HOOP/ARTS&CRAFTS

• “I Am ManPower Academy Inc.” is a co-ed, co-curriculum organization, a  program designed to use athletics as a means to provide information to the youth regarding behaviors and decision making.
• We are expanding into arts & crafts programs where the youth use creative writing, painting and drawing, as well as shirt-design and other forms of crafts, such as building and painting planters boxes, mini benches and much more. With the objective to give at-risk youth another avenue for emotional, stress and anxiety release, and further opens another door for youth engagement regarding behaviors and decision making. 
• This program creates a safe space every weekend from 9am to 5pm, where there will be several basketball games and arts & crafts activities going on in the gyms at Martin Luther King Jr high Tech ( MLK). The program is free to all youth and our target area is District 2. The youth will be provided a meal at every event and allowed to keep their arts & crafts work.

• purchase Most of the arts and craft material to get through the first 4 weeks such as: paint, brushes, canvases, t-shirts, pencils, color-crayons, and all forms of material dealing with arts and crafts. Including purchasing basketballs, and  games.
• Assign team leaders to facilitate groups and projects. 
• We will pay all fees, facility usage fee, and vendor fees. 
• will establish a program and event calendar 
• will purchase multiple gift cards for youth awards and stipend pay for coaches and mentors. 

This project addresses the issue with youth violence and property damage, by providing the youth with a safe space as an alternative option  to engage in productive activities.  The surrounding area of the location of the program has a lot of youth and there are no youth programs, nor sporting programs. Our idea was to not,  just bring sports, but bring arts and crafts as well. There are youths not involved in sports, and we notice that it was a large number of youth that just hung out on the sidelines watching games.  Many of the times this was where the terrible sprung from. 

Our idea and concept is to activate these youth as well,  by having something for them to do. However, not just simple arts & crafts, but programmed art and craft projects. Designed to inspire and motivate youth.  We also saw another avenue for our mentor  to engage with youth outside the sporting arena.  We have also learned arts & crafts allows the athletes to stay engaged after games and has a positive contribution to behaviors in sport and play.