PLAYBruce Lees Little Dragons
The Bruce Lee’s Little Dragons program will provide life confidence skills and martial arts training to at-risk and underprivileged youth in the Los Angeles County area, using Bruce Lee as a vehicle to inspire confidence and motivate action within our next generation. The program will give kids who have a sincere desire to pursue Martial Arts like Bruce, but simply cannot afford to do so, the opportunity to participate.
In what areas of Los Angeles will you be directly working?
County of Los Angeles
How do you plan to use these resources to make change?
Conduct research
Engage residents and stakeholders
Implement a pilot or new project
Expand a pilot or a program
How will your proposal improve the following PLAY metrics?
Number of children enrolled in afterschool programs
Percentage of residents that feel safe in their neighborhoods
Describe in greater detail how you will make LA the best place to PLAY.
From a young age Bruce Lee found himself in situations many of today’s youth can relate to. Bullying, street fighting, searching for ways to boost self-confidence and self-awareness to prepare for life in the real world. At 13, Bruce acted on his sincere desire to start training in martial arts. The rest...is history.
Our youth deserves a philosophy to help them become more true, more whole, and more connected. Studying martial arts is proven to help kids increase self-confidence, self-discipline, self-esteem, focus, social skills and connect mind & body. As an organization based in Culver City, with staff and family living in Los Angeles County, it is imperative to us that the youth in our greater community are provided the tools and opportunities they need to be the best version of themselves possible, which can only stand to benefit the city of Los Angeles and foster it's future ambassadors.
By partnering with existing after school care providers such as Boys & Girls Club, and piloting programs within middle and high schools in the LA county area (targeting lower income areas), the Bruce Lee's Little Dragons program will use Bruce Lee as a vehicle to educate, motivate and inspire the youth in our community.
In the first 12 months, 10 qualified martial arts and self-defense instructors, hand-picked by the Bruce Lee Foundation, will be sent to a group of 120 clubs and schools within the LA county area for a period of 4 weeks at a time - one 2-hour lesson per week, with an average of 20 kids per class. The curriculum will include entry level physical training in martial art and self defense, an introduction to personal health and wellbeing, bully defense group discussions and sharing Bruce Lee's insights into personal self-cultivation; to honestly express yourself. It is our goal to reach 2400 students within the first 12 months.
Please explain how you will evaluate your work.
The three core KPI's we will monitor are:
1) Initial and Repeat Attendance
2) Personal Application
3) Expansion of Club and School Locations
INITIAL AND REPEAT ATTENDANCE
We are confident the iconic energy and cultural relevance of Bruce Lee will encourage initial excitement and strong attendance. A "full" class will be considered 20 kids. A core measure of success will be the repeat attendance of students and the continuation of "full" classes.
PERSONAL APPLICATION
We will work with relevant club and school staff to determine the social effects our curriculum is having on a student by way of their interaction with other students, performance in their studies and extra curricular activities, personal drive and goal setting.
EXPANSION OF CLUB AND SCHOOL LOCATIONS
In addition to a focus on the individual and the class environment, a key metric of success will be the number of requests to implement the program in new locations around the county.
How can the LA2050 community and other stakeholders help your proposal succeed
Money (financial capital)
Publicity/awareness (social capital)
Community outreach
Network/relationship support