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We do not know what we’re capable of until we try. Unfortunately, many urban youth are not given the proper opportunities to discover their limitless potential.
Elevate Indy aims to change this by opening doors that allow students to experience new things and unlock new skills, all with the love and support of Elevate's holistic mentorship model.
Through our Sports & Adventure mentoring, we focus on opportunities to utilize our character and life skills training in unique, exciting environments. In doing so, we aim to help our students grow into confident, contributing members of their community.
Through over 2100 hours of Sports & Adventure mentorship this year, we have seen 573 students grow as individuals and as members of a team. In this challenging and competitive environment, they see regular opportunities to collaborate, lean on their teammates, and utilize the character and life skills they’ve been building in the classroom.
By getting out of their comfort zone, students find that the experiences in Sports & Adventure offer a positive mindset shift that carries over into other areas of Elevate and beyond.
Dahlon is one such student. After joining the Elevate family at Arsenal Tech High School, Dahlon began participating in Sports & Adventure in 2023. He experienced the benefits almost immediately and began to recognize the importance of a team-oriented environment.
When asked about his favorite memories from Sports & Adventure, he said:
“My favorite was definitely when we went to [Woodruff Place Baptist Church] for soccer and then dodgeball. It was nice to get out with some new faces.”
Dahlon also cited interacting with others as one of the main focus areas he notices in Sports & Adventure. Thanks to his involvement in Elevate, Dahlon has been able to interact more with his peers while navigating new experiences, which has led to increased engagement in other areas of Elevate:
“During Dahlon’s first year in Elevate, there was an obvious turnaround in his level of interaction, engagement, and interest in Elevate and class after he went skating with us…it was awesome to watch a major shift in him as a direct result of participating in Sports & Adventure.” -Mandy Schumerth
Sports & Adventure is about more than just winning a game or getting out of the classroom; it's about developing a positive mindset toward new challenges and opportunities. We focus on breaking down toxic, defeating self-talk to remind our students of their intrinsic value. Our holistic support model creates a safe space where students can experience micro successes and failures, all with the support and involvement of their peers and Teacher-Mentors.
This is undoubtedly why, according to our 2023-2024 Thriving Youth Survey, 154% more students reported that they were unafraid to try new things. The relationships we foster in the Sports & Adventure program have allowed our Teacher-Mentors to watch students like Dahlon grow and thrive in all areas of life, both in and out of Elevate.
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