| For Immediate Release
August 1, 2014 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718Farrah Emami Spokesperson Office: 714-347-8405 Cell: 714-323-4486 |
*AT-RISK YOUTH HIKE TO THE TOP IN SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST*
STUDENTS WHO OVERCAME ACADEMIC SLUMP TO BE REWARDED WITH SUMMER CAMP EXPERIENCE THROUGH ANTI-GANG INITIATIVE
SANTA ANA – Sixteen standout students participating in the Orange County Gang Reduction and Intervention Partnership (OC GRIP) will be provided a fun, free summer camp experience, all in an ongoing effort to keep local children out of gangs. The Pythian Youth Foundation will host these students for the duration of the summer camp. The students chosen to attend the summer camp were selected based upon their significant improvement and achievements in school. They include young students from the OC GRIP program in Santa Ana. The 5-day summer camp begins on Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, and concludes Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. The summer camp will be held at the Pythian Youth Camp in the Sequoia National Forest. The students will be leaving from the City of Tustin and will travel by bus to the camp location in the Sequoia National Forest.
Media wishing to be present at pick-up need to be at 397 El Camino Real at Main Street, City of Tustin by 7:00 a.m.
The Pythian Youth Foundation, a non-profit group dedicated to enhancing the growth and development of disadvantaged children, reached out to OC GRIP earlier this year offering OC GRIP organizers several spots in their summer camp program for at-risk youth. The participating students will have an exciting opportunity to interact with Mother Nature in the heart of the Sequoia National Forest by participating in nature walks, arts and crafts, hikes, and various other summer camp activities to help curb the causes of juvenile delinquency. Thanks to the generosity of the foundation and its donors, all costs associated with the summer camp will be covered, allowing the children and their families to enjoy the summer camp experience without worrying about financial costs.
OC GRIP organized this event in collaboration with the Pythian Youth Foundation and aims to decrease gang activity through increased participation in schools and positive extracurricular programs. OC GRIP also aims to increase school attendance, decrease gang activity, and currently works with various elementary and middle schools on gang suppression, intervention for at-risk students, gang information forums, parent and faculty education, and parent-involvement meetings. Through increased involvement and a continuation of community support, these at-risk children will be better able to build their self-esteem, foster a new perspective on life, and obtain a restored sense of hope for their future in the uplifting environment provided by the Pythian Youth Foundation.
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