Yale University presents theThomas W. Ford '42 Community Outreach Program
Committed to Merging Yale Athletics with the New Haven Community
Community Involvement:The Thomas W. Ford ’42 Community Outreach Program was established in 1996 and has continued to grow each year though the efforts of our student-athletes and coaching staffs. The mission statement of the Ford Outreach Program is to:
The program is run by our Student-Athlete Community Outreach Committee (COC), which is made up of at least one representative from all 35 of our varsity teams. Yale Athletics is committed to providing opportunities for New Haven youth that many other Universities throughout the country have had to cut due to budget restrictions. The Ford Outreach program supports a number of sporting clinics, athletic activities, and mentoring opportunities throughout the academic year which are listed below, as well as a free summer camp for hundreds of New Haven Youth, The National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) at Yale University. NYSP at Yale The 2011 National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) had over 225 campers partake in a five week summer camp that combines athletic activities and academic instruction. In its fourteenth year at Yale, NYSP is a free program that provided transportation, breakfast, lunch, and many more opportunities to New Haven Youth. The camp is held in Payne Whitney Gymnasium and offers Basketball, Dance, Football, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, and Volleyball, as well as Alcohol & Drug Awareness, Health & Nutrition and Math & Science. Thomas W. Ford ’42 Community Outreach ProgramsBig Brothers/Big Sisters Mentoring Program matches New Haven Youth with a Yale Student-Athlete to meet weekly for homework help, games, and field trips. Bulldog Buddies Student-Athletes visit Troupe elementary school every Friday to help kids with homework and to play sports in the gym. Holiday Gift Giving Initiative 31 Varsity Teams sponsored families who could not afford holiday presents and bought kids the gifts on their wish lists; such as iPods, Sporting equipment, and board games. New Haven Tennis Outreach (NHTO) NHTO is a non-profit youth development program for students in grades 3-12. The program is directed towards children from low-income families that otherwise would not have access to high-quality academic guidance or athletic instruction. Undergraduates from the Yale Varsity Tennis Teams will mentor the program’s students year-round; providing consistent tennis lessons and one-on-one academic. Skate with the Teams The men’s and women’s hockey teams host hundreds of youth at Ingalls Rink to skae with the players before an autograph session with their favorite bulldogs. Squash Haven A year-round after-school enrichment program for New Haven youths to promote academic, athletic, and personal growth through a program of squash instruction, and community service. Walter Camp Foundation ‘Stay in School’ Rally As part of the Walter Camp All American Football Weekend at Yale, football student-athletes go to New Haven public schools to talk about their importance of staying in school. Yale Community Rowing For over ten years, Yale student-athletes and coaches have taught youth the sport of Crew on the Housatonic River at Yale’s Gilder Boathouse. Yale Swim New Haven Members of both the men’s and women’s swim teams volunteered to get in the pool for this inaugural year, in which over 30 kids learned every Spring Saturday how to swim in the Payne Whitney Gym. Youth Days Hundreds of youth came to Yale Athletic facilities to watch varsity teams compete as part of an entire day of student-athlete clinics, barbeques, free t-shirts, autograph sessions, face painting, and more. Fall Youth Day at the Yale Bowl has taken place for over 50 years and continues to be at the most well attended outreach event of the year.
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