Tulane University Begins 'At Risk' Youth Program to Better the Community of New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, July 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of the Youth Impact Program and a three-time Super Bowl winner with theSan Francisco 49ers, announced today the second year opening of one of the nation's most innovative "at risk" programs for the community ofNew Orleans that begins at Tulane 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 Tulane facilities, staff, student athletes and local elementary teachers. Student athletes participating from Tulane University include Kevin Burris, Kris Rhymes, Charles Harris, Mike Batiste, Chris Dunn, Matt Harding, Emmanuel Aluko, Chris Asumnu, Oscar Poncedeleon, Chandler Davis, Eric Vianney, Kasey Rodgers, Indira Kaijo, Kendra Barnes and Jess Barker.

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 Tulane.

This joint community effort that cost 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 Tulane 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 Tulane University; its President Scott S. Cowen; Rita Benson LeBlanc, Owner/Executive Vice President of the New Orleans Saints; and the NFL Youth Football Fund.

It is an integrated partnership between the local community, Tulane University, the municipality ofNew Orleans, the New Orleans Saints 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 inLos Angeles,Houston, andTampa. 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 Tulane.

For more information on the program contact Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of 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. Michael Strecker, Director of Public Relations, Tulane, is at 504 862-8777. and he can help with interviews and photo opportunities for the Tulane 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.

SOURCE Youth Impact Program (YIP)

Copyright © 2009, PRNewswire
Copyright © 2009, NewsBlaze, Daily News

Tags: ,EDU,HED,SPT,POL,CHI,NPT,YIP-Tulane-program