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Orange County Youth Commission <br />Santa Ana, California <br />6. Basic Program Approach/ Academic Assistance: <br />Our basic program approach is to utilize the Boxing Club, which is in a community-based <br />setting, as a means for academic assistance, tutoring, mentoring and college/career <br />planning. The youth from the community are attracted to the prospect of joining the <br />boxing team and attending programs in the facility, an authentic boxing club located in <br />the heart of Santa Ana. In order to enjoy the opportunity of boxing, they must participate <br />in the academic component of the program. Our basic approach is to rent and take over <br />the adjacent business next to the Santa Ana Boxing Club and make it into a tutoring - <br />computer lab that will be open Monday through Thursday from 3 to 7 and on Saturdays <br />from 11 till 3 pm. This way the youth can go next door to train with Anthony and then <br />have the peace and quiet next door where they can have Academic tutoring, doing well in <br />school is the precursor to the opportunity to join the boxing team, receive boxing <br />instruction and have time in the ring. We have four computer stations available plus <br />tutoring by college-level tutors. The tutoring time will be utilized to increase literacy and <br />numeracy scores on the TABE. We also provide mentoring and leadership development <br />to help foster character traits that will serve the youth well as they pursue employment. <br />Membership on the boxing team has been an incentive to the youth to maintain no less <br />than a 2.0 GPA. However, we plan to capitalize on the galvanizing properties of the <br />boxing activity by incorporating additional incentives related to improvement in GPA. <br />Youth who demonstrate improvement in GPA and other demonstrated academic <br />measurement can earn additional time in the boxing ring. We anticipate that this will be <br />a major incentive. Those youth who show academic improvement, who regularly <br />complete homework, who have regular and on-time attendance at the club will be <br />rewarded with additional time in the boxing ring, as well as be offered paid opportunities <br />to work in the gym. Other incentives are the regular field trips to Magic Mountain, Big <br />Bear, the beach or local museums as well as attending boxing tournaments. <br />7. Outreach and Recruitment <br />The OCYC staff members are enthusiastic about and committed to the after-school <br />programs including the boxing club. We have staff members actively involved in <br />networking with local schools, business, along with county and city government <br />agencies. The OCYC mission and heart is to provide a future and hope to youth who <br />have little future or hope. The hope begins at redirecting negative behaviors (e.g., poor <br />academic performance, deviant/criminal behaviors, drug/alcohol use etc...) to positive <br />behaviors (e.g., good academic performance, positive character development, and <br />drug/alcohol abstinence etc...). As a result of these youth are equipped to meet standards <br />for academic and career success. <br />Anthony Serrano, Sport Club Director and Isabel Monje, After-School Club Director, <br />contact and meet with junior and high school administrators for the purpose of <br />introducing them to our 17 after-school clubs, which includes the Santa Ana Boxing <br />Club. We provide printed materials about the club and this year will aim to develop a <br />special brochure. We have received referrals from Santa Ana Unified School District <br />school administrators/teachers, but we receive referrals from Olive Crest, Victory <br />6 EXHIBIT A