Cop's 4 Kids & Communities, is committed to transforming the lives of disadvantaged youth who exhibit maladaptive behaviors such as truancy, violence, gang membership, physical and verbal violence and at risk sexual activity.
Our programs have been very effective at reducing juvenile crime and altering the social outcomes for youth, including:
Decreased involvement in gangs and teen sexual activity.
Developement of goal-directed behavior.
Increased GPA and school attendance.
Increased self-worth and self-esteem.
Increased sense of family, peer and community support.
A shift in attitude and behavior, from being a victim to taking responsible actions.
These days, it's hard not to see the grave needs going unmet throughout our city. From increasing juvenile crime, drug addiction, homelessness and unemployment to decreasing governmental programs and support, there are signs everywhere of the precariousness of our situation. At the same time, however, Cops 4 Kids & Communities, which was founded upon the compassionate drive to recognize and address “at risk” youth, has been fighting not only to reduce juvenile crime, but also to identify the root causes and provide programs that are proven to change young lives.
Sincerely,
Jeff Penn
Executive Director
Cops 4 Kids & Communities
Tax ID#26-4232599
C4KC YOUTH BOXING CLUB
The Cops 4 Kids & Communities boxing program is one of our most successful programs for keeping at- risk kids off the streets through the introduction of basic boxing skills and competition, but with an emphasis on life skills, respect for self and others, nutrition, anger management and much more.
The Cops 4 Kids & communities Boxing Club encourages participation in a competitive boxing atmosphere. This type of environment also enables our inner city youth to understand the value of good sportsmanship and team unity, instead of having them accept the negative alternatives of joining gangs, doing drugs, and ending up in prison.
In many Southern California neighborhoods, there are many inner-city children and youth that lack positive role models and are being raised in dangerous, gang-infested neighborhoods. This life-threatening environment can cause them to posses an adverse outlook on life and fall prey to the dangers of the street. These youth need a positive direction in which they can expend their youthful energy in a positive, structured environment and use their hands for something other than playing video games or eating junk food.
We have between 75-100 kids from various communities Including Murrieta, Temecula, Beaumont, Banning, Hemet, San Jacinto and other Cities attending our gym on a daily basis. Most of these kids live in inner-city neighborhoods and are considered at-risk. Along with these kids, we have many Police Officers, Firefighters, Paramedics and other public safety member, who train alongside our youth in an effort to bridge the gap that often exists between at-risk youth and law enforcement.
As a foot note, many great boxers such as Oscar De La Hoya, Evander Holyfield and George Forman grew up attending youth boxing programs such as the Cops 4 Kids & Communities Boxing Club.
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MARTIAL ARTS
It's true that the word "martial" is related to war and fighting. Our philosophy however, is martial arts is also a sport and offers kids an excellent opportunity to learn athletic skills, self-defense, respect, and self-discipline. They also learn when and where kicking, punching, and wrestling are appropriate—and not.
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SCHOOL OF ROCK
This program focuses on taking at-risk youth off the street, turning them away from a life of crime, and giving them positive role models by offering them healthy, positive alternatives through music.
Each session introduces activities that foster a sense of teamwork and camaraderie. Without the need for prior musical experience, children are invited to interact in a non-pressured environment where professional musicians teach a standard–based music program three times per week.
Research conducted on other similar music programs revealed the following:
- The grade average for the intervention group improved from 74.3 to 77.9.
The grade average for the control group declined from 74.1 to 70.8.
- The average number of absences in the intervention group was 10.8.
The average number of absences in the control group was 21.8.
- All students in the intervention group maintained or improved citizenship marks, while the majority of students in the control group exhibited a drop in citizenship marks.
The truth is making music can help improve self-esteem by transforming loss, anger and alienation into personal growth and inner discipline, rather than violence. Students learn self-expression, cooperation, altruism and bankable music skills, as well as respect for teachers and mentors. The long-term goal of the program is to reduce violence and other at-risk behaviors among youth and to improve academic performance, school attendance and life skills.
FOOTBALL CAMPS
- The goal of Playmakers Law Enforcement Division (P.L.E.D.) is to have an ongoing partnership with progressive law enforcement agencies that model the positive aspects of our peace officers throughout the community. This is achieved specifically through the following:
- Playmaker sports camps hosted by local law enforcement agencies.
- Mentoring/coaching opportunities with peace officers and Playmaker coaches.
- Early intervention of high risk youth using Playmaker coaches as accountability partners.
- Playmaker leadership camps sponsored by supporting agencies.
In addition to extensive skill development, break out sessions will be held to discuss both leadership and responsibility. We will explore what it means to serve our community and make known the potential that each child has within themselves to impact the world around them.
Our goal is to:
- Improved conduct with high risk youth needing structure and accountability.
- Improved grades of high risk youth by providing coach led study programs.
- Created quality relationships within the community by serving activities led by Playmaker coaches.
- Partnered with probation officers in accountability with high risk youth.
Playmakers accomplish this by first teaching “Character Based Coaching” to committed coaches who understand the role that they fill in a fatherless or dysfunctional home. These coaches are committed to mentoring/coaching these kids for the long haul on the field and off.
COMPUTER TUTORING
Cops 4 Kids & Communities Tutors provide the youth with learning support based on a youth development philosophy, including academic support through homework help and skill building in specific areas.
Most importantly, volunteers serve as positive role models for TC youth. Focus areas for tutors include:
- Literacy: Tutors from the community can read aloud in small groups or one-on-one with students and participate with the youth in reading enrichment and literacy development activities
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Math/Science: Tutors can assist youth with mathematics and science homework and facilitate supplementary math skill-building games.
ART PROGRAM
The art class offers a fun experience using a variety of Medias such as oil pastels, tempera paint and water colors. In addition, we will learn about famous artists such as Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet. We will incorporate some of their techniques into our master pieces.
Art Class:
6:30 -8:00 PM
On Wednesday
January 19th
February 9th
March 9th
April 20th
May 4th
Other dates and times announced during class.
Instructor: Estella Olivo
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CREATIVE DANCE
6-11 Years & 12-18
Kids explore the elements of dance (body, space, force, & time) through inner expression and techniques resulting in choreography.
Throughout history, people across the world have used dance for self-expression, to tell stories, celebrate traditional events, and to maintain communal bonds. Whether your kids have limited dancing experience or they want help perfecting their moves, our dance class is a great choice. The C4kc dance class is also a great way of self-expression while improving overall physical condition and building self- confidence.
YOUTH SCHOLARSHIPS
Our goal is to create scholarly (educational) and scholarship (financial) opportunities in which participants of all levels have a fair and equal chance to participate and be successful.
We reward students for demonstrating what they know! We award scholarships through the use of internet-based quiz competitions. Each scholarship consists of one or more quizzes with topics that range from common knowledge to specific academic subjects. The primary focus is to have an objective competition that rewards students who have well-rounded, practical knowledge, and not necessarily those with the highest academic standing. There are no essays or long applications to complete and a single registration is good all the way through high school.
New scholarships become available for participants on a monthly basis. Upcoming scholarships are announced 15-30 days in advance of the quiz start date. Quizzes are available 24 hours a day and generally for one week.
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Education Counseling Servicves
Decisions regarding schools are decisions about children's lives. It is important to know you are getting the best possible program and environment for your child, and difficult to know if a particular school is appropriate without firsthand knowledge.
Cops 4 Kids & Communities educational Counseling Services are designed to
provide information and resources on how to reach the student's desired educational goals through individual educational counseling and group workshops.