TEAM UP PHILLY
This organization has already been registered
Someone in your organization has already registered and setup an account. would you like to join their team?Profile owner : i**o@t**********y.o*g
Mission Statement
Team Up Philly empowers girls living in under-served Philadelphia neighborhoods to lead healthy, confident and successful lives. We build bridges and create partnerships between communities in ways that benefit both.
About This Cause
Team Up Philly has a simple, but powerful and essential mission: to empower girls in under-served Philadelphia neighborhoods to lead confident, healthy and successful lives. We create partnerships and build bridges between communities in ways that benefit both. Our programs are comprehensive, combining sports, academic support, character and leadership development and nutrition education with mentoring from caring coaches and tutors. We take a long-term approach, providing programs for girls throughout middle and high school, in order to have the most lasting, positive effect on the trajectory of their lives. It is the commitment we make to be a steady and supportive presence for the girls in Team Up Philly programs that sets us apart from many organizations, and that gives our participants the most solid possible foundation from which to fulfill their potential. Serving under-resourced neighborhoods since 2006, Team Up Philly has created multi-faceted and high-quality enriching programs that address the needs of young girls who live in communities with a lack of access to sports, leadership and academic after-school and summer programs. Since the first 6-week basketball program we piloted at a West Philadelphia gym, we have grown to include tutoring, basketball, tennis, swimming, healthy cooking classes, leadership initiatives, life skills trainings, a program for juvenile offenders and summer camps. Girls in Team Up Philly programs are succeeding: they are making healthy and positive choices, steering clear of risk factors that derail the dreams of many of their peers; earning acceptances to academically selective schools, colleges and universities; and developing the strong traits of determination, respect, and resilience that will help them succeed. Team Up Philly was honored to receive the Robert P. Levy Community Service Award at the 2017 John Wanamaker Athletic Awards. The honor is given to “the individual, business or organization which has done the most to contribute to the quality of life in Philadelphia through sports.” We look forward to serving more girls throughout Philadelphia and helping to create the next generation of thoughtful and committed leaders. While the benefits of participating in organized sports are well documented- and for a girl, can make a critical difference in whether or not she stays safe, healthy and empowered- there are still few, if any, quality programs in the low-income neighborhoods we serve. We work in neighborhoods with high rates of unintended teen pregnancies and low graduation rates (on-time graduation rates that are under 70%), where schools are under-funded and among the lowest-performing in the city. Girls face alarming incidences of sexual and dating abuse and violence, and without intervening support, 1 in 3 will fall victim. Communities are marked by obesity and obesity-related illnesses that put this generation at risk to be the first to lead less healthy lives than their parents. Living with violence can produce the same symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome that shorten lives and affect the ability to learn. The majority of our participants live in single-parent households that struggle financially and many are raised by grand-parents without the resources to help their grandchildren break free of their current circumstances. Many of our girls attend high schools with inadequate college advising, and lack access to college preparatory help. Incidences of violence, having family members who are incarcerated, obesity and related illnesses, unintended pregnancies and low expectations all jeopardize girls’ chances to lead healthy and successful lives. The zip code into which a child is born closely aligns with her educational attainment and lifetime earning potential- and yet, positive interventions that include practicing character traits of determination, resilience and sustained hard work are even more determinative of her future success. Team Up Philly provides the opportunities for girls to learn and practice those skills that will make the difference in the kind of future she can create. We seek to make a measurable impact in the physical, social/emotional and academic success of young girls. We hire graduates of Team Up Philly programs as junior coaches, providing relatable and inspirational peer mentoring. We employ members of the Senior Leadership Group to assist with the Junior leaders. Part of our stated mission is to form partnerships and build bridges between communities. We are proud to have many community partners and collaborations that leverage and share resources. The city has so many organizations that are expert in their fields; there is no need to re-create wheels that already exist. Partnerships build bridges between organizations and individuals in ways that enhance both. Most Team Up Philly programs engage girls between the ages of 10-15, when long-term results are not yet visible and measurable. AND YET, success stories abound. 100% of the girls who participate in TUP programs graduate high school (over 98% in four years) in a city where the four-year graduation rate in 2017 was 67%. Eight of our Senior leaders are attending four-year colleges and three more joined them this fall. Many participants are now attending academically-selective schools and college-readiness programs, putting them on track for college and higher earning potential. Unintended teenage pregnancy is a leading reason girls drop out of school and fall behind economically. None of the girls in TUP has experienced this challenge. Getting in trouble in school is a key risk factor for academic failure, especially in a climate that finds children of color are punished more than their white counterparts. Black girls are more likely to be viewed as “tough”, “angry” and “troubled” are punished more often and more harshly. Team Up Philly has a no fighting policy, and if a girl violates it, she is suspended. “Suspended” means a girl stays, but cannot participate until she understands and makes amends for the offense. We see inappropriate behavior as an opportunity for a child to recognize the consequences of her actions, to try to understand its origins, and to learn alternative behaviors. Learning to be choiceful and not reactive is a powerful lesson that keeps girls on a positive trajectory. While “zip code is destiny”, with positive interventions, girls are overcoming the odds that they will not reach their potential. Angela Duckworth’s research on grit teaches us that positive character traits are the most powerful determinants of future success. Girls in Team Up Philly are learning to become fearless leaders, to dream big and to develop the work habits, perseverance and resilience they will need to reach their goals Girls in Team Up Philly programs are not just playing; they are changing the trajectory of their lives.