an 11.4% increase in positive student behavior. Building on the achievement and success of program implementation, professional development opportunities for adult learners were later introduced as an additional service.

 

 

In the summer of 2011, C.A.E., yet again, shocked the community, but with an original musical production entitled C.A.E.'s "Phat Albert" with over 75 underserved youth and adult participants. This successful production boasted an audience attendance of 1,200 attendees and opened the door for C.A.E. to provide after-school programming in Hartford Middle School within the Canton City School District.

 

During the summer of 2012, a series of youth homicides rocked the Stark County community. Mrs. Pleasant developed the Students Taking Ownership Mentoring Project (S.T.O.M.P.), a countywide antiviolence initiative, collaborating with the Canton City School District, the Canton City Police Department, and 46 faith-based and community organizations. As project lead, she established a council of youth leaders, empowering them to become the voice of change, offer solutions to bullying and violence, public policy, self-esteem challenges, and access to 21st Century learning technologies. Approximately 152 students were impacted each consecutive year. The S.T.O.M.P. countywide initiative is now identified as C.A.E.’s flagship youth program.

 

At the onset of 2013, Mrs. Pleasant recommended temporarily suspending programming to restructure the agency and relaunch the improved brand, with the board's approval, for 2016/2017. The goal for restructuring the agency was to create strategies to grow brand equity through brand extensions and sub-brands to strengthen the C.A.E. franchise further, and most importantly, reduce the cost of new business development, making C.A.E. a strong competitor in its market. "C.A.E. Worldwide" became the new moniker to define the brands' global framework and design accurately.

​

Additional Milestones:

  • 2014

    • Established its Farrell (Mercer County), Pennsylvania location

    • Formed One Kingdom Heart House, Inc. nonprofit subsidiary in Pennsylvania, a transitional house for women and children.

  • 2015

    • Developed four global service divisions: Performing Arts; Media & Technology; Health & Wellness; and Education & Development Divisions, as a framework to C.A.E.'s curriculum design and social and economic influence for the common good.

  • 2016

    • Launched C.A.E. satellite offices in the District of Columbia and New York:

      • Workforce development courses provided for adult students in the Community College Preparatory Academy in Washington, DC.

      • In partnership with the Buffalo Soldiers Association at West Point Academy, C.A.E. began offering S.T.E.M. summer camp workshops.

    • Formed C.A.E. Education & Training Center, Inc. nonprofit subsidiary in Pennsylvania to specialize in career and professional development services

  • 2017

    • Launched The Divergent Project - a cognitive-behavioral change system for juveniles and adults at risk of or involved in the justice system.

  • 2019

    • Moved corporate headquarters to Farrell, Pennsylvania

    • Formed C.A.E. T.V. Productions, Inc. for-profit Pennsylvania subsidiary

      • Produced C.A.E.’s Arts-N-Motion web docuseries

  • 2020

    •  Launched C.A.E.'s Virtual Learning Academy

  • 2021

    • Launched C.A.E. Marketplace™ Network

    • Developed C.A.E.’s Resilient Church Equipping Solution™, a trauma-Informed faith-based leadership course.

 

Our experience with alternative learning led us to analyze how community professionals could best work together to create a significant education hub to develop non-traditional strategies that would best benefit individuals in dire need of the training and support services we provide. Over the past decade, C.A.E. developed a coalition-based approach to mobilize community professionals to engage in public action and volunteering to resolve high crime, high unemployment rates, high drop-out rates, chronic disease, mental health, and substance abuse disorders.

 

Today, C.A.E. students enjoy several arts-infused online and on-demand services delivered in a flexible schedule and small group interaction. Experienced, professional instructors from our communities work with youth and adult learners to create individual learning plans tailored to specific needs and pace. C.A.E. also provides the assessment and counseling support needed to make sound educational decisions directly tied to academic and career development outcomes to produce economic, cultural, and social change.