Robert Strawder
Robert Strawder defied the odds and showed his friends and family that anything is possible when he survived the Donna Street Projects in North Las Vegas. After overcoming a difficult upbringing, he vowed to give back to families living in poverty. He kept that promise when he graduated from the College of Southern Nevada in 2017, with degrees in General Studies and Mental Behavioral Services.
For the past eight years, Strawder has served as a mentor and teacher in the Clark County School District. He has partnered with the Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, City of Las Vegas, Youth Advocate Programs, and other organizations to help youth change their lives and find success. Drawing on his own experiences, he guides students away from negative influences and toward positive goals.
In 2019, Strawder launched the Hip Hop Entrepreneurship Program Academy at Desert Rose High School. The program combines education and music to engage students. Using mentoring, restorative practices, problem-solving, gang intervention, and studio recording, he teaches life skills through hip-hop. The program improved student attendance, behavior, and grades, and earned recognition and partnership from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Strawder's vision is to expand the program nationwide, to inspire and educate more youth through music, literacy, mathematics, and entrepreneurship. He has collaborated with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Foundation, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Diversity Department, and corporate sponsors to grow his impact.
In addition, Strawder returned to his roots and opened the Donna Street Â鶹¹ú²ú Center to offer technology and educational resources for local families. He continues to support underserved communities by organizing school supply drives, holiday events, food and toy drives, and youth talent shows to help thousands of families across the Las Vegas Valley.
Strawder received the Clark County School District's New Educator of the Year Award in 2023 for his Hip Hop Entrepreneurship Program at Grant Sawyer Middle School. In February 2024, he unveiled the renovated Donna Street Â鶹¹ú²ú Center that featured a new computer lab.
In 2025, Strawder was honored with the Nevada Governor's Change Makers Award, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Â鶹¹ú²ú Hero Award, and the Clark County Black History Â鶹¹ú²ú Leader Award. His journey proves that with hard work, discipline, and perseverance, anything is possible.