Education Changes Lives
Monday, June 19th at the Los Angeles Film Festival
ArcLight Cinemas in Culver City
The documentary follows former Haitian basketball player and mentor Pierre Valmera, 35, as he travels between the U.S. and Haiti, training his mentees and recruiting new ones. Through the film, viewers are introduced to Schnider Herard, a young man struggling to cope beneath the pressures of his own talents, and Pierry Joseph, two of the selected students brought to the US by PowerForward, Valmera’s non-profit organization.
Directorial debut of filmmaker Leyla Nedorosleva
POWERforward is dedicated to inspiring underprivileged children to achieve excellence in education and athletics.
Education Changes Lives
Basketball Provides Opportunites
Why Haiti?
Like the 38 Haitian students he has brought to the U.S.,
founder and CEO Pierre Valmera
shares a common journey of hope, perseverance, and triumph.
Our Work
The future of POWERforward is bright.
However, hope alone cannot sustain the mission of POWERforward.
4 POWERforward camps per year
1 POWERforward student in the U.S. for 4 years
8 POWERforward students in the U.S. per year
Get Involved
Each POWERforward student is placed with
a host family.
POWERforward selects host families who are able to support each student’s understanding, adjustment, and functioning in a new culture; and families who are able to foster an atmosphere of belonging and inclusiveness to enable each student to grow and succeed

POWERforward students
Skal Labissere
Sacramento Kings
D’Jery Baptiste
School: Vanderbilt
Schnider Herard
School: Mississippi State