Honda Auto Center of Bellevue: Building a Stronger Community

The Mack Strong TEAM-WORKS Foundation

Helping urban and Native youth to build a StrongMind, StrongBody and StrongCharacter

Make a donation at http://teamworksfoundation.org/donate/fund-a-child/

Attend our Annual Charity Dinner & Celebrity Golf Tournament – http://teamworksfoundation.org/events/event-tickets/

Who We Are

The TEAM-WORKS Foundation is a local non-profit founded by Mack Strong, retired Seattle Seahawk, and his wife Dr. Zoë Higheagle Strong, a Nez Perce Tribal member and PhD in educational psychology. In collaboration with experts in youth education, they created the unique youth development program, StrongMind, StrongBody, and StrongCharacter©. TEAM-WORKS pairs this curriculum with regular in-school mentoring and specialized summer camps and workshops to empower disadvantaged youth to:

• See their value in the community
• Think critically about their future
• Develop necessary skills to successfully pursue their potential in life

The Youth We Serve

TEAM-WORKS programs are designed to reach students from urban, indigenous, minority and impoverished communities with high rates of poverty, drug and alcohol abuse, crime and neglect. These youth have a high risk of dropping out of school and engaging in destruction behavior. Statistics show that:

• 29% of these youth fail to earn a high school diploma
• 20% of these youth are charged with an adult crime by age 24
• 67% of American Indian/Alaskan Native Youth earn a high school diploma

The Power of Mentoring Programs

TEAM-WORKS character development programs provide holistic, compassionate and culturally responsive mentoring to empower youth to overcome the challenges they face and successfully pursue their future. The StrongMind, StrongBody, StrongCharacter© curriculum helps students develop six character qualities: self-discipline, trustworthiness, respect, overcoming, a noble mindset, and generosity. Small group discussions and activities
mentor students in topic such as: conflict resolution, overcoming adversity, safe attitudes toward drugs and alcohol, social skills, time management, and goal setting to strengthen their academic skills and self-confidence. Youth who receive consistent and positive mentoring are:

• 46% less likely to use illegal drugs
• 27% less likely to drink alcohol
• Three times less likely to skip school than those who don’t

The Results of Our Programs

TEAM-WORKS evaluates student growth and progress through pre- and post-evaluations, and by monitoring school grades, attendance and behavior reports. These results, together with testimonies from teachers, parents, students and mentors, show that students who attended the TEAM-WORKS program throughout the school year show increased knowledge of:

• community and personal values
• problem-solving and critical reasoning skills
• social and communication skills
• academic engagement and performance
• reduced referrals for problem behavior at school

TEAM-WORKS Programs

In an effort to connect with as many under-served youth as possible, TEAM-WORKS runs three distinct programs during the year throughout the Northwest.

TEAM-WORKS In-school Academy

Through a unique partnership with the Highline School District, TEAM-WORKS In-school Academy is able to teach the StrongMind, StrongBody, StrongCharacter© curriculum to the areas hardest to reach urban students during the school day. During the 2015 academic school year and summer school months, our mentors worked with a diverse group of nearly 430 8th-grade students toward social and academic success, as well as their overall well-being.

TEAM-WORKS Sports, Leadership & Cultural Camp

During the summer months, TEAM-WORKS partners with local Native leaders, tribal communities and professional athletes to serve between 100 – 200 Native American students. TEAMWORKS Sports, Leadership & Cultural Camp mentors kids in 1st – 12th grade on the value of physical health, healthy life-styles choices, leadership skills, and academic achievement while embracing their Native culture.

The Native AC2A Workshop

TEAM-WORKS Native AC2A Transitional Workshop is specifically designed for incoming High School freshman and sophomore students to mentor them on the value of doing well school and aspiring toward a college degree. In collaboration with Native leaders and educators in the community, we provide leadership classes, games and activi- ties aimed at helping students establish a positive Attitude, make a personal Commitment to school and community, and set goals for Academic Achievement (AC2A).

TEAM-WORKS Funding

TEAM-WORKS provides these programs at no cost to schools, families or the communities they serve. To fund these vital mentoring programs, TEAM-WORKS relies on the generosity of the community, develops partnerships with corporate sponsors and grant donors, and holds two annual fundraisers each year. Your direct donations, partnerships and participation at our events enables TEAM-WORKS to not only run our current programs and to expand our reach throughout the Northwest.

Join us in helping youth to build a StrongMind, StrongBody and StrongCharacter

Website: http://teamworksfoundation.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MackStrongTeamWorks/
Email: info@teamworksacademy.org
Phone: 206-922-5340