Built in Oklahoma. Built on character.
Class Matters started with one belief: every teen — especially the ones the system has written off — can become an engineer, an entrepreneur, a leader. Fifteen years and 5,016 students later, the belief is a track record.
501(c)(3) nonprofit since 2010 · EIN 27-3102028 · Financials & Form 990s ↗ · CFC #89142 · All mentors background-checked
It started after school, with a handful of teens who needed someone to stay.
[Founding paragraph: who founded Class Matters in 2010 — include Darron Lamkin’s role, the specific need in OKC, and the first cohort. Verify details with the founder before publishing.]
[Growth paragraph: how one after-school class became seven programs across two cities.]
[Today paragraph: where the organization stands now. End with the through-line: character first, always.]
The five pillars behind the name.
Everything we teach ladders up to CLASS — and every program maps back to at least one pillar.
Character
Show up, follow through. Weekly reflection circles — we grade habits, not vibes.
Leadership
Run something that matters. Every teen runs at least one event, fundraiser, or build project per year.
Academic Student Success
GPA, ACT, college list. Tutoring and applications start in 9th grade, not 12th.
Entrepreneurship
Build a thing that makes money. Pitch night every spring — teens keep the revenue from their ventures.
STEM Identity
See yourself as an engineer. Hands-on builds, lab visits, and mentor shadowing in real Oklahoma firms.
Held together by six values
Positive Energy · Honesty & Truthfulness · Integrity of the Individual · Innovation · Focus on People · The Golden Rule.
Names, faces, and who answers the phone.
Funders check this page first. Parents check it second. Everyone here is real, reachable, and background-checked.
Darron Lamkin
Founder & Executive Director
[Two-line bio: background, why he started Class Matters, author of Black Child.]
[Name]
[Program Director]
[Two-line bio.]
[Name]
[Volunteer Coordinator]
[Two-line bio.]
[Name]
[Tulsa Site Lead]
[Two-line bio.]
Board of Directors
Institutional funders verify governance before they verify anything else. List every member with affiliation.
[Name, Title, Organization] · [Name, Title, Organization] · [Name, Title, Organization] · [Name, Title, Organization]
The best tour is a Tuesday afternoon.
Visit any session — parents, donors, and partners are always welcome to watch the work happen.