ATLAST was first initiated while Jason Hernandez, was incarcerated. In 2010, Jason began mentoring youth that they would bring into the prison. During this period Jason wanted to give these kids something to empower them and turn them into leaders rather than do the “scared straight” approach which Jason believed did not work and was not something he could do.

Jason began to model his program/curriculum based on what he experienced as a youth and while incarcerated. Something he had wished he had access to when he was growing up that would have showed him to be a leader in school and the community. Previously, Jason felt this could only be obtained through criminal activity -- namely drug dealing.

There were no statistics at the time showing that Latino students, who faced many obstacles growing up, were not maximizing their skills, talents and gifts for the betterment of themselves and their community… but Jason didn’t have statistics to know this. He lived it.

In 2011, Jason asked the President of the United States, President Barack Obama, to release him from prison. He petitioned to Obama that he wanted go back to his community and start a local program for Latino youth. The program's goal was for Latinos to not end up in the system, but rather be part of the system by working in it.

On December 19, 2013, President Obama, after reading Jason's Letter, granted Jason clemency and he was released on August, 11, 2015, after nearly spending 18 years in prison.