Our Impact
We’ve worked and improved the lives of over 6,000 young people through direct practice.
Black and Brown children greatly impact us because they are our future. They are capable, ready, and brilliant enough to lead. They need guidance and support to be the best version of themselves.
THE FACTS
The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) headlined its article, “Low-Income Students Cannot Afford 95 Percent of Colleges.” The report used the Lumina Foundation’s Affordability Benchmark and revealed “ how unaffordable college is for low-income, working-class, and middle-class Americans.”
According to data from Fidelity, seven in ten parents save money for college. This number is down from 72% two years back. Only 29% of parents plan to pay for their children to go to college; this is down from 43%. The average parent expects to pay only 62% of their child’s total college costs, and this is down from 70% two years ago. Even those parents who plan to pay for college may be unable to, and teens are not prepared to assume this responsibility.
This is Why.
As a community, we must take responsibility for helping our children. The African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child” is more critical now than ever. By using sports as a platform, we will break the chains of generational poverty and low-income living. Our initiative will teach the students mental skills to enhance their physical abilities on and off the court.
The Foundation will cover the cost for students to participate in showcase games where college scouts can see them. We will assist with mental health, personal needs, academic and personal training to ensure they are fully prepared to compete. We also help those who do not want to go to collegeconfidently enter the workforce. And best of all, we will be with them every step of the way and continue supporting them in college and the workforce.
After college, we ask the students to join focuses with the Foundation to help us continue to serve their community and help other deserving student-athletes build their wings and soar to the top.
What We Do
We change the lives of underserved student-athletes by taking a holistic approach to player development on and off the court.
According to a study by the Institute for Higher Education, college is unaffordable to many children in the middle and lower-income brackets in the United States.
The study reports that 95% of the colleges are too expensive for students whose families fall in the lower income bracket. Only students from wealthier homes have an advantage as they can afford up to 90% of the colleges in the US. The statistics show that the dire situation quickly becomes a nightmare for most American students.
Students Faced with Bleak Options for Financing College
Not attending college has its consequences for the youth. These students face an uncertain future because most well-paying jobs require a college degree. This is not to say college is everything, but it is a definite advantage for starters.
With state and federal funding rolling back significantly as the cost of attaining a degree gets higher every day, these students are quickly running out of luck as these policies have resulted in the crippling of millions of students who cannot afford college.
Interestingly, the US student loan debt has remained significantly high, and as of 2016, the average American student owes $37,172 in student loan debt, which has increased yearly.
The Pell Grant has always been a significant funding source for students from the United States. As such, funding for this grant has risen but not proportionally with the rising costs associated with college education, making it difficult for most students to afford college.
For instance, for a student from the lower-income bracket to afford college, they have to be able to raise money 100 times their family’s income. Higher-income students, on the other hand, have to finance an average of 15% of their income. Some students are not even expected to save for college as they come from families whose income is less than 200% of the Federal Poverty line, making their chances of joining college even thinner.
How Are Students Who Do Not Attend College Affected?
Apart from being unable to qualify for well-paying jobs, being unable to afford college has other effects. Students who cannot afford college are ripped apart from their peers who progress to get higher education and good jobs, causing them to feel left out as they struggle to continue living life with their families at home.
Eventually, even the most vibrant and intelligent students who are forced out of college due to the system are affected. Their self-esteem and self-worth are affected so much that sometimes they cannot recover from it and will always be haunted by the ghosts of a life that would have been.
Every child should be able to go to college if they desire to, but for now, that is a shot in the dark for many of them.
A quality education is essential because it opens the doors to more significant opportunities for the students and their families.
Therefore, it is important to find ways to break generational chains of poverty and low-income living for the redemption of our children, families, and the community.
We Develop
We provide student-athletes opportunities to develop their talents on and off the court.
We Educate
We educate the children and their families with information to help with college preparation, life decisions, and mental wellness.
We Lead
We are paving the way and leading our youth by strengthening their leadership and organizational skills.
We Are Community
We support students in making positive life choices, encourage them to maintain quality relationships and make an impact in their home, school, and community.
Our Numbers That Speak
We have numbers that push us to give our best and make sure we break our own records. We are happy to be growing and helping more people every year.
Our Partners
Sponsorship Change Lives