Hello,

My name is Darvel Givens and I am the Executive Director for the nonprofit, Marching Against The Darkness, Inc. Since 2022, we have hosted The Excellence Expo, which is designed to give youth the tools to achieve excellence in life. The expo includes 3 skills seminar breakouts, 4 performing arts workshop breakouts, and a college & career fair including 2 & 4 year institutions, employers, trade and certification programs, and military opportunities. This program is free for 9th to 12th grade students, a free meal is provided, and prizes and scholarships are raffled off.

I would like to invite your organization to participate in our College & Career Fair with high school students from the Waterloo Community School District. This year's Excellence Expo will take place on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 from 10 am to 2 pm at the Waterloo Center for the Arts in downtown Waterloo, Iowa.

This will be our 5th year hosting this program and here are improvements we are making:

We are having The Excellence Expo during the school day, which will greatly encourage participation for students to have a positive alternative to class
We are providing free bus transportation to and from the high schools to The Excellence Expo

These two improvements will provide the leverage we need to greatly increase attendance.

Here is some key student data:

9th to 12th grade: 3,405 high school students in Waterloo Schools
- we plan to serve up to 300 students
94% of the students we serve are students of color
- students of color are 10-15% less likely to enroll in post-secondary education and we strive to change that
82% of the students we serve are on free or reduced lunch
96% of students stated they learned about future opportunities and that they would attend again

As always, vendors will receive the full student registration excel file from us at the conclusion of the event to stay connected after the program. Student registration includes the student's full name, mailing address, email, and number, along with the same info for their parents. It also includes their high school, grade level, and date of birth.

Join us on this journey of transformation and reconnection to excellence. The registration deadline is Friday, October 16, 2026 and the registration fee is $250. Please strongly consider registering for this year's college & career fair at The Excellence Expo. I hope that you will join us!

Also, this new platform we are using does not require an additional processing fee. You can change the amount of the "processing fee" and "tip" to zero.

You can see a recap video of last year HERE.

If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to reply to this email or give me a call at (319) 504-2309. To learn more about our organization, event, and hotels visit: www.matd.org. Have a phenomenal day and I hope to hear from you very soon.

Best Regards,

Darvel Givens

Executive Director

Marching Against The Darkness, Inc.

(319) 504-2309

director@matd.org

PO Box 4218, Waterloo, IA 50704

Visit us: matd.org

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

EXCELLENCE EXPO 2026 VENDOR REGISTRATION