Stanford University and San Francisco 49ers Partner to Bring Youth Impact Program For "At-Risk" Boys to Stanford

EAST PALO ALTO, Calif., June 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of the Youth Impact Program and three-time Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers; along with Stanford Director of Athletics Bob Bowlsby; Stanford Head Football Coach David Shaw; and San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh; announced Monday that one of the nation's most innovative summer mentoring initiatives for disadvantaged youth, the Youth Impact Program, will hold its inaugural camp at Stanford University this summer.

With support from main sponsor StubHub as well as the NFL, Stanford University, SMART Technologies, the San Francisco 49ers, and Senator Dianne Feinstein, the program provides a month long academic curriculum that incorporates mentoring by Stanford football players and public school teachers to achieve an authentic NCAA student athlete experience for more than 100 at-risk inner city boys.

"As a former player for the San Francisco 49ers and longtime resident in the Bay Area," Ellison said during the ceremony, "it gives me great pleasure to bring a six-year proven program from across the nation that has measurable impacts in math, English, and life skills to disadvantaged youth."

Ellison also referenced the current economic challenges of California and our nation as a whole, emphasizing the capability of strong private partnerships of this magnitude to provide for disadvantaged youth. He enthusiastically remarked, "Together we are providing the tools, the support, the environment, the setting, the facilities and the people, to allow these young boys to dream big, be big, compete and become dream-makers in their own right and their own community."

On a similar note, Stanford Director of Athletics Bob Bowlsby stated, "We are very pleased and proud to be serving our community through the Youth Impact Program, and we are enthusiastic to be partnering with the 49ers to provide football skills development and academic support to Bay Area youngsters."

Additionally, Senator Dianne Feinstein in a written statement praised both the 49ers and Stanford saying "I am proud the 49ers have teamed up with my alma mater, Stanford University, to bring this innovative and important program to the Bay Area and provide young men with mentoring, academic support, guidance counseling, and character development.  I congratulate Riki Ellison, the 49ers and the leadership at Stanford for working together to help motivate, inspire and change the lives of at-risk youth in our community."

The camp made up of 6th, 7th and 8th grade boys in the local middle schools of East San Jose and East Palo Alto will be drawing these "at-risk" young men from the 49ers Academy, Quimby Oaks, Luther Burbank, Willow Oaks, and Fischer Middle Schools.

Ellison closed his comments by personally thanking all major contributors including the NFL Youth Football Fund, SMART Technologies, and especially StubHub, a Bay Area organization consistently involved in sports to help our community, for their integral sponsorship role. The camp will begin July 5th and runs through the 29th of the month on the Stanford campus.

For more information on the Youth Impact Program, contact Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder at 703-299-0060 or consult their website: www.youthimpactprogram.org.

SOURCE Youth Impact Program

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