Destiny Outreach® (DO!) was founded in February 1997 by creative visionary, Danita E. Patterson, and received 501(c)(3) status in September 1998. DO! is a proactive approach to combating social ills such as substance abuse, violence, gangs, teen pregnancy and other peer pressures, which prevent teens from achieving their ultimate potential. Ms. Patterson created DO! as an answer to help support the needs of today's youth, their families and the communities in which they live.   

After conducting extensive research and development within public/private schools, youth centers, and the urban communities of Chicago and Los Angeles, Ms. Patterson's findings revealed that:

1. Many school reform efforts focused almost solely on test scores (academics) while failing to provide effective supplementary programs to support youth's personal (social and emotional) and vocational development;
   
   
2. Youth's general interest in school and their understanding of why school is necessary was decreasing, while the influence and consumption of media entertainment (film, music, TV, online) increased dramatically;
   
   
3. Youths increasingly lacked a sense of purpose, meaningful goals and motivation.

As a solution, Destiny Outreach® was created for young people and caring adults to promote vision clarification, life planning, academic achievement, leadership and career development. Through innovative teaching methods, process learning technologies, and other interactive enhancements, DO! is committed to “making learning fun so that dreams do come true.™”