Filling In Generational Gaps — or F.I.G.G. — is a Renton-focused youth mentoring program and nonprofit organization that continues to grow and progress, just like its mentees.

“We encourage the pursuit of education,” said Curtis Riggins, founder of F.I.G.G. “So, if you’re in middle school, you go through your middle school courses and classes, but when you come to us, we give you steps that you can prepare going to high school, but then we actually work with you on other things that you’re looking to do. What’s your bigger goal? In life and career path?”

Riggins, who also works as a safety officer for the Renton School District, says that the concept of F.I.G.G. arose from a conversation with a co-worker about winning the big bucks.

“We were talking about winning the lottery and what we would do with the money and he asked, ‘What would you do with your money?’ And I was like, I would still work with kids,” Riggins said. “I remember just growing up people telling me that a job is what you have to do, a career is what you enjoy. So at that moment, just kind of looking back, I was like, I can see myself working with kids. So why not just start one and just help kids. I have a little background in it, been working with kids for about 20 years, in some shape or form. So that’s initially how it started.”

As a mentorship program, F.I.G.G. works with local teens looking to better their futures, with an entrepreneurship program attached.

“It’s really good for kids. It teaches you how to stay on the right track and keep goals,” said Maya Credit, 16, who officially became a mentee at F.I.G.G. in 2019. “I was a very troubled kid, so my mom got me into the program and I finally settled down. F.I.G.G. does help with the settling-down process.”

When F.I.G.G. was first getting started in late 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic gave the organization a chance to re-invent itself.

“As the pandemic went on, it gave me a new outlook,” said Riggins. “So we got a whole new brand whole new logo, website, ready to move forward. And now that everybody’s kind of back to normal, students are now looking to get involved in things.”

Riggins, who helped come up with the idea for high school students in the Renton School District to tour Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the spring, said that F.I.G.G. is a nonprofit that helps mentees pursue college and entrepreneurship, saying that some mentees have been working to creating their own T-shirts and logos.

“That’s one thing we tell them — to take advantage of the opportunities now,” Riggins said. “I went back and got my high school diploma from Renton Technical College, and I turned around right into their entrepreneurship program. When I was a student, I didn’t think school was for me. You just have to grow and learn.”

Originally from Seattle, Riggins currently lives in Kent, but said that he created F.I.G.G. to be a mentoring program specifically set up for Renton youth. Hhe hopes to expand it further throughout the city.

“Renton doesn’t have anything like this. Seattle has a lot of programs. Kent has programs,” said Riggins. “This program is definitely Renton-based. I call this my home away from home.”

For more information on becoming a mentor or a mentee, visit figgmentoring.org.