Activities are designed to help students learn about self, family, community, environment, health, safety, and the world. These fun, after-school learning centers focus primarily on academic activities. Crusaders have an opportunity to develop and practice positive attitudes and social skills while learning about themselves, other cultures, and appropriate risk-taking. Mentors commit to one academic year in which they work with a Crusader to develop and maintain a positive attitude about school and life. Each year the Crusade partners with elementary schools in our seven target cities and towns to recruit new third graders into our programs.
Elementary school participate in a competitive grant process to become an enrollment school.
Only third grade children attending these school can become new Crusaders. A listing of this year's partners appears in the listing of 1998-99 Program Sites. Advocates help to seek out and link Crusaders to services that enhance the likelihood of academic, social, personal, and vocational success of individual Crusaders. Advocates work to build collaborative relationships among Crusaders, parents, school staff, and the community. Crusaders work together to build self-esteem, to develop their social and negotiating skills, and to learn life skills such as goal setting.