About Us

Our Team

Kids on the Move for Success team has a diverse range of backgrounds and skill sets, but we share a common goal to change the next generation.  We work hard in accomplishing our mission – by being able to show our students “TuffTactics” tools is the best reward of it all.

Sponsors and Partners

Our History

Antoinette Tuff is passionate about keeping the workplace and school districts psychologically safe environments by using her “Tuff Tactics” Techniques.  As the result of Antoinette being held hostage in a diverse and inclusive environment with a gunman, she is committed to restoring, revitalizing and reconnecting corporations and school districts with their leadership teams and employees, by bringing them back to the heart of the corporation and/or school district where everyone can feel appreciated and valued.

On August 19, 2013, Antoinette Tuff was a school bookkeeper, severely depressed because her husband of 33 years had recently left.  She, now, as a single mom, was faced with the daunting challenges of raising a son with multiple disabilities and a daughter in law school.  Never did she think that she would become a hero saving more than 1,000 lives, a best-selling author, an international celebrity, an expert on community safety, the Founder and CEO of a non-profit, Kids on the Move for Success or a guest of Michelle Obama at the State of the Union Address.  Showing enormous COMPASSION, CONFIDENCE and CONTROL (called Tuff Tactics),

The next day, her life changed forever.  Antoinette, an accidental hostage negotiator, used her experiences with challenging life issues to successfully convince an armed gunman, who entered the Ronal E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy, to give her his AK-47.  This is the only school active shooter situation in the US that ended without death or injury to students, faculty, parents, or shooter himself.  Experience hostage negotiators, law enforcement and community leaders praised her intuitive, yet textbook, hostage negotiations on August 20, 2013.

Kids on the Move for Success, Inc., was founded on September 1, 2013, by Antoinette Tuff. The organization was birthed to help underserved children all over the world see a new beginning and to know that they too can push pass their life circumstances and be prepared for a purpose in life.

2013 – Present…We have given out scholarships to students all over the world. This has allowed us to award more than 40 scholarships to students from Elementary to Graduate.

In 2016…Antoinette took her experience back into the school district were the gunman held her hostage and launched her own Discovery STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) Mentoring Program.  This program was designed to teach students that STEAM was available to all, no matter what community they lived in.  During the time of her launching the mentoring program she discovered that students where reading and doing math below their grade level.  Antoinette went to the administrators and teachers of her students to get reading and math scores of all the students.

In 2017…Antoinette launched Knowledge is Powerful in Literacy After School Program at Canby Lane Elementary in Decatur, GA which is in the DeKalb County School District.  She launched her program at this school because it was where the Principal, Dr. Keshier Smikle and Assistant Principal, Mrs. Kia Dennis, helped saved her life when she was suicidal.  Antoinette took the students from her Discovery STEAM Mentoring Program, and other students from the school, to enroll them.  When Antoinette arrived at Canby Lane Elementary School, she found that it was on the list of Title 1 Schools that were classified as low performing.  With the help of the administrative team, teachers, students, parents, and Antoinette’s team Canby Lane was re-classified as a  high performing on mandated tests and were thus removed from the low performing list.  Her students that graduated from the program continue to become the Youth Trailblazers and returned to the school and field trips to giving back to their community. Antoinette continues her work with DeKalb County School District, and she is now expanding the program to other school districts globally to support more family during this new normal of our nation.

In 2017…Antoinette launched The STEAM Educational Showcase which is a one-day, all school event. It exposed students in grades PreK – 5 and students in special education, to STEAM fields. These are the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math and Literacy.  The exhibitors included universities, engineers, mathematicians, bankers, and many more from the Atlanta area.

In 2018…Antoinette allowed her students and the community to understand the importance of giving back to the community, so she launched “Joy in the Morning Community Outreach” for families in the Hughes Spalding Hospital.  Everyone gives from toys, books, gift bags, flowers, gift cards from Publix and Walmart and much more.

In 2018..Antoinette noticed that her parents needed support as well as the students, so she launched PACE Parent Academy (Parents Achieve through Continued Education). It teaches parents to become influencers in their communities. It educates them to speak out for their children’s safety. It also gives them opportunities to increase educational and social resources for their families.

In 2019…When the nation was talking about arming teachers with guns the teachers and parents all went to Antoinette scared and wanted to speak up but were afraid.  Antoinette started Community Student Safety Conversations – Town Hall Meetings where she brought together school leadership, law enforcement, business leaders, educators, and other community organizations to collaborate with students to find real solutions.

In 2019…To support her students and educate them about bullying and protect them from suicide attempts, Antoinette launched Non-Violence is Powerful. It is a program targeted to engage middle and high school students. Student leaders moderate a viewing of the movie “Faith Under Fire: The Antoinette Tuff Story” . The viewing is followed by a panel discussion about “Gun Violence and School Safety.” Student leaders will focus on COMPASSION, CONFIDENCE and CONTROL to stimulate audience participation and discussion. The event may include a Non-Violence is Powerful Poster Contest. Middle and high school students will create posters. The Kids on the Move for Success Youth Advisory/Planning Team will lead in the marketing and judging of the poster contest for fellow middle and high school students. One winner from each level (middle and high school) will receive $50.00.

In 2019…The parents wanted somewhere safe for the children during holiday seasons, so Antoinette launched a Two Week “LEAP Holiday Enrichment Camp” which included academic and financial literacy, interactive reading games, reading circle, math bingo, STEAM, health education, Tuff Tactics and much more.  This camp is for students from kindergarten to high school.  She partnered with companies, community leaders and Jr. Achievement for program curriculum and activities.

In 2020…Antoinette led our students and parents into the Enough is Enough Prayer and Peaceful Protest for Justice march with Commissioner Larry Johnson and the community in the DeKalb County area. The purpose was to show our students how to do a peaceful march for their rights for justice and equality.

2020 – Present…Antoinette wanted to meet the needs of our low-income communities and families.  We expanded Knowledge is Powerful in Literacy to a virtual platform during school year to support our students and parents.

In 2021…Antoinette has gone back into the school district to support the educators, students, and parents during this crucial time of our nation and education for our students and families.

In 2022…Antoinette was one of the speakers for the 2022 30th Annual Model Schools Conference with over 5,000 attendees in person and virtually.  Antoinette had two training sessions on Conversations in the Crosshairs:  How to Disarm Others.  She continues to support school districts, superintendents, administers, educators, students, and parents globally.

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