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666 888 0000

Email:

needhelp@idonte.com

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About us

About Us

Marcus Youth Discovery Group is a beacon of hope and opportunity for young individuals. Our Pre-entry program provides services before a young individual finds themselves trapped in the criminal justice system. By offering educational resources, mentorship, and supportive programs, Our Pre-entry services seek to prevent initial encounters with the criminal justice system, guiding youth towards positive pathways and fostering a sense of hope and opportunity.

MYDG aims to inspire young people with skills and knowledge to unlock their potential. Expand their worldview and prepare them for future challenges and opportunities. We are committed to their success and well-being, ensuring they grow into successful adults who positively contribute to their communities.

Meet Shane Falwell

My name is Shane Falwell, and my story is one of loss, accountability, transformation, and purpose. I have dedicated my life to helping people believe that no past is too broken for a future to be rebuilt.

As Founder and Executive Director of M.A.R.C.U.S. Youth Discovery Group and House Manager at The Cumberland House, I walk alongside people navigating reentry and young people searching for direction. My work is rooted in mentorship, structure, compassion, and the belief that every person deserves the opportunity to rise.

I also helped bring Tomorrow’s Neighbors from a thought to reality, turning vision into action for the community.

My Story

My advocacy is deeply personal.

While I was incarcerated, I lost my son, and that pain forever changed the direction of my life. I could have let grief define me, but instead I chose to turn pain into purpose. I made a commitment to help others heal, grow, and create lasting change.

I believe in accountability.

I believe in second chances.

I believe people can rise from their darkest moments and become a light for someone else.

Today, I serve as a consultant, mentor, and community leader dedicated to reentry, career development, youth prevention, and community transformation.

My story is not just about where I have been. It is proof that transformation is possible when support, opportunity, faith, and belief come together.

I bring this message from lived experience, including more than 22 years served in state and federal prison.

Leadership, Community Impact

I am committed to serving my community through leadership, mentorship, education, and advocacy.

Leadership Roles:

  • Founder & Executive Director, M.A.R.C.U.S. Youth Discovery Group
  • Board Member for Cumberland County Criminal Justice Advisory Board (CJAB)
  • Co-Chair, Cumberland County Reentry Coalition
  • Co-Chair, Cumberland County Reentry Housing Coalition
  • Executive Board Member, Partnership for Better Health
  • President, Penn State Rising Scholars Alumni Association

These roles are more than titles to me—they are platforms for hope, healing, and opportunity. Every position allows me to help individuals rebuild their lives, strengthen communities, and create pathways for lasting change.

OUR INTRODUCTION

Help Us Support Charity Campaigns

We believe in empowering the individuals and communities we serve. By providing resources, support, and opportunities, we strive to foster growth, resilience, and a brighter future for everyone. Join us in making a difference and helping to build a more inclusive and sustainable world.

  • Invest in the neighborhoods most impacted
  • Support people with extreme needs
  • Support our Youth Programs
  • Support making our communities safe
  • Share your love for community

Youth Discovery

Youth Discovery aims to inspire and equip young people with the skills and knowledge needed to unlock their potential and confidently navigate their futures. By expanding their worldview.

Pre-entry

Pre-entry is about providing services before a young individual finds themselves trapped in the criminal justice system. By offering educational resources, mentorship, and supportive programs, Pre-entry seeks to prevent initial encounters with the criminal justice system, guide youth towards positive pathways, and foster a sense of hope and opportunity.

PEACEMAKERS

Our Youth Violence and Gang Intervention Programs are dedicated to transforming the lives of gang-involved and at-risk youth. Through targeted interventions, we aim to provide support, guidance, and alternatives that foster safer communities and brighter futures.

VSIT PEACEMAKER
REENTRY PROGRAM

The Returning Citizens Program offers services and training designed to support men and women transitioning back into society, during and after their release from incarceration. 

VISIT REENTRY PROGRAM
YOUTH PROGRAMS

Providing guidance and support during pivotal moments in a young person’s life can profoundly impact their future, steering them toward a positive and productive path filled with opportunity and growth. Or:  “Offering meaningful guidance and support at critical moments can reshape a young person’s trajectory, empowering them to embrace a positive, purposeful, and productive path in life.

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PROGRAMS

Discover. Develop. Decide. Lead.

At Marcus Youth Discovery Group, we believe every young adult has strengths, dreams, and the ability to create a meaningful future.

Our programs meet young adults where they are and help them move forward with confidence. Through mentoring, prevention, education, leadership development, family engagement, and reentry support, we create safe and encouraging spaces where young adults can grow, become decision makers, make positive choices, and discover what is possible.

Our work is built around four powerful steps:

• Discover your strengths and potential
• Develop the skills and confidence to succeed
• Decide which choices support your goals
• Lead with purpose in your family, school, and community
Together, these steps create pathways to opportunity, stability, and long-term success.

M.A.R.C.U.S. Self-Discovery Program
Discover Your Strengths. Define Your Future.

The M.A.R.C.U.S. Self-Discovery Program helps young adults become decision makers by exploring who they are, recognizing their strengths, and imagining a future that reflects their goals and potential.

Decision makers / participants will develop or receive support with:

• Identify and celebrate their strengths
• Build confidence and self-esteem
• Make realistic and responsible choices
• Set personal, academic, and career goals
• Strengthen decision-making skills
• Create a vision for their future
• Take ownership of their growth and progress
• Recognize the value they bring to others

Young Adult Reentry and Second Chance Program
Reconnect. Rebuild. Move Forward.

The Young Adult Reentry and Second Chance Program supports young adults returning to their families, schools, and communities after involvement with the juvenile justice system or other significant challenges.

Decision makers / participants will develop or receive support with:

• Creating an individualized reentry plan
• Connecting with mentors and trusted adults
• Developing life and independent-living skills
• Returning to or continuing their education
• Preparing for employment
• Setting and tracking personal goals
• Strengthening family relationships
• Connecting with community resources
• Building positive support systems
• Transitioning successfully back into the community

Our Vision

We envision a future where young adults, families, and individuals returning to the community after justice-system involvement have access to the guidance, resources, and opportunities needed to recognize their value, pursue their purpose, and contribute meaningfully to their families, communities, and society.

Long-Term Impact

Through partnerships with schools, workforce programs, families, businesses, faith-based organizations, reentry service providers, and community stakeholders, MARCUS Youth Discovery Group seeks to build pathways to education, employment, entrepreneurship, leadership, wellness, family stability, and lifelong success.