2018 has been a milestone year for the Harold Hunter Foundation. Not only did we host the best HH Weekend ever and send our largest group of 50 scholarship recipients, interns, youth chaperones, and mentors to Woodward skate camp for the 12th consecutive year, we also launched a new program - the HHF Legacy Program - which has the potential to be transformative in the lives of the young people it touches. Click on the image above to watch a video recap of the Legacy Program and click on any of the links in the text above or below for more details on all of the exciting developments at HHF. Informed by the results of our groundbreaking 2016 needs assessment of more than 300 NYC skaters, the Legacy Program combines skateboarding activities with life skills, college and career exploration, and year-round psychosocial support. The “secret sauce” to our program is organic mentorship, which honors the culture of skateboarding by embracing the spirit of freedom, independence, creativity, and spontaneity, while also allowing authentic mentorship relationships to develop and grow naturally. In this way, we are able to give our young people what they want (to be part of an authentic, skateboarding community) along with what they need (age-appropriate developmental activities and trauma-sensitive support). The Legacy Program has attracted overwhelming interest and support from the sports-based youth development community. The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and Up2Us Sports provided funding and in-kind support, respectively, allowing HHF to hire the coach/mentors who run the program and provide them with groundbreaking training. These partnerships also allowed HHF staff to participate in trainings and summits in Chicago, Los Angeles and Paris, exposing our work to national and international audiences. We were also one of only twelve organizations in the country to receive a special $25,000 gift from NIKE, to recognize our work with the Latino community in commemoration of of Hispanic Heritage Month. Most importantly, the program is deeply impacting our young people, as they have become part of a positive peer group where they receive guidance and support from credible messengers. Impact data found that 93% of our participants made gains in targeted social emotional learning outcomes, with the greatest gains in developing a sense of positive self-identity, enhancing social skills such as empathy, and expanding social capital. We are extremely proud of our progress and pleased with our success. Thank you as always for your interest in and support of HHF, and we look forward to bringing you more good news in 2019 and beyond! |
Harold Hunter FoundationThe Harold Hunter Foundation (HHF) is a grassroots, community-based organization that provides support, opportunity, and advocacy for skateboarders in NYC and beyond. Archives
April 2024
Categories |