Why We Exist
Too many brilliant children stand on the sidelines—held back by disability labels, language barriers, or the stress of poverty. SIDEINCAN exists to pull those children to the centre of the circle and say, “You belong—and you can lead.”
Our Mission
To empower children and their families through compassionate guidance, cultural pride, and faith-based mentorship, enabling each child to grow into a joyful, safe, and hopeful role model and leader for change and well-being.
Our Story
In 2019, Haitian-American social worker Rose-Mai Pierre-Louis gathered neighbours in Nassau County to tackle one simple question: How do we give immigrant and differently-abled kids the same shot at leadership that privileged kids enjoy?
Three community workshops turned into SIDEINCAN’s first youth fair, Black-History celebration and Art-&-Talent workshop—touching 40 children before the pandemic hit. During COVID, SIDEINCAN pivoted to virtual mentoring and family check-ins, ultimately supporting about 70 children with homework hubs, food baskets and cultural story-nights streamed in Creole, English and Spanish.
Today, we are leasing our first dedicated centre—an accessible building with classrooms and a garden—so children can gather year-round and practise leadership in real time.
Rose-Mai Pierre-Louis
Founder & CEO
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