Stanford and 49ers Hosting Camp for "At Risk" Youth at Stanford University

July 2, 2012 - PRLog -- Palo Alto, California, July 2, 2012. Riki Ellison, President and Founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA), in partnership with the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers, and Stanford University, has announced the opening of the Youth Impact Program at Stanford University, an academic STEM initiative coupled with football skills that runs through the month of July for "at risk" boys in the bay area.

The Youth Impact Program, now in its eighth year, will be one of the first in the Nation to lead a proactive focus on preventative concussion training with proper use and technique of contact in football for young boys entering the game for the first time. The football instructors, who also mentor the academics, are current Stanford football players who have all received certification for Concussion Prevention Training by USA Football and the NFL.

The founder of the program, former ten-year NFL veteran and three-time Super Bowl Champion with the 49ers Riki Ellison, stated "This program, not only in its academic access to "at risk" youth, is leading the Nation on the concussion issue by actively working to help prevent it with young players entering the game through the instruction of current players of the game".

The program is four weeks long, replicating summer school with a focus on English and math, in a NCAA student-athlete environment at one of our country's best academic learning and athletic prominent universities, Stanford University.  All clothing, food, transportation, equipment, and academic supplies are provided free of charge.  Teachers from the school districts of East Palo Alto and East San Jose participate along with 15 Stanford athletes in this academic experience that impacts and assists the "at risk" youth. Participants this year include the following schools:  the 49er Academy, Clyde Fischer Middle School, Willow Oaks Middle School, East Palo Alto Middle School, and San Jose Middle School. The camp runs from July 2nd through July 29th. The program manager is Darcy Stevens.

“I would personally like to thank our sponsors; NFL Charities, NFL Youth Football Fund, San Francisco 49ers Foundation, StubHub, Stanford University & Smart Technologies for their invaluable support in enabling this program to go forward”.

Media Notes:  Riki Ellison is available for interviews and may be reached at 703-299-0060.  The YIP Sports Information Director is Matt McCulley, and may be reached at matt@youthimpactprogram.org or 703-299-0060