Tulane Wraps Up Youth Impact Camp
Jul 24, 2009 | General
July 24, 2009
NEW ORLEANS- The Devlin S-AFE (Student-Athletics for Education) Center for Leadership and Development held closing ceremonies for the second annual Tulane Youth Impact Program Friday. The camp that brought Tulane student-athletes and underprivileged youth together included three football scrimmages in the afternoon's agenda.
Boys from the ages of nine through 12 are enrolled in an innovative program focusing on academics, life skills and athletics. The four-week summer camp took place on the Tulane campus. Campers participated in various workshops over the month of July, covering such topics as sportsmanship and handling money, handling emotions, healthy living and making positive life choices.
"We really wanted these young men to come away with the feeling that a college education is an attainable goal," Director of the S-AFE Center Lindsey Stineman said. "After taking part in the workshops and life skills courses, we hope they can walk away feeling like they have an idea of the path to take to get into college."
Youth participants spent the four weeks of camp practicing the "three Rs" - respect, responsibility and right choices, in all the events of the camp that included various guest speakers. Tulane head football coach Bob Toledo discussed what it takes to play football at the collegiate level while members of the Tulane training staff discussed healthy living. The campers also visited the New Orleans Saints training facility.
The closing ceremonies featured the campers putting on various skits having to do with the lessons learned during the camp. The six groups each took on a topic ranging from peer pressure to drugs and how to make positive choices when faced with life decisions. Following the closing ceremony, campers participated in one of three football scrimmages held at the Tulane Westfeldt Practice Facility, under the coaching of Tulane student-athletes to a crowd of family and friends.
The second university in the nation to host the program, Tulane hosted 75 youths during the 2008 inaugural program, with more than 100 signed up for the 2009 installment. The Youth Impact Program was founded by former San Francisco 49er Riki Ellison, who currently serves as the chairman of the organization. The Youth Impact Program has received a Joint Congressional Resolution for its achievements and will also be taking place in Houston, Southern California and Tampa in 2009.
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
