All Aboard, You Need Your Passports For This Event….
by Jane Wallis, Director of Programs
On November 29th 2017, TGP went old school and put on a “traditional Grassroots graduation” for students enrolled in Fall 2017 programming. Yes, the event was equipped with a big, blow-up bungee-run, food and a DJ to celebrate our 6th grade students finishing 8 weeks of programming but this year also included some exciting, new components, including the completion of a “Grassroots passport” to gain entrance to all this fun!
Students from one of our schools showing off their first “passport stamp” and asking questions to our community partners
We called the event “Celebrating Community Connections” and invited 5 local partner organizations to the event to present to the students, their parents and their teachers. Partners included: La Clinica del Pueblo, Planned Parenthood, Us Helping Us, Snap Ed/Mary’s Center and Young Invincibles. Students had a “passport” where they were required to visit each community partner and learn about what they do and a few health facts before receiving a sticker or “stamp” from that organization. After visiting each partner, they had to find a student-athlete from each of our 4 partner universities and get their autograph next to their school logo. Director of Programs, Jane Wallis, acted as Passport control as each student showed off what they learned and proceeded to the next part of the event.
Students then had an opportunity to take pictures on the Grassroot red carpet, dance and learn some basic “spin techniques” with a local DJ from Howard University, compete against TGP Founder, Tyler Spencer, on the bungee run/basketball shoot-out and socialize with their favorite TGP student-athlete volunteers over dinner.
Head-coaches then gathered everyone together for our traditional graduation ceremony and gave certificates to each participant. A special “shout-out” award was given to one participant in each program for exceptional commitment to the TGP principles on the contract and the work-ethic they demonstrated each week. These individuals won a backpack filled with brand new school supplies! The event proved educational for students and parents and it was awesome to engage local community health partners and thus, connecting our students to more health services. A huge shout-out to our host, Center City-Brightwood Campus, our community partner organizations and our awesome athletes for a great fall semester of programming!
Coaches Sydney and Simone from Howard University presenting certificates to the students in their program.
