CULTIVATING YOUTH
WHO WE ARE
Cultivating Youth is a nonprofit via Motivation Team Athletic Academy (MTAA). Our focus is to tackle childhood trauma and prevent violence through physical fitness while building confidence and nurturing discipline through mentorship. Our program directors and founder, who is a reformed incarcerated male, select professionals from the community to help influence through speaking and workshop engagements at MTAA along with the daily program initiatives. We support youth with a full-circle approach including: athletic training, social skills, professional development, emotional intelligence, spiritual insight, tutoring & STEM based learning, life skills, job readiness and physical wellness. The program services youth ages 8-18 years old.
WHAT WE DO
Childhood trauma is our main barrier that plagues our community.
We’ve witness a lot of youth experiencing a lot of unaddressed trauma. Financial struggles creates barriers to the basic necessities: including health services, healthy food and other necessities. We put together youth programs that will lessen the barriers in our community by providing breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks options, educational tools, cooking lessons, life skills, quality child care, mentorship, etc. Most kids with lack of resources and funding need outlets to keep them busy. We provide a positive environment that focuses on physical activity, fitness and sports they love while also exposing them to experiences and resources we don’t think they’d normally be exposed to in their environment.
HOW WE SERVE
After School: Our after school program operates after school Monday - Thursday from 4:00pm - 6:30pm. Students complete homework with tutors on site, sit down with mentors and participate in physical fitness activities or athletic training.
Summer: Cultivating Youth Athletic Summer Camp hopes to assist our youth in the community with discovering a healthy lifestyle coupled with athletic skills, literacy, life skills, entrepreneurship, different career exploration breakouts, a summer trip & more!
Employment: We hire student athletes on collegiate and high school levels to teach and mentor our youth.
WHY WE SERVE
Local: less than 20% of kids in Orleans Parish are active in sports.
National: less than 24% of children 6 to 17 years of age get enough physical activity. (CDC)
Literacy: Only 8% of New Orleans children enter kindergarten developmentally “very ready” physically, emotionally, socially and cognitively. Research continues to show the positive long-term impacts of high-quality early care and education, particularly for low-income children. (Orleans Public Education Network)
Financial barriers: Among New Orleans families, 21% live in poverty, with African America families experiencing poverty at much higher rates (30%) than white families (8%) children from low-income families are less likely to participate. (The Aspen Institute)
Race/ethnicity: youth representation across the country for black athletes is 8% for youth soccer, 10% for baseball, 14% for football, and 25% for basketball. (Sports & Fitness Industry Association)
