DOWNTOWN BOXING GYM YOUTH PROGRAM

Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program's primary goal is to provide all the resources necessary for children to be empowered to achieve their dreams. Since 2007, every one of our students has graduated from high school, with the vast majority continuing on to some form of higher education. We aim to continue our 100% high school graduation rate, while providing the exposure, resources, and encouragement for our youth to discover their pathways to success. We embarked on a project to further renovate our building to create the most high-efficiency space possible, thereby providing a model for other non profits to divert funding from overhead expenses directly into programming. Our team also continues to find the best ways to engage our students' interests by continuing to develop partnerships that provide STEAM classes and workshops, career exposure sessions, and athletics. We have continued working towards and reaching our goals despite the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which have necessitated a dramatic expanse of our services to full-day programming, basic need support for entire families, and outreach to community partners.

DBG uses boxing as a 'hook'. The truth is that our program is not about boxing; it's about youth development. Most of our attendees would never join a 'tutoring program', but they have no problem telling their peers that they are going to the boxing gym. By providing the 'hooks', we can leverage their desire to do the fun stuff by leaning on our motto, 'Books before Boxing'. Every student at DBG is fully aware of their responsibility as a member of our program. Academics are ALWAYS first. Our founder, Khali Sweeney, builds relationships with every kid at the gym so he can focus on their socio-emotional needs in conjunction with their academic needs. Our academic team develops tailored solutions for our students. Sometimes our kids need literacy intervention, sometimes math. Sometimes they need a hug and sometimes a straight-forward chat. Our flexibility allows us to develop trusting relationships, which help us supply consistent and effective mentoring and intervention.

Our academic team tracks each student's academic levels, through report cards, progress reports, bi- annual assessments, socio-emotional assessments, observation, and interaction. They assist students with daily homework, test preparation, and project planning and execution. We recently shifted our curriculum to employ the Fountas and Pinnell Literacy method, which includes seven leveled systems for students from primary school through high school, and in our first phase of launching the program are providing 60 minutes each week of one-on-one literacy intervention with our 3rd through 6th graders. The increase in our staff over the past year has also allowed us to create a dedicated college and career readiness program, including weekly essay classes for our high schoolers, the incorporation of Naviance software into our planning, scholarship research, college applications, and financial aid acquisition. DBG's college and career readiness pillar also includes college visits. Our juniors and seniors have been to Wayne State, Lawrence Technological University, U of M, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Olivet College, and Michigan State. Khali leads our team of coach mentors, as well. They include a former student and two parents of students in our gym, including Coach Tamika, a registered boxing official who also plans and runs boxing tournaments. In the gym, the kids practice shadow boxing, soccer, yoga, strength and conditioning, kickball, lacrosse, basketball, and weight-training. With some of our many community partners, our students also play volleyball, go kayaking, mountain bike, and paddle the Detroit River on stand up paddle boards. Every occasion we find to broaden horizons, while simultaneously providing mentoring, is one that we take. Exposure is another huge component of our program. Countless community partners provide mock trial, robotics camp, computer-coding, basic soldering, music classes, trips to the Michigan Science Center and the Detroit Institute of Arts, basic circuitry, 3D printing, math intervention, horse camp, cooking classes, improv, golf, gardening, and so much more. We hope that these experiences will pique the interests of our students in a way that drives their future educational pathways and career attraction. Our final pillar is community service. We strongly believe that our kids have the ability to impact their communities, both now, and well into their futures. They give back to this free program and connect to their other citizens by working with Gleaner's Community Food Bank, Forgotten Harvest, The Miracle League, and by participating in neighborhood cleanups.

In 2007, Khali Sweeney opened Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program. Khali knew if he did not work to change his community, the city would produce yet another poverty-stricken, under-educated generation. For the first three years, he worked night and day to run the 4,000 square foot gym for 25 kids, funded out of his own pocket. Three years later, Jessica Hauser joined Khali to build the foundation for his tremendous mission. From 2010 until 2014, Khali and Jessica built Downtown Boxing Gym's nonprofit status, added a board, began to raise funds, and purchased a 27,500 square foot building on the east side of Detroit. Just two years later, we have 150 students in our program, 15 full-time employees, 18 part-time team members, and a fleet of 8 vans. Our budget and partnerships continue to grow. On the horizon are more building renovations, staff growth, and students. Our mission still remains focused directly on our students and their own realization of their great potential.