Melody Burton, Warner Pacific College- Communications Specialist
PORTLAND, Ore. - In our city, there are thousands of girls and boys who find hope in sports, even as destruction, dysfunction, and frustration swirl around them in almost every other area of life. Young athletes who are growing up in underserved neighborhoods are some of the most at risk students in the City of Portland, and as neighbors, we are collectively failing to support their holistic development.
Inspired by the teachers, coaches, and mentors who dedicate their lives to support the young student athletes in our city,
Warner Pacific believes there is a unique opportunity to create a fun and engaging forum where academic and athletic growth can be cultivated and developed in the next generation of champions for our city; welcome to Champions Academy.
“Warner Pacific is so excited to partner with
Champions Academy as we host these young scholar athletes on our Mt. Tabor campus stated WPC President Dr. Andrea Cook. “ We believe that we are called to serve students in this city and we believe that we can contribute to their success as they grow into the next generation of servant leaders in the community.”
Launched on June 27, 2016, Champions Academy (CA) is an annual, six-week summer program held on the College’s Mt. Tabor campus. CA is designed to provide academic instruction as well as athletic training for diverse, young student athletes, while offering a holistic, culturally responsive approach to leadership development and instruction. Champions will enroll in the program each summer and be supported through a mentoring relationship year-round.
Warner Pacific is collaborating with the Portland Leadership Foundation and HOLLA Mentors, while working in partnership with AmeriCorps, Ninth Grade Counts, Oregon Department of Human Services, and Portland Public and surrounding School districts. With the goal of enrolling 210 3rd-9th graders, CA has been able to raise over $60,000 in scholarship funds for families who cannot afford the cost of tuition.
“I’ve spent 21 years working with kids in the city and this is the culmination of a huge dream of mine, stated Portland Leadership Foundation President Anthony Jordan. “Hundreds of kids will storm the campus of Warner Pacific College this summer and be impacted in real, powerful ways. My heart beats for the underserved, underrepresented, kids of color, and the poor; Champions Academy will be a place where they can all come together and not have to apologize for who they are.”
At first glance, programs for elementary students may not seem like a natural fit for a college. However, positive experiences in early grades are crucial in teaching students the fundamental learning concepts, effective study habits, and academic behavioral skills they will need to succeed in high school as they prepare for college. The program will also have a significant impact on a number of Warner Pacific students as they work alongside professional coaches and educators to provide additional instruction and mentoring to these urban and diverse youth whose stories are all too familiar.
THE CHAMPIONS ACADEMY PHILOSOPHY IS BUILT ON SIX VALUES: DEFERENCE, HIGH STANDARDS, PURPOSE, HOLISTIC CARE, CULTURAL RELEVANCE, AND STUDENT-DRIVEN LEARNING.
For more information on Champions Academy click
here
For more information on Portland Leadership click
here
For More Information on HOLLA Mentors click
here