Tampa , Florida, Monday, June 29, 2009:   Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of the Youth Impact Program and a three time Super Bowl winner with the San Francisco 49ers, announced today the inaugural opening of one of the nation's most innovative "at risk" programs for the community of Tampa that begins at the University of South Florida today.   The Youth Impact Program (YIP) invests in "at risk" below the poverty line young boys from 9 to 12 years old in a 5-week intense program through using USF facilities, staff, student athletes and local elementary teachers.   Student athletes participating from USF include Delbert Alvarado, Nate Allen, George Selvie and Dontavia Bogan.

The program provides food, clothing, transportation, mathematics, language arts, football, and life skills development to include Anger Management, Conflict Resolution, Drug Education and permanent mentoring relationships between the boys and local teachers, staff and student athletes of USF.

This joint community effort that costs about $1,000 investment in each boy is changing their lives at a critical formative age which if not changed would cost the community about $36,000 a year for incarceration costs as the national statistics show a good portion of urban "at risk" boys will end up in prison if not attended to.

The Youth Impact Program at USF uses football to attract the young boys to come in off of the streets in the summer, and it exposes them to the University and its support structure in their community.   Support of the Youth Impact Program is provided by USF, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the NFL Youth Football Fund.

It is an integrated partnership between the local community, the University of South Florida, the municipality of Tampa, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the NFL to make a difference in the lives of young minority urban at-risk boys that will change our communities for the better.

The program is a national program that is in its fourth year with additional sites in Los Angeles, New Orleans and Houston.   The Youth Impact Program has received a Joint Congressional Resolution for its achievements.   The YIP program runs through the month of July with a year-round program to follow where the boys will continue to be monitored and mentored on a monthly basis at USF.

For more information on the program contact Riki Ellison, YIP Chairman and Founder for YIP at 703 778-6192 or Mike Terrill at 602 885-1955. The YIP website is located at www.youthimpactprogram.org

NOTES TO MEDIA:

1.        Chris Freet, SID for USF, is at 813-974-4086 and he can help with interviews and photo opportunities for the USF program.

2.        If you desire an interview with Riki Ellison, the Chairman and Founder of YIP, call Mike Terrill at 602 885-1955 to arrange.