DARRELL GREEN YOUTH LIFE LEARNING CENTER RECEIVES A $50,000 GRANT FROM THE FREDDIE MAC FOUNDATION
January 10, 2007
Contact: Sharon L. Sopp, (410)740-7646
The Youth Life Foundation has announced receipt of a $50,000 grant from the Freddie Mac Foundation for support of its educational program at the Darrell Green Youth Life Learning Centers (DGYLLCs) in the greater Washington DC area.
The model program offers a youth development solution aimed at changing the educational achievement landscape for minority and underserved students. The program includes no-cost after-school and summer programs conducted at the DGYLLCs, most of which are located in high-crime, low-to-mid income urban areas.
"The Youth Life Foundation is pleased to gain the support of the Freddie Mac Foundation. The continuous commitment to our organization provides an additional investment from a strong community partner, which is necessary to continue impacting the children and communities that we serve," said Kimberly O' Neil, Executive Director of the Youth Life Foundation.
Program intake begins when a parent or guardian enrolls the youth. DGYLLCs educators then perform a holistic assessment of the youth's academic potential and achievement, IQ, learning style, personality, vocational tendencies, values, community environment, and family. Subsequently, the youth, their parents, and their schoolteachers participate in the development of an individualized plan outlining the participant's goals, plans, and assessments.
DGYLLCs are located in private apartment complex communities that are home to predominately minority and underserved youth. Priority admission to the DGYLLCs is given to youth living in the complex where the program is located. Program capacity does not exceed a 15 to 1 student to educator ratio.
This grant is part of the ongoing support Freddie Mac Foundation provides throughout the Washington DC area to help children, youth, and their families
"We are committed to helping our region's children succeed. We do so by investing in effective programs that make real differences in the lives of young people. The Darrell Green Youth Life Learning Center is doing just that. We're proud to be supporting Darrell Green and his organization's important community work," said Ralph F. Boyd, Jr. Freddie Mac Foundation Chairman.
ABOUT THE YOUTH LIFE FOUNDATION: Since 1988, former Washington Redskins All-Pro Cornerback Darrell Green turned a vision of providing a safe, nurturing environment for all children into what today has become a focal point in his endeavors to give back. Green created the Youth Life Foundation in an effort to meet the needs of children, their families and the communities in which they live.
A 501 (c) (3) faith-based organization, the Youth Life Foundation opened its flagship Darrell Green Youth Life Learning Center in Northeast Washington, D.C., followed by additional centers in Washington, D.C. and Landover, Maryland. The Learning Centers provide after-school and summer enrichment programs to children ages 5-18. For more information, please visit www.dgylf.org.
Created by Freddie Mac in 1991, the Freddie Mac Foundation is dedicated to creating hope and opportunity for children and their families. As the largest corporate funder in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, Freddie Mac and the Freddie Mac Foundation have invested nearly $280 million in organizations serving the community.