The Noblemen like a challenge and sometimes there's no greater challenge that a teenager. In 2006, as the Noblemen looked to expand our philanthropic efforts, businessman Paul Hirschbiel suggested that we explore working with young adults. Despite the obvious need to help teenagers plug into their communities, there were precious few programs designed to help get them engaged in philanthropy.

The concept of NobleTeens made sense, however we were unsure how the program would look. So we reached out to Tallwood High School to explore the opportunity of starting the first NobleTeens chapter. With students required to perform community service hours an part of the curriculum, we figured we might find receptive ears. We presented the idea to the student body in late 2007 and the concept was well received.

We organized a meet and greet with the initial NobleTeens and community leaders from local nonprofits. This showed teens how Hampton Roads leaders were working to help local kids in need.

We knew that setting an "agenda" for the students at Tallwood was a recipe for failure, so we allowed the teens to choose their own course organically. 

Throughout 2008, the students met monthly, each time with a different local nonprofit. The first half of each meeting was dedicated to understanding the charity's mission. The latter half was dedicated to getting the students to brainstorm about what they could create to help the organization reach it's goals. 

During a lively brainstorming session, the students reflected on the importance and significance of their upcoming prom season. What about those who had never had a chance to go to Prom? The idea for the first ever NobleTeens "signature project" was sparked. The Tallwood High School Students would reach out to 200 special needs adults and host a prom night. The Friend-able Prom became the signature event for the Tallwood NobleTeens.

The NobleTeens program is going strong and building more and more momentum every year. The program has developed a partnership with Operation Smile and currently provides a scholarship for two NobleTeens to attend the Operation Smile International Student Leadership Conference (ISLC) every year. ISLC is held in a different part of the world every year and offers students a once in a lifetime experience.