RICE UNIVERSITY BEGINS "AT RISK" YOUTH PROGRAM TO BETTER THE COMMUNITY OF HOUSTON
Houston
,
Texas, 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
Houston that begins at
Rice
University 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 Rice University facilities, staff, student athletes and local elementary teachers.
Student athletes participating from Rice University include Jake Hicks, Chris Jones, Taylor Dupree, Chance Talbert, Brian Raines, Chris Ptaszek, Ja' Corey Shepherd, and Vernon James.
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 Rice.
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
Rice
University 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
Rice
University, the Houston Texans and the NFL Youth Football Fund.
It is an integrated partnership between the local community,
Rice
University, the
municipality of
Houston, the Houston Texans 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
Tampa.
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
Rice
University.
For more information on the program contact Riki Ellison, YIP Chairman and Founder at 703-778-6192 or Mike Terrill at 602-885-1955.
The YIP website is located at
www.youthimpactprogram.org
NOTES TO MEDIA:
1.
Chuck Pool, SID at
Rice
University, is at 713-348-5775 and he can help with interviews and photo opportunities for the YIP 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.
|
