Maximizing Character is pleased to announce that Phase 2 of their grant funded MXC Thrive program is having its kickoff on this coming Saturday, December 5, 2020. This life skills program is being supported by the City of Hampton (Virginia) Office of Youth and Young Adult Opportunities (OYYAO). The OYYAO provides a youth violence prevention mini grant to nonprofit 501.c3 organizations to support youth and young adults in the city. In response to the mini grant core areas, Maximizing Character developed the MXC Thrive program to provide real opportunities to youth in order to prevent or reduce the occurrence of youth violence, therefore benefiting the citizens of their city and surrounding localities.
MXC Thrive aims to assist youth with developing character strengths as well as valuable life skills needed to increase their potential for success. The program's goals include preventing the occurrence of youth violence, increasing the potential for self-sufficiency, and increasing health and wellness outcomes for youth.
This marks Maximizing Character's second year of MXC Thrive. In 2019, the program was launched during the summer for male youth. It included a fitness boot camp and life skills summer camp and a fall youth violence prevention forum. Both were successful. This year, in the wake of a global pandemic, social injustice and economic crisis, Maximizing Character pivoted from facility and face to face life skills huddles to virtual and minimal face to face, usually outdoor, activities. Summer 2020 was a repeat of 2019, Maximizing Character hosted 6 young males for the MXC Thrive Life Skills and Fitness Bootcamp. Our weekday life skills sessions were virtual but chock full of icebreakers and nuggets of wisdom from community leaders. We wrapped up our summer session in the fall with an invite from one of our new community partners for a couple of gaming sessions on-site. We masked up and joined our host at his business center where the MXC Thrive enjoyed video games, pizza and fellowship. That was Phase 1 of this year's youth violence prevention program.
The MXC Thrive Success Skills Academy, Phase 2 of the youth violence prevention mini grant will take place bimonthly on Saturdays from 1 PM to 2:30 PM. Sessions are primarily virtual due to COVID-19. Our Maximizing Character leadership team will be teaching students how to thrive in areas of communication, money management, pre-employment skills, and positive and healthy lifestyles using an evidence based life skills curriculum called ARISE Brain Food. The Success Skills Academy will wrap up in May 2021 with a Cultural and Performing Arts Event, featuring the youth participants. We are excited about this developing initiative and hope to expand it to neighboring cities in the near future.