Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2011, $3,000,000)
The Multi-State Mentoring Program was established to support the enhancement or expansion of initiatives that will assist in the development and maturity of community programs to provide mentoring services to high-risk populations that are underserved due to location, shortage of mentors, special physical or mental challenges of the targeted population, or other analogous situations identified by the community in need of mentoring services. This program is authorized by the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, Pub. L. 112-110.
The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (CRSF) targets a large number of youth in multiple states--through Badges for Baseball and Swing for the Future, and will impact 60 communities in multiple states, including Illinois, Maine, North Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Texas and Connecticut. The Badges for Baseball, program partners with community based organizations (CBOs) to promote healthy choices, helping at-risk youth stay in school, away from negative peer groups, and off harmful substances. Badges for Baseball will use fun, healthy activities (baseball, softball, Quickball) as a classroom for character education, engaging volunteers and law enforcement as mentors for disadvantaged youth. The Swing for the Future program will be implemented to refurbish and rebuild dangerous areas of the inner city to create one-of-a-kind Youth Development Parks, thereby providing youth with a place to play and interact with mentors while simultaneously becoming a beacon of hope for underserved communities. Additionally, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation plans on securing partnerships with two organizations currently serving youth of deployed/injured military personnel. CRSF will not only work with those partner organizations and the youth involved; but will also provide training programs to those working with the youth associated with deployed/injured military personnel.
CA/NCF