i-DareU by Julian Streete

CAMPAIGN FOR DEVELOPING YOUNG PEOPLE For the past seven years, i-DareU has developed and trained the most exceptional young men to accomplish their dreams of getting full scholarships to go to college. The program has mentored 72 scholar athletes to seek higher education at the collegiate level and further encourages younger participants to stay in school and obtain a high school diploma. While we have had a 97% success rate of graduating our young men from high school, 33% of Georgia high school students didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t graduate with the statistics declining even further for African American and Hispanic students at 40% and 42%, respectively, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (2013). i-DareU trains scholar athletes to be successful in sports and teaches them fundamentals that are needed to flourish in school and become thriving young adults. Since our inception in 2006, we have provided young men with position-specific training, academic counseling, character building principles and male-to-male mentoring. i-DareU parents seek assistance from our program because they are searching for a solution for their young men. They know that their sons have extraordinary talent but they also recognize the challenges teens face growing up in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s environment. It is no secret that there are countless stories of young men with outstanding talents who never make it out of high school due to peer pressure, high drop out rates and gang violence. i-DareU provides a disciplined safe haven to not only harness these talents but also assists them with becoming academically and mentally focused and prepared for college and the recruitment process. i-DareU provides our scholar athletes with exposure opportunities by facilitating college tours and camps. We show our young men that they have the ability to get a college education and help them to develop a plan to attend that university. As a result, we currently have young men at Brown, Duke and Stanford University, to name a few. At i-DareU, there are no

boundaries or dreams too bigâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;if our young men want it, they can and will achieve it and we help get them there. i-DareU is making a difference in the lives of youth and the feedback about our program has been overwhelmingly positive. We have been asked on numerous occasions to scale our program to reach even more young adults (men and women). We are now prepared to take on that task. Therefore, i-DareU, seeks to build an infrastructure that assists us in expanding our training, academic counseling, life skills and mentoring programs to middle and high school kids in economically disadvantaged and struggling middle income communities --services that have primarily been only available to those with higher socioeconomic status. We seek to train and expand the minds of every young person who has dreams of going to college and will develop a game plan to get them towards their aspirations. We have set our sights high and are changing lives. We are so inspired by the courage, hard work and determination of our young people that it drives us to take our organization to new heights in support of them. Hopefully, you are inspired too. Please join us in our mission of helping young people to reach their college dreams, by supporting the building of the i-Dare University.

Glenn T. Ford, Jr. Founder & CEO

OUR PURPOSE i-DareUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purpose is to help young people stay on track, graduate and go to college. We accomplish this through multiple years of sports training, educational counseling, life skills building and mentorship. Our coaches and counselors have trusted relationships with our young men and are there with them through their accomplishments and any inevitable bumps in the road. i-DareU provides more than just short-term solutions; our young men are making behavioral changes that have long lasting effects on their lives. Our programs are designed for real change on a broader scaleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;through development of an elite recruiting process; academic excellence in core classes with improved ACT/SAT scores; and development of a wellrounded, successful individual.

CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW i-DareU seeks to improve its infrastructure by acquiring and refurbishing the property next to our training facility so that we can expand our positionspecific training to other sports and provide a full range of training services to our young people. We would also like to expand our time designated to the kids by expanding our educational programs to include health, wellness and additional college tours, enhance our life skills and core curriculum classes through strategic partnerships, and provide a well-structured academic coaching and ACT/SAT prep training. As we have also been asked to provide our services to surrounding communities, we would like to increase our resources to specifically address the needs of young people who are from economically disadvantaged and working class families (families with annual household incomes between $17,000 and $75,000 per year).

Our 40 years of combined experience helping young men to overcome their socioeconomic challenges, focus on their goals and accomplish their dreams of attending college through sports and academics plus our firsthand knowledge of going through the recruiting process ourselves gives us unique insights into what it takes to get to an elite institution--the recruiting process and the increasingly complex educational rules and requirements that universities mandate to qualify for a scholarship. The process can be extremely intimidating and difficult for kids and parents to understand. Economically challenged and working class families struggling financially in a tough economy have very few options to turn to for assistance. Frankly, they just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the means to access position-specific sports training, ACT/SAT preparation or send their children on educational college tours and parents with limited means have little room for error--one mistake can produce devastating consequences. The campaign, in need of your support, to help young men and women accomplish their college dreams, is to help i-DareU build the infrastructure to support our programs. This $10 million capacity building and capital campaign will allow i-Dare University to acquire and refurbish a building which is designed to (i) develop long-term position-specific training in all sports for middle and high school students, (ii) develop long-term structured educational, life-skills, counseling and mentoring programs, (iii) train coaches and counselors to provide these programs, (iv) build a technology lab to enhance programs and provide college preparatory courses and online classes, and (v) conduct research to determine program effectiveness and develop best practices.

CALL TO ACTION A recent article in the Wall Street Journal (June 26, 2014), entitled, “Income Inequality and High School Dropout Rates, raised interesting questions about how our educational system interacts with the economic environment. “Does the presence of income inequality convince boys from poor families that it is not worth finishing high school,” asks Melissa Kearney and Phillip Levine in a recent study performed through the National Bureau of Economic Research (2014). The research showed that there is in fact a direct correlation between boys of poor families and their ability to gain greater socioeconomic status and upward social mobility. The study also found that these boys also lacked both hard skills (algebra and art) and soft skills (persistence and comfort with authority) in order to get out of their predicament. What’s even more alarming in the data is that dropout rates in the Deep South were ~200% higher than in the Upper Midwest. The size of the income gap also varied by as much as ~50% across states. The data was statistically insignificant for girls which means that boys from poor backgrounds are at a greater risk of failing in our society and we must do something to give them a fighting chance at beating the odds.

VISION i-DareU transforms the lives of young people by providing them with disciplined training and a strong support system that affords them the social, academic and economic (career) tools that are needed to go to college and be successful in life. In order to achieve this vision, we will focus on quantifiable results and the long-term outcomes of our young people in terms of whether they go to and finish college rather than short-term programmatic progress, even though these programmatic successes are milestones towards getting our young people towards their goals.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;we will focus on quantifiable results and the long-term outcomes of our young peopleâ&#x20AC;?

FEES AND PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITY i-DareU will charge our clients on a sliding scale fee, beginning with young people of the economically disadvantaged (less than 20K) paying no fee and progressing through working class families who will pay a small fee for our services. Additionally, i-DareU will obtain highly qualified staff to aggressively research external funding sources through grants, corporate giving, sponsorships and donations. Through this process, we will develop a comprehensive strategic funding plan to support our program efforts. Andre Brown

Who We Serve The young men of our average family face multiple financial problems and need assistance with making the best decisions in an area that their parents have minimal to no expertise as many of them didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go to college themselves. Athletics and academics have become increasingly demanding and competitive; therefore, many high school players today require additional training in order to play at the collegiate level on scholarship. For many of our kids, this is their best hope for making it into an elite institution and out of their socioeconomic situation. However, for many parents, it is difficult to justify the cost of high-performance training when they can barely afford to place food on the table. As an example, the cost of the average high-performance training program is as follows: High Performance Training

With Certified Instructor Average Cost

Position Specific Training

Yes

$45 per hour (2 hrs per day for 5 days)

ACT/SAT Preparation

Yes

$30 per hour (twice per week)

Athletic Training Program

Yes

$180 per week

Based on the table above, the total cost for a typical high-performance training program would cost a family ~$690 per week or $2760 per month for one child in the household. As displayed, the cost of high-performance training is very costly and only people of a higher socioeconomic status can afford to put their kids through these programs. i-DareU levels the playing field by giving our young men a shot at getting the best education free of charge while playing sports.

TESTIMONIAL In 2012, Kyleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream was to obtain a college scholarship to play football at a Division I college. At the beginning of his junior year in high school, Kyle received very few college offers and his grades were mediocre, at best. Over the course of the next 21 months, Kyle trained with i-DareU and was mentored by Coach Kevin. Additionally, Kyle worked with our educational counselor, Tara Penn, who helped him strengthen his study habits, provided him with strategies to improve his grades and assisted him with the college selection process. As a result, Kyleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grades and ACT scores increased, his mental focus intensified and his athletic skills soared to new heights. All of his hard work and preparation paid off with Kyle earning a full scholarship to the University of Memphis. Kyle is now entering his sophomore year and is on pace to graduate on time.

Program Innovation i-DareU currently offers position-specific training, mentoring, academic counseling and ACT/SAT preparation. Our goal is to expand our academic counseling program to include core curriculum sessions and to build upon our mentoring program with community partners who have formalized, structured training in character, health & wellness and financial literacy. We will also offer additional educational college tours throughout the year to provide a variety of options for our young people to consider when choosing a school. In addition, we will begin a feeder system for our high school program through a selective process with the middle schools in the community and surrounding areas. We will also incorporate teen young women into i-DareU by starting our first volleyball program. This program will give middle school kids and teenage girls, many of whom are economically disadvantaged, the opportunity to receive focused attention, structure and support. A follow-up program that i-DareU will launch this year for our young people who have graduated from high school and are now attending college is “The 5th Quarter” initiative. We want to insure that we continue to monitor and support our program graduates with continued mentoring, internships and career opportunities as they transition from college into their professional careers. We will also bring them back to i-DareU in the summer to mentor scholar athletes who are currently in our program as their way of giving back to their community. Each one, teach one—it takes a village and we want them to be a part of the process—to inspire and provide hope to others that they too can go to college, get a degree and live successful lives. Finally, we will put staff and additional resources in place to support our scholar athletes such as lecture halls, a technology lab and media center, counseling rooms, tour buses and a sports/weight training facility.

Program Innovation CHART

PositionSpecific Training

Academic Counseling and Core Curriculum

ACT/SAT Preparation

Mentoring & Life Skills

Educational Tours

Purpose of service

Teach the proper technique to play the specific field position

Ensure every athlete is in good standing according to the NCAA academic requirements

Achieve better than passing scores on college entry standardized exams

Build great sportsmanship, character, and development of leadership and life skills to be a successful citizen

Provide visibility, fit and college options; interviews; recruiting process, tryouts

Choosing a position: Initial Client Mindset

Train for that position

Stay ahead of academic requirements

Achieve above National average scores for ACT (21) or SAT (1500)

Develop specific training and academic goals; build leadership skills

Understand academic and athletic requirements of the college institution; gain interest

Goals

Obtain college offers by the summer before the senior year of high school

Maintain a GPA of 2.85 or higher; reinforce core areas to enhance ACT/ SAT prep

Teach test rules and provide effective test taking skills, cover core skills in academic counseling

Teach students how to cope and succeed in life despite challenges; provide tools to make good decisions; take ownership

Choose a college that fits the individual and ensures a successful transition from high school

Goal Horizon 4-5 years

4 years

2-3 years

4 years

2-3 years

Engagement 26 weeks a year

Weekly Session Two times a updates month

Weekly session Scheduled updates throughout the year

Engagement Jan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jul Period

Jan - Dec

Bi-weekly

Jan - Dec

Fall, Spring and Summer

Financial Model for Payment

Sliding scale; private sector; philanthropy

Government private sector; philanthropy

Clients pay on a sliding scale

AGENCY OVERVIEW Our Mission

i-DareU serves as the premiere training and development organization, assisting young people who desire to go to college the opportunity to achieve their goal by earning an athletic scholarship through academics, skill development, hard work, dedication and commitment.

Our Vision

i-DareU transforms the lives of young people by providing them with disciplined training and a strong support system that affords them the social, academic and economic (career) tools that are needed to go to college and be successful in life. i-DareU seeks to help young people develop their talents, skills and character while growing and maturing spiritually, mentally, physically, athletically and academically. Ultimately, these young people will become outstanding parents, successful professionals and upstanding productive citizens. Founded in Atlanta, GA in 2006, i-DareU is a training organization that currently develops young people in the City of Atlanta, Roswell and its surrounding areas. Starting with only 5 young men in 2006, i-DareU has trained over 300 young men in these communities today. i-DareU trains everyday with the exception of Friday and Sunday and recommends that our young men attend training at least 3 days per week. In response to a high demand for specialized training and academic counseling, i-DareU has recently expanded our service area to capture some of this significant demand. i-DareU maintains a training field in Atlanta, GA, which specifically services youth from Atlanta, College Park, East Point, Decatur and Tyrone GA. In 2014, i-DareU expanded our services to the Roswell area by request. Our Roswell field services youth in Alpharetta, Roswell, Norcross and Sandy Springs GA.

WHAT MAKES i-D are U DIFFERENT? i-DareU has the unique advantage of having a highly qualified, diversified staff who have gone through the recruiting process and played college and/or professional sports. As a result, our staff is able to provide our scholar athletes with enhanced skill techniques, a well-rounded and focused approach and the physical agility that is needed to play a specialized position on the field. Additionally, emphasis is placed on academic success, leadership development and character building skills. Our target population is the economically disadvantaged and struggling working class families who are unable to afford the cost of high-performance training and college tuition for their children. i-DareU programs are accessible to high school students who have the desire to go to college and obtain an athletic scholarship to pay for their education.

Local and National PartneRships Koolriculum

Koolriculum is an updated version of “Schoolhouse Rocks!” with a hip-hop twist. The “Schoolhouse Rocks!” idea came when the founder noticed his son was having trouble remembering multiplication tables in school yet knew the lyrics to the current rock songs. That phenomenon still exists today. There is well-documented research about what makes students effective learners. Contemporary neuroscience has confirmed that student learning is largely dependent on inherent interest, emotional engagement, social interaction, physical activity and the pleasure of mastery. Koolriculum developed ~450 songs and videos that teach the core curriculum, from K-12 and are broken down into four subjects: Math, Science, Social Studies and English. By licensing this product, i-DareU will give our students the ability to learn core studies while enjoying great music, which in turn, will increase retention.

DAT Consulting Group

Learning that >70% of professional athletes go broke and witnessing firsthand the challenges that they faced inspired one of our partners,

DAT Consulting (DATC), to educate athletes in business and personal finance. Financial health starts at an early age so DATC, in addition, developed an educational program called “Change The Game” for middle and high school students to help them understand the difference between wants versus needs, the importance of budgeting, saving, checkbook management and having a financial plan. To reinforce these principles, DATC uses partnerships with athletes and entertainers to drive home this message.

Bridge DA Gap

One of i-Dare-U’s partnerships is with the Bridge DA Gap Movement, Inc. (BDG), a national nonprofit youth development venture that will deliver our character/life skills classes. BDG infuses Hip Hop, academics, and life-changing principles to communicate with youth. Students experience practical applications of what they learn through personal encounters with celebrity artists. The result is a movement built on trusting relationships with a common language that both students and parents understand and are willing to listen and adhere to. The movement is supported with a curriculum, textbook, an accompanying musical CD, parental supports and teacher professional development designed to help our youth

build foundations, advance dreams and transform their lives at home, school and in the community. i-DareU understands that it will take more than traditional classroom approaches to educate our young people. If students are not interested, they won’t learn; however, schools aren’t structured to capture students’ individual interests. Instead, everyone studies the same thing in the same way at the same time. In our classrooms, equipped with learning tools, engaged with peers, Hip Hop music, and their mentors, students will confront the issues facing them, i.e., perceptions versus reality, excuses, patience, anger, heartbreak, the company they keep, jealousy, strength, drug use, confidence, honesty, pride, dignity, self-respect, self love, and self-determination and equip themselves with navigational and resiliency skills. They will tackle issues like HIV/ AIDS prevention, health/wellness, violence and death, all in the context of preparing to live a productive life as a youth and an adult. These teaching/learning paradigms allow the students to read, discuss, reflect and review after each story and between chapters. Woven in the pedagogy and content is the opportunity for the students to self-assess their actions or lack of parallel with evaluating the overall impact/ influence that the story/issue has had on them. Students get to study, analyze, and synthesize data to make informed decisions. They view videos, songs, and television shows to look at media influences on their lifestyles. They learn

from the data how what they consume impacts markets within the economy. Most of all, they gain valuable insight into how everyday choices they make will affect their school, work, goals, dreams, family, relationships, and community.

Under Armor

Under Armor partners with i-DareU to provide all athletic gear for their young people at a 50% discounted rate. Julio Jones and Chance Warmack, i-DareU graduates and professional NFL players, sponsored by Under Armor, also provide clothing to i-DareU to outfit the coaching staff and economically disadvantaged kids who can’t afford to pay the discounted fee, as their way of giving back to the program.

Chance Warmack

Julio Jones

LEADERSHIP Our CEO and Founder, Glenn T. Ford, is a man of vision and passion for young people. Ford has built a reputation of making the “impossible, POSSIBLE!” With his grassroots upbringing, Ford has built a program that has proven to be a successful pathway for athletes to obtain a free college education. Entering into his 8th year of i-DareU, Ford’s uncompromising dedication to excellence in every phase of the program has resulted in the first group of 10, the second group of 22 and the third group of 40 students, for a total of 72 young men, graduating from high school and receiving full scholarships to college. i-DareU has built a solid foundation and is prepared to yield long-term success. Ford is known by many as a “DB GURU” and has earned the reputation of an outstanding tactician, organizer, motivator and leader. These qualities and his vision have sparked college visits to his program from schools across the United States. Ford’s consistent approach and disciplined leadership are the reasons that athletes from i-DareU are known for their determination, resilience and grit, and, oftentimes, Ford’s athletes overshadow others at college camps and workouts. Ford graduated in 1994 from Carver High School in Columbus GA as an All-American and earned an athletic scholarship to the University

of Georgia where he was a four-year lettermen and three-year starter for the Bulldogs. As a student-athlete, Ford obtained two college degrees (BS), in Consumer Economics and Housing Development. Ford played professional football but his career ended abruptly after sustaining a major injury. Instead of giving up on football, Ford decided to channel his energies in the community. Ford recruited a coaching staff of over 40 years of combined experience to assist him in his venture of helping young men to overcome their socioeconomic challenges, focus on their goals and accomplish their dreams of attending college. Today, i-DareU is recognized as one of the premiere training programs in the country thanks to his efforts.

PROJECTS SUPPORTED BY THE CAMPAIGN The Campaign for Training and Developing Young People will allow us to improve our physical infrastructure by acquiring and refurbishing the property next to our training facility so that we can expand our training and academic services; launch pilot programs to develop and test training protocols specifically designed for kids of economically challenged and working class families; prepare our mentors/counselors for a formalized, structured curriculum and expand our people, technology, equipment and resources to support these programs. The Campaign will support:

Media Center & Technology Lab

Outdoor Training Facility

Sports/Weight Training Facility

Physical Infrastructure i-DareU currently utilizes the practice field behind Frederick D. Jordan Hall, a former classroom building of historically Black Morris Brown College, to train and develop its young people. Frederick D. Jordan Hall is currently vacant and for sale by the owner. Located on the northwest corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Maple Street in the Vine City neighborhood two blocks from the Georgia Dome and the Vine City MARTA station, the property is situated in the heart of the community and surrounding areas that i-DareU services and fits our target demographic of economically challenged and working class families. With a primarily Black population, the per capita income between a 1-5 mile radius is between $17.5K-$32.5K.

i-D are U FACILITIES 1. I-Dare University

• Academic Center for scholar athletes where we can provide life skills classes, mentoring and counseling, guest lectures, SAT/ACT preparation and core curriculum study groups • Technology Lab and Media Center for online study programs, test taking, media projects and life skill classes. Technology is a critical driver and the investments included in this campaign will help to make our academic and mentoring programs more robust, comprehensive, responsive and interactive

2. I-DareU Training Facilities

• Sports/Weight Training Facility and equipment to expand positionspecific training off the field, provide strength and conditioning routines and prevent sports-related injuries • Refurbish, repair, and rejuvenate our worn synthetic turf field. Improve the safety of the surface; return the turf to as near as its original performance specifications and extend the life for several more years • Improvement of the volleyball/basketball floor in Jordan Hall and a new fluorescent system that not only cuts electricity costs in the gym, but also provides more light, is easier to maintain and use, and provides the flexibility to control lighting depending on activities in the gym • Private viewing room of the field for college scouts and coaches to view scholar athletes when they are practicing on the field • Audience: Participants in the i-DareU training program • Current program has 150 kids participating in i-DareU; with the addition of middle school students and young women in our volleyball program; our goal is to triple our participation with ~450 young people per year over the next 3 years

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT i-DareU will launch a series of programs and will create, test and refine procedures for our young people and their parents in each of the following programs.

1. Bridge DA Gap Life Skills Program

• Curriculum complete with lesson plans, textbook, CD, workbook, interactive website and DVD with Grammy-nominated producer Khao Cates and actress Meagan Good introducing each chapter and supporting class material • CONNECTS... with students by using hip-hop music to instill character building traits and multi-media tools that engage and motivate • INSPIRES... through real-life relevant stories youth can relate to since they mirror those of their own lives • EQUIPS... youth with foundational skills to address social issues youth encounter daily that interfere with their ability to excel academically • MOTIVATES... youth to stay in school--GRADUATE –and be SUCCESSFUL • Audience: 8th – 12th grade i-DareU participants • Each mentor will have the capacity to serve 25 participants per class per year; our goal is to serve approximately 750 students in 3 years • Program length: 2 years • Program topics: Anger Management, Bullying, Health & Wellness, Perception, Excuses, Patience, Heartbreak, The Company You Keep, Drug Abuse, Self Respect, Self Love, Self Determination, HIV Prevention and Death • Anticipated Start Date: Jan 2015

2. Financial Literacy Program

• 1.5 million people in the US filed for bankruptcy; GA is the 3rd largest state for bankruptcy filings at ~74,000; yet, there is no formal financial literacy training in high school. Our goal is to break the cycle of economic poverty that our young people face everyday by empowering them with practical foundational skills and helping them to manage their financial futures • This program will provide behavioral-changing financial education to get young people versed in concepts such as needs vs. wants, budgeting, living within your means, saving, investing, planning for big purchases or life events, credit, debt, checkbook management and an understanding of various types of business entities • Audience: 10th – 12th grade i-DareU participants • Each mentor will have the capacity to serve 15 participants per class per year; our goal is to serve approximately 150-200 students per year. • Program length: 2 years • Anticipated Start Date: Jan 2015

3. Health and Wellness Program

• The US spends more than $147 billion on obesityrelated illnesses and although our scholar athletes are in excellent physical shape, i-DareU will deliver a nutrition and wellness component to get our student athletes to their peak level of performance. • Audience: i-DareU participants and parents • Program length: 4 years • Anticipated Start Date: Mar 2015

Dee Thompson, DAT Consulting Group

4. ACT/SAT Preparation

• i-DareU will expand the ACT/SAT preparation for our young people by strengthening their core, which is the foundation for all standardized testing. We will provide our students with a fun, interactive way of learning and retaining the concepts, formulas and facts that matter in Math, Science, History and English through Koolriculum. • Koolriculum gives students the ability to learn while enjoying great music, which increases retention. i-DareU will use this learning aid to reinforce the core curriculum taught during school and enhance ACT/ SAT preparation. • Audience: i-DareU participants • Program length: ACT/SAT Preparation - 3 years; Koolriculum – all participants • Anticipated Start Date: This project has already begun, still need to add the Koolriculum components to the program

5. Parenting Series

• I-DareU will provide four (4) informational sessions per year for parents to become versed in the college process: 1st – The ins and outs of the College Recruiting Process and the Clearinghouse 2nd – Budgeting and Financial Planning for parents 3rd – NCAA Academic Rules and Regulations 4th – FAFSA, Pell Grants and other available Scholarships • Audience: i-DareU parents • Program length: 1-2 years • Anticipated Start Date: Currently provide these services as needed; however, usually on a 1-on-1 basis; will develop a more formalized and structured program

6. The 5th Quarter Initiative

• Most athletes have dreams of making it to the majors—the big league—of being a professional athlete. The reality is less than 2% of all college athletes make it to the pros, with the exception of baseball (~12%) according to the NCAA. These numbers are staggering when you think about the requirements that a young person has to fulfill to acquire and maintain an athletic scholarship from an educational institution and the amount of money that is paid to universities ($2B) for sports participation. • Whether our i-DareU participants make it to the majors or not, i-DareU will still prepare them for the future; therefore, we will continue to monitor and support our young adults through training and mentoring. • We will incorporate additional services such as media training, internships and interviewing, through partnerships, for a smooth transition from college into their professional careers. • Audience: i-DareU college student athletes • Program length: 4 years • Anticipated Start Date: Currently provide informal training and mentoring services; will develop a structured program

7. Online Tools to build capabilities, reinforce learning and prepare for core tests • This program will expand our current online capabilities to offer a comprehensive and interactive experience for the user. We will also strengthen our relationships with our partnerships to provide co-branded websites that link to specific curricula. • Audience: i-DareU participants • Program length: 2 years • Anticipated Start Date: Jan 2015

Shaq Wiggins

TRAINING In order to provide more in-depth and robust services, i-DareU will need to provide additional training and support for our counselors, coaches and mentors. With limited resources, we have been able to impact 72 young menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives. Just imagine what we can accomplish with structure, organization, a well-trained staff and funding to support our programs and infrastructure.

RESEARCH i-DareU is committed to research, determining program effectiveness and developing best practices in order to set the standard and be a model organization for other youth programs. As part of this campaign, we would like to engage an objective, third party evaluator to analyze our data and programs and provide a thorough evaluation of our services. We will keep the things that work well, address opportunities that require improvement and institute best practices. By measuring and presenting concrete, objective program results, i-DareU will be able to continue to expand our programs and provide our young people with the skills and training that they need to fulfill their dreams of obtaining a free college education.

SCHOOLS WITH i-D are U SCHOLARS

INVESTING IN OUR YOUNG PEOPLE At the end of 2014, i-DareU will enter into its 8th year of training young people and sending them to college on full scholarships. We are very proud of our accomplishments; however, there is much to do and many young people to support so we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rest on our laurels. Our young people are counting on us and we are counting on you to help us assist them. Their parents have taken the first step by bringing them to us to help guide them despite their economic challenges. They realize that this might be their only chance to break the multi-generational cycle of poverty and create new generational wealth. And with the competitiveness of obtaining athletic scholarships, these kids require the discipline, training, life skills and academic preparation to get to the college level. For many, i-DareU is their best hope of obtaining that full scholarship and getting them out of their socioeconomic crisis. We leave you with this; i-DareU is a mantra that we use with our kids. We say to them:

I Dare U to Dream I Dare U to Compete I Dare U to Win I Dare U to be Great Now, we say to you:

I Dare U to Engage I Dare U to Commit I Dare U to Invest I Dare U to Build