G.O.O.N.I.E.S. PROJECT, Inc.

Giving Others Opportunities through Nurturing, Individuality, Effort and Sportsmanship

Program Overview Free afterschool program Middle school students Structured academic, life skills and enrichment programming Health and wellness awareness Program will be conducted 3 days a week for 2 hours per day The sessions will be in 4 week intervals Sports focused Character building Volunteer-driven

What is G.O.O.N.I.E.S.? The G.O.O.N.I.E.S. Project is a free afterschool program targeting middle school boys to enhance their character and teach valuable life lessons through sports. It is designed to help students in different aspects of their lives, such as academics, behavior, and work ethics.

Objectives Our objectives at the G.O.O.N.I.E.S. Project are to: Give Students the opportunity to learn life lessons Teach the rules, fundamentals, and strategies of various sports Provide a positive and constructive afterschool environment Monitor academic progress and provide academic enrichment Raise health awareness in students and provide knowledge of good health behaviors

Mission Statement Our mission is to help the youth discover life lessons, such as patience, perseverance, and responsibility, through afterschool activities, educational workshops and organized sporting activities. These acts will expose the youth to positive life skills and techniques needed in order to have a successful academic, social, and emotional life. G.O.O.N.I.E.S Project, Inc. is a stepping stone for the youth to shape their future as well as positively impact others around them.

Objectives Our objectives at the G.O.O.N.I.E.S. Project are to: Give Students the opportunity to learn life lessons Teach the rules, fundamentals, and strategies of various sports Provide a positive and constructive afterschool environment Monitor academic progress and provide academic enrichment Raise health awareness in students and provide knowledge of good health behaviors

Five Components Afterschool Program Tutoring Mentoring Recreation Health and Awareness

Tutoring Will be provided everyday of the program operation By University of Florida students with an array of educational background Ratio of volunteers to students is 1 to 4 so that the students have the optimal attention paid to them. Grouped by subject and grade into small concentrated groups

Educational Focus For two days out of the three-day program week, we will focus on FCAT supplemental work  The third day will be spent working with the students and their homework We have been offered access to the FCAT resource room at Howard Bishop We will focus on working on the skills as outlined in the Sunshine State Standards  We will work to maintain the school’s “A” rating while also working to improve individual student’s academic performance

Sports and Education Many studies have shown that sports have had a positive correlation with the skills we desire to teach the students  Motivation (Roberts, G. 2001)  Emotional Development (Hanin, Y. 2000) These skills have been generally taught implicitly, but we will aim to teach them explicitly through carefully crafted lesson plans  Direct Instruction  Inductive Method

After School Program G.O.O.N.I.E.S is providing an afterschool program for middle school boys, many of which would have been latch- key kids otherwise. By providing a positive alternative for these youth, G.O.O.N.I.E.S. can reassure parents and the community that their children are safe. According to an analysis by the FBI, the peak hours of juvenile delinquency occur between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Our program will assist in decreasing the rate of juvenile delinquency because our youth will be actively engaged in constructive activities.

Mentoring An imperative goal of our volunteers is to develop a personal relationship with the youth in the program. By engaging in small group sessions, volunteers are given the opportunity to connect with the students in a more intimate setting. Students may be more likely to open the lines of communication because these groups will be low pressure situations and encourage honesty.

Recreation G.O.O.N.I.E.S will give youth the opportunity to learn about themselves and the value of cooperation through various team sports. All activities will be monitored by screened CPR certified volunteers and officials (if needed). The program will be broken up into four-week intervals in which a different sport will be played during each time At the end of the interval, there will be a competition day where the youth play against each other to display the skills and techniques learned throughout the four weeks.

Health and wellness Consuming snacks of nutritional value “ 5 a day the Florida way” Workshop on the importance of eating healthy

Location Alachua County Middle Schools Partnership with school  Use school facilities and equipment  Diminishes the need for bus transportation  Allows School Board to be actively involved

Sample Program Activities 3:30 – 3:45  Kids arrive, get settled and prepped on the days events 3:45 – 4:25  Academic Time  Homework Help, Tutoring  FCAT Supplemental Practice 4:25 – 4:45  Sports lesson plan (life lesson spotlight)  Rule Overview 4:45 – 5:30  Sports Drills  Competition Days or Organized Recreation

Disciplinary Process 1 st Offense: Student will receive a warning 2 nd Offense: Student will not be able to participate in sporting activity that day 3 rd Offense: A letter will be sent home and student will not be able to participate in sporting activity for a week 4 th Offense: Parents will be contacted and student will not be able to participate in sporting activity for a week and lose competition day privileges. 5 th Offense: Student will not be able to attend program sponsored trips.

Gaining Interest The Youth -Attending School Assemblies -Presenting program activities to students in classrooms -Advertising flyer in school’s newsletter The Community -Press release: Advertising program in a variety of newspapers in Gainesville - Presenting the importance of the program to directors of local churches and The Gainesville Police Department -Presenting program to professors at the University of Florida School Officials -Scheduling meeting and presenting all the fundamentals of the project to deans, principals, and school board officals

Volunteer Requirements All volunteers :  Must adhere to a background check  Must have attended or be attending an institution of higher learning  Must comply with rules set by Alachua County School System  Must be available for at least four weeks, 2 hours a day and for 3 consecutive days a week  Must attend all training sessions  Must display characteristics that uphold the G.O.O.N.I.E.S. Project’s vision  Must be CPR certified

“Building Winners in Life Through Sports”