ANN ARBOR — The University of Michigan football program is committing to a youth impact program that will benefit and assist at-risk boys from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in Detroit.
The program identified 100 boys in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades in Detroit. It will work with members of the marines, along with educators, to teach life skills and help provide discipline and direction for at-risk youth.
“The impact of the program will develop leadership skills so the students can have the courage and confidence to make the right decisions at the right time under stress and confrontation,” says Riki Ellison, founder of the Youth Impact Program. “The program enables trust and strong relationships over sustained periods of time that these at-risk boys do not have with men five years older than their age, even though some are from their same background that they idolize.
The University of Michigan Youth Impact Program will be held from July 6 – 18. In addition to the two-week program, there will be touch points for youth throughout the year.
