Coaching For Change, Inc
Marquis Taylor
Program Area: Poverty Alleviation & Economic Development
Location of Impact:Brockton, MA
Bold Idea: Empower urban teens to overcome social and structural barriers with a sports coaching-based entrepreneurship and leadership program.
Why I'm Passionate About This: In Brockton, MA, 72 percent of students live in low-income households and only 50% of enrolled 9th graders ever make it to college. As a teenager, school had very little relevance to me; all I cared about was playing sports. I was lucky to have adults in my life who changed my mind-set, but so many others don’t have this kind of network of support. In 2009 on a business trip to the Mississippi Delta, I met teens living in poverty, discarding the value of education and instead idolizing sports and entertainment. I left my corporate role to create a program that would connect business, sports, and education to change the lives of young people. Coaching for Change teaches entrepreneurship and team building skills through teen-run sporting events and coaching partnerships. Paired with academic tutoring by successful local role models, Coaching for Change equips student to achieve as individuals, learn transferable leadership skills, and re-invest in their communities.
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