PREPARING YOUTH FOR LEADERSHIP (PYFL) Gym Time Hoops is a subsidiary of Save Our Youth Development Foundation, which incorporated as a 501(c)(3). Gym Time Hoops is dedicated to the development of our youths. It is a proven fact that kids that participate in athletics are more successful in school and in life. GTH gives children of all socio-economic status an opportunity to participate in basketball. We provide scholarships to kids that otherwise wouldn’t be able to participate in athletics. We have also developed a program called Preparing Youths for Leadership (PYFL) that will contribute to their development. What makes a good leader? It has been said that someone are born with the right qualities and develop them. Either way, we all eventually find ourselves in a leadership position. This program will give youths an opportunity to begin to develop as leaders in their endeavors. There will be many activities identified for youths to assist them in the maturation process of leadership and teamwork. Teamwork will be used as a foundation to understanding leadership. We have an image of a good leader. The challenge is actually living in accordance with those standards. Along a leadership journey the following has been discovered and will be introduced to youths. PROGRAM ACTIVITIES READING CLUB Reading is fundamental to our academic success as youths and adults. Youths will be introduced to books that will help them develop their academia skills. We will announce books of the month and all members will discuss the books via a discussion forum. These types of books will help the individuals expand on their competency level and increase their chances of higher test scores in the standard school exams. Collaborating is one of the most effective learning tools in our current environment. Additionally, this type of reading will begin to prepare GTH members for the PSAT and ACT college preparatory exam. This will increase their chances of successfully completing high school. It will also improve their opportunities to be eligible for scholarships at various colleges and universities. TEAM BUILDING Youths involved in the program will learn the value of working as a team. How effective and efficient a project, goal, or mission could be when things are done in a collaborative fashion. There will be team-building activities that will put youths in situations to participate in a team environment. There will be team building activities that will establish a foundation for all youths. Within the Team building activities youths will be informed about: * Communications * Creative & critical thinking * Decision Making * Building Trust * Managing change PUBLIC SPEAKING AND PRESENTING This activity will introduce young individuals to the concept of delivering their message effectively, whether it be orally or written. A Public speaking venue will add confidence in their ability to be leaders. Presentations will provide the opportunity for youths to become comfortable with speaking to a variety of audiences. MENTORING Mentoring is vital to the growth of youths, surrounding them by seasoned professionals that will provide them with a road map to success. Mentoring address many youth development issues, such as career choices, how to identify and verify where to seek and validate information. Another important issue that would have to be addressed is assisting youths to identify mentors that are suitable for them in their future goals. DIVERSITY Creating a shred mind-set so that all youths know who we are, where they are going and how they contribute to the success of their community, regardless of where they are in the world, their life experiences, background, or diversity perspective. * Develop the leadership skills in the community, so the leaders model the appropriate behaviors and actions. * Discussion about how to value each individual background and belief. MONEY MANAGEMENT The fundamental concepts about money will be introduced to all youths in the GTH program. Understanding the power of money will contribute to how each individual plan financially. Topics such as savings and credit management will be the primary focus of the money management course. FIELD TRIPS There will be trips schedule to various divers locations to give inform youths about other cultures of the society. Many of these field trips will be implemented when the teams travel to play in tournaments in the surrounding states. However there are many local museums and interesting sites that will contribute to the positive maturation of the youths. SUMMARY The goal of GTH is to empower all youths and participants who go through the GTH program. To empower means to equip and release, as a community we can accomplish those goals.