2018 saw unprecedented growth for Paul Savramis and his nonprofit organization Rising Stars Youth Foundation. Savramis explains that just one year ago Rising Stars had a single outreach program, which was hosted at the Great South Bay YMCA. Today, Rising Stars has six boys teams and two girls teams for student athletes between fourth and eighth grade.

Q: What has contributed to such growth?

Paul Savramis: Rising Stars has enjoyed tremendous success over the last three decades. We have proven that giving children a positive outlet and somewhere they can be constructive is one of the best ways to keep them off the street and in school. Our exceptional leadership team has done an amazing job of working with local YMCAs and community centers to offer our afterschool programs and summer camps to students in need.

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Paul Savramis, Art Inspired by Mothers Internationally Acclaimed Talent. Paul Savramis may be the founder of the Rising Stars Youth Foundations Basketball and Educational Platforms, but he is also the creative brains behind the non-profit marketing materials, logos and shirt designs.

In this follow up posting, Paul Savramis gets into more detail on how the addition of new RSYF directors of education, overall operations and a good right arm as his executive have given him the chance to be creative and pay homage to his late mother’s memory.

Having the luxury of some extra time and much less pressure at work day to day have allowed Savramis to revisit his early passions and do some artwork “on the side.”  

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Early training, and avid interest in art remain as a driving force in the life and work of Rising Stars Youth Foundation Founder and President Paul Savramis.

The demands and rigors of day to day may have changed somewhat for Rising Stars Youth Foundation Founder Paul Savramis but they certainly have not lessened.

We caught up with Paul at a recent Rising Stars event and the topic he wanted to discuss surprised us. Savramis was talking about creating new shirts, brochures, and website designs and how art, marketing, and design continue to play a big part of his daily life. “I can’t slow down, nor do I ever want to”, Savramis shared. “Purpose is everything! The day is totally different for me when it starts with a challenge or the prospect of a new project.”

Savramis continued, “Having Danny (RSYF Executive Director) taking on the mundane day-to-day foundation work is a godsend! Dan is amazing in the way he has put together an infrastructure staff that takes care of every aspect of the foundation. We now have directors of basketball operations for boys and girls, educational specialists, and a full complement of departmental expertise that allows me to do what I love best- At my pace and my time frame.”

That love is to continue to serve as RSYF ambassador and President but to also now look at outreach and new program development. That effort alone has more than tripled new RSYF initiatives over the past two years and created a valuable pipeline for Rising Stars core and fundamental purpose- To Promote Education.       Continue reading →

Paul Savramis, founder of Rising Stars Youth Foundation, recently hosted the non-profit’s 2018 Meet and Greet for Rising Stars student athletes at Adelphi University. Savramis explained what this annual event entails and how Rising Stars scholarships have a lasting impact on the students, their families, and the community.

Q: What is the purpose of the Meet and Greet event?

Paul Savramis: The Meet and Greet is a yearly event that introduces the Rising Stars Scholarship recipients to the members of the board. It is a chance for these students and their families to meet the men and women behind the scenes of Rising Stars and for our benefactors to meet firsthand the lives they have touched through their generosity.

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On a cold January night in New York, more than a dozen girls came together in a cell phone-free zone to talk about something important: each other. Paul Savramis, Rising Stars Youth Foundation founder, shares info on the Beautiful Me workshop in the following brief Q&A.

Q: What is Beautiful Me?

Paul Savramis: Beautiful Me is a self-esteem workshop we put on regularly for the girls in our youth programs. Essentially, it is a night that allows our girls’ teams to interact with each other and learn to appreciate their teammates’ positive qualities beyond the free throw.

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In early 2018, Rising Stars made an important change to its website and overall future outlook.. Here, Rising Stars Founder and President Paul Savramis explains the launch of Rising Stars Youth Foundation.com. and the organizations “new” look.

Q: What does the addition of the term “Youth Foundation” mean for Rising Stars?

Paul Savramis: Our title as Rising Stars Inc. never truly defined the scope of our work nor was it a clear presentation of what we were. There were not many Rising Stars in 1996 and we were the only ones associated with youth sports and education. As the years past many others began using the name in one form or another and it began to really get confusing.

We actually developed a site “About Rising Stars Inc.” that helped to separate and better describe our identity and the two working models ..athletics and academics that were at the core of Rising Stars..

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September was a busy month for parents, teachers, and students getting back into the swing of things for the 2017/2018 school year. Paul Savramis, founder of Rising Stars, reports that despite tedious schedules, there was a full house at the organization’s recent college night. Savramis offers a few details below.

Q: What was the main topic of discussion at the event?

Paul Savramis: Pinnacle Consultants, the group that led our seminar, focused on applications for college. Many hopeful college students and their families find that process confusing or have trouble understanding what documents are required. Pinnacle walked them through the admissions process, thereby giving our student athletes the confidence (and tools) to move forward.

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