IMPOWERED MINDS GROUP HELPS LOCAL YOUTH

Impowered Minds is a nonprofit youth organization that focuses on education, recreation and mental health. Its primary platform is fishing.

“We mentor, coach and help direct the youth on and of the water,” said Jason Glanton, Impowered Minds CEO and president. “Our mission is to establish a better comprehension of self for each child — self-integrity, self-respect, self-confidence — and ultimately lead to being a positive influence in life. We also teach and promote entrepreneurship, financial literacy and focus on each child learning a trade.”

Glanton’s father loved fishing and committed to taking him and his siblings fishing on Thursdays after work. “I looked forward to it because Tampa was a big city surrounded by big water,” Glanton said. “Fishing the Gulf of Mexico was much diferent than the lakes and ponds I knew. The taste of beach water was an adjustment too, but by the age of 10, I was slowly transforming into what’s known as ‘Salt Life.’”

Glanton learned a lot about life on the water. “Fishing kept me out of trouble,” Glanton said. “I had found something I loved that kept me busy while learning new skills.”

After Glanton’s parents passed away, he felt there had to be more he could do to keep both their legacies alive. “I took my