Outside the Block
Expanding Youth Perspective Through Experience
We're already changing lives — one experience, one mentor, one moment at a time.
Expanding Our Impact
Launched · July 15, 2026Chicago Chapter Launch
Following the success of our inaugural Atlanta Leadership Experience, Outside the Block launched its Chicago Chapter on July 15, 2026.
Our first Chicago Leadership Experience — hosted on the water by our partners at First Lady Boat Tour Chicago — brought students from Perspective School together for transformational experiences designed to expand perspective, build confidence, and introduce students to opportunities beyond their everyday environment.
The inaugural Chicago experience featured:
- Chicago River Boat Tour hosted by First Lady Boat Tour Chicago
- Leadership conversation with a current Chicago Bears player
- Professional mentorship and networking
- Exposure to Chicago's history, architecture, and innovation
Where It All Began
Completed · May 21, 2026Atlanta Youth Leadership Dining Experience
Our inaugural experience brought students together at The Sun Dial Restaurant in Atlanta for an evening of leadership development, mentorship, and fine dining.
Students stepped into an upscale dining environment for the first time — building professional table etiquette, social confidence, and connections with mentors across industries.
The inaugural Atlanta experience featured:
- Fine dining etiquette dinner at The Sun Dial Restaurant
- Guided mentorship conversations with professionals
- Leadership development and confidence building
- Student, mentor, and parent reflections captured on video
Programs Delivered — Atlanta, GA · May 2026 & Chicago, IL · July 2026
15+
Students Impacted
8
Mentors Involved
12
Volunteers
2
Experiences Created
Atlanta · May 2026
Real Experiences.
Real Impact.
Full Event Recap 
Fine Dining Etiquette
Students experienced their first upscale dining environment, learning professional table etiquette and social confidence.
Mentorship Conversations
Paired with mentors across industries, students engaged in guided conversations about careers, goals, and life purpose.
Perspective Shifts
Many students described the evening as transformational — expanding what they believed was possible for themselves.
In Their Words
Voices From the Experience
Students, mentors, and parents — sharing what that evening meant to them.
Talib
Student Interview
Audrey
Student Interview
AJ
Student Interview
Why It Matters
Why Exposure Changes Everything
Many young people grow up in environments where their world is limited — not by their potential, but by their access. Without exposure to professional settings, different cultures, and diverse opportunities, it's hard to dream beyond what you can see.
Outside the Block believes that a single experience — one dinner, one trip, one conversation with a mentor — can unlock a lifetime of possibility. We proved that in Atlanta. And we're just getting started.
Our Story
What We Do
Programs Built for Impact
Every program is intentionally designed to give young people an experience they couldn't access on their own.
Youth Dining Experience
Students build confidence, communication skills, and social etiquette through guided dining experiences at premier restaurants.
Learn MoreLeadership Exposure
Connecting students to professional environments and real-world leadership opportunities beyond their everyday world.
Learn MoreEducational Travel
Trips exposing youth to cultural, historical, and civic environments — expanding what they believe is possible.
Learn MoreMentorship Programs
Pairing students with professionals who invest in their growth, guidance, and future with intentionality.
Learn MoreOur Founder
Led by a Champion
On & Off the Field
Tae Daley, M.S., a former NFL player, founded Outside the Block to create the kind of opportunities he witnessed change lives — and that not every young person gets access to.
Having seen how exposure, mentorship, and new environments shift a young person's entire trajectory, Tae built Outside the Block as a vehicle to bring those transformative experiences to youth who need them most. The Atlanta event proved the concept. Now we scale it.
Read Our Story
NFL
Former Player
The Momentum Continues
This Was Only the Beginning
Youth Leadership Dining Experience
Atlanta Pilot · Inaugural Event · ✓ Successfully Completed
Students gathered at The Sun Dial Restaurant in Atlanta for an evening of leadership development, mentorship, fine dining etiquette, and real-world exposure that changed perspectives.
View Full RecapUpcoming Programs
Washington DC Civic Exposure Trip
Students visit the nation's capital to engage with history, civics, and professional spaces.
Leadership Development Series
Multi-session programs connecting youth to professional mentors and real-world leadership challenges.
Cultural Exploration Programs
Experiences that broaden perspective through cultural immersion and community engagement.
Our Vision
Building a Generation of
Confident, Curious Leaders
We envision a future where every young person — regardless of zip code — has access to the experiences, mentors, and environments that allow them to dream bigger and lead boldly. Atlanta showed us it works. Now we're bringing it everywhere.
Help Us Expand Youth Horizons
Your donation directly funds experiential learning programs that change young people's lives.