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When she was five years old, Julie (Juliana) Villanueva first stepped into a KidWorks’ classroom as a preschool student. Now a freshman business major at Orange Coast College, Julie overflows… Continue Reading
The program is centered around the game of soccer to develop biblical characteristics and leadership skills. This initiative perfectly aligns with our program success strategies of personal and spiritual development.
To lead the program and students is Anthony Cummings, KidWorks honorary staff member on loan with us through a partnership between UHSM (Unite Health Share Ministries)/WeShare) and KidWorks. Anthony is UHSM’s Director of Youth Leadership & Fireside Ministry.
Soccer is one of the most popular sports at KidWorks. “Ignite Youth Leadership provides an opportunity for high school students to coach their younger peers through this popular sport,” Anthony says. “The program is not so much about the game of soccer as it about instilling the Bible’s teachings about values such as respect, integrity, honor, self-discipline, kindness and more.”
Through the implementation of this new program at KidWorks, our youth will experience:
Anthony has an extensive background working with young people at elementary, middle school, high school and university levels to develop God-led leadership skills.
“God was calling me to take my knowledge around leadership and love of soccer to build something in places that are traditionally underserved,” Anthony says. “This soccer-based youth program aims to ‘ignite’ young people to become the best version of themselves and start to become who God created them to be.”
Adds Anthony, “Over nine years ago I founded the Los Angeles Football Club Youth Leadership Program. It continues today and is the first community program of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club. And the heart of that program is being instilled at the Ignite Youth Leadership Program but under a more overarching faith umbrella.”
There is no cost to students interested in joining Ignite Youth Leadership. It’s held in-person at the Dan Donahue Center’s sports court and there is also occasional online/virtual content.
Sign-ups for the program began in August and the deadline to apply is September 24th. Training will begin in November . Students and parents may find out more about the program and the enrollment process by contacting Anthony at: acummings@uhsm.org or Sonia Rios-Guzman (KidWorks’ Parent Engagement Coordinator) at sonia.rios@kidworks.org.
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