While Mike Krzyzewski is celebrated around the world for his legendary coaching career at Duke University, another lasting part of his legacy lies off the court. The Emily K Center, named in honor of his mother, supports academic and career ambitions for the area’s youth.

“We aim to provide students with the necessary tools to pursue their goals beyond high school and become agents of change in their communities,” said Julia Van Patter, Associate Director of Communications at the Emily K Center.

“We are committed to creating equitable access to resources and challenging systemic barriers that lead to disparities in educational and economic opportunities,” Patter said.

The Emily K Center offers four programs that are designed to build on academic, career and leadership potential of students who are traditionally underrepresented in higher education, according to Patter. The programs serve students from elementary schools all the way through college and beyond.

Adam Eigenrauch, chief executive officer of the Emily K Center, emphasized the programs are all designed to help students achieve economic and social mobility.

“Students at the Emily K Center are oftentimes the first in their family to go to college. They’re kids who are traditionally underrepresented in higher education, so we want to play a role in each of those four programs in helping them to develop skills, capabilities, knowledge, a support team, and a network to progress through a K-12 education,” Eigenrauch said.

The center also offers opportunities for other programs to use its facilities.

Susan Haws, executive director of Insight Colearning Center, said she used the Emily K Center as a space to teach kids while trying to find a permanent place for her micro school. She said she is grateful for the Emily K Center’s commitment to make Durham a hub for education, and that is what drew her to the location.

“The center is committed to positive youth development and growth which is something that we had in common. I wanted to put my students in a place where the staff was ensuring a quality education and a good environment,” Haws said.

While Haws only had a limited commitment with the Emily K Center, she expressed that it is a good place for anyone who is looking for a place to partner with when expanding their programs.

“I think the center has made a lasting impression in the Durham community and is committed to making it a better place. To this day, anything I see partners with the Emily K Center, I know it is a good place. I think that the center is a place dedicated to its work and they make sure their partners share that same philosophy,” Haws said.

The Emily K Center remains devoted in its mission to foster an empowering environment for all students that choose to be a part of its programs.

“We’ve got to be a great environment that  promotes positive attributes that already exist in kids that just need to be further developed or brought out,” Eigenrauch said. “We’ve contributed to our students being young people who are adaptive within their cultures and taught them to be ready for their next step into their next opportunity and bring out the best version of themselves.”