OUR START:
Ryan Wolfington named the Foundation after tennis and humanitarian legend Marty Hennessy in 2004. VIDEOS
TEAM BRYAN - Sports
https://youtu.be/o6YAzxidODo
KELLY CLARKSON - Cherriel & Jewel
https://youtu.be/SGEC32ORF28
Foundation video - Woz
https://youtu.be/NfpQA5hmwvQ
SALT - Jewel & Ryan talk
https://youtu.be/9AyISPN8g-Y
Jewel surprised by Cherriel
https://youtu.be/K7vpX60FN
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FIGHT SONG - Music video
https://youtu.be/HoX3FIloYiU
HARVARD PROFESSOR EVALUATING OUR PROGRAM
https://youtu.be/QAlqCbn-_VY
MOLLY’S GAME interview with Cherrial: Cherrial interview with author Molly Bloom from “Molly’s Game. https://youtu.be/lApd8KRIliY
TENNIS CHANNEL FEATURE STORY AT US OPEN: This video was done by the Tennis Channel focusing on Cherrial Odell’s story to highlight our tennis and mental health program. This young girl got a scholarship to Stanford university and is one of the most joyful people you’ll ever meet. https://youtu.be/qZRbxo5Akew
MISSION
The Foundation's mission is to revolutionize education by providing an ideal model of youth development in underserved communities. This model includes a holistic approach including physical, emotional and mental health. By creating a community of care where the ecosystem and children heal each other, sharing openly in meaningful conversation, lives are transformed. The leadership program provides youth with a "psychology for life," with the goal of changing the children’s mindset, to help them deeply appreciate their opportunities, and give their best in everything they do. Through academics, athletics, mentoring, entrepreneur skills, emotional and mental health and our award winning project driven learning programs, our youth leaders create their own “Life Plan.” This comprehensive plan inspires children to figure out who they are and who they want to become, with a detailed set of actions steps on how to get there. This coupled with our award winning programming has helped our organization create a revolutionary model of education that is now being duplicated by 22 other organizations. SUMMARY
For nearly two decades, Jewel’s Inspiring Children Foundation (ICF) has been empowering children struggling with financial hardship, anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation by giving them the ultimate environment to survive, then thrive at the highest levels. With teenage su***de up 70%, anxiety and depression doubling, (now even worse due to COVID), we have been at the forefront of helping to solve this epidemic. The program arms at-risk youth with a whole human approach to be physically, emotionally and mentally healthy in a fun and inspirational way, both online and in person. This ecosystem of excellence includes peer-to-peer programs and tools facilitated by our foundation’s lived experience experts and volunteers that emphasize the need for: Emotional intelligence, SEL, mindfulness/meditation, DBT, Trauma therapy/informed care, meaningful & open conversation, mentoring, recovery, leadership development, entrepreneur skills, nutrition, yoga, recreational and high performance tennis, sports, sleep science, and academics. A majority of the programs and foundation roles are run by the children. Children gain know-how, an understanding of themselves, and confidence by earning their way in our real life “project-driven learning” volunteer program. Our youth who graduated our award-winning leadership program have been so academically, athletically and personally developed that 95% have been offered scholarships and admissions into college, many of which are considered the best in the world, including: Stanford, The Air-Force Academy, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Georgetown, University of Pennsylvania - Wharton School of Business, Brown, Dartmouth, Williams, UNLV, Columbia, Naval Academy, USC, Vanderbilt and 100 more. Most importantly, these children are being armed with a “psychology for life” that helps them generate their own motivation, peace of mind and contentment as self-actualized leaders. BY THE NUMBERS
42 Million earned in college scholarships
$4 Million annual budget
1.6 Million people served online
1,700 Annual mentoring sessions with youth and families
1,000 Children received tennis, mentoring and education programming annually
160 College Alumni
95% of TEAM BRYAN student-athletes earn college scholarships
50 in Elite TEAM BRYAN leadership program
45 Youth interns
30 Parent volunteers
25 Players ranked top 50 in USA sports
25 Jobs provided annually to alumni & parents
8 Players earned top 10 USA athletic rankings
7 Players reached #1 in America
95% of our students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
55% of our students are female and 45% are male.
80% of our students are people of color.
30% are Hispanic, 25% are African American, 20% are Asian, 20% are caucasian and 5% are Native American. IMPACT
ONLINE
1,600,000 Twitch - INSPIRE HOUSE Viewers
104,000 Attend our World Mental Health Day Summit & Concert
82,000 JewelNeverBroken.com Subscribers
5,000 Social Media Followers (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter)
IN PERSON
125,000 Wellness Experience Festival Participants
6,000 Mindfulness Curriculum scaled into OH School District
2,500 Marty Hennessy Tennis Program
1,000 Multi-Generational Mentoring Program
150 Leadership Program
BUDGET
We operate on a $4 million annual budget which comprises of a $2 million cash budget and $2 million in-kind budget. Thanks to the Wolfington Family Foundation, 100% of our overhead is covered so every dollar that’s donated goes directly to inspiring children :)
PROGRAMS
JEWEL NEVER BROKEN
Thanks to Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Jewel through her Never Broken program she is helping us revolutionize education with a cutting-edge model that completely transforms the lives of at-risk youth with online and in person mental health, mindfulness and meditation, trauma informed care, DBT and group therapy. The website which was created by Jewell and the children provides mindfulness tools and has 82,000 participants. The site has had a tremendous impact on the lives of people all over the world. These websites have allowed us to scale our best in class curriculum and share it with the world. Jewel offers these free mental health tools online, including mindfulness exercises @ JewelNeverBroken.com
THE WELLNESS EXPERIENCE
In Denver and Cincinnati we are able to take our groundbreaking curriculum with Jewel and put it into 3 day festival’s to bring physical, emotional, and mental health and music to the masses in an inspirational and fun way. 125,000 people have attended our festivals to experience 500 different healthy food and product samples, brands and activations. We had over 100 musicians, thought leaders and experts, all with a passionate emphasis on physical and mental health. Foundation Youth accounted for 50% of the staff and ten of our children participated on panels about mental health . Every stage was managed by our foundation youth, 100% of the community outreach and promotion, mental health programming and 50% of all festival operations were done by foundation youth as part of our highly educational project driven learning program. MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITY ONLINE INSPIRE HOUSE on twitch
INSPIRE HOUSE is a mental health community created by Foundation youth, for youth during and now after quarantine. The community offers music, daily yoga, meditation, meaningful conversation, fitness, nutrition, inspirational challenges, mental health and leadership talks to help youth rise above this adversity to find their best selves. To date we have had over 1.2 million viewers on our page.
The Children responded to the pandemic and quarantine by creating this extraordinary mental health community that has evolved to now host “Music and Mental Health” online shows, and a variety of concerts and summits. Our INSPIRE HOUSE mental health community is at Twitch.tv/INSPIREHOUSE . TEAM BRYAN Tennis, Arts and Academics
Thanks to Bob & Mike Bryan, the #1 tennis team in history, and a partnership with the NO QUIT Tennis Academy, the Foundation has been able to offer youth a best in class high performance sports, academics and arts program in the US, now rated too 5 according the the Tennis Channel. The program has helped develop seven players to become #1 in the USA, over 50 to become top 25 in USA and hundreds who have national rankings, state, sectional and national titles. This includes five NCAA championships and a handful of professional titles. The program is best in class, providing the character development, focus and discipline sports inspires. WOLFINGTON FAMILY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
The Wolfington Family leadership development program gives youth the same personal and professional development tools, retreats, entrepreneur skills and know-how that corporate executives get. Through our copyrighted “Life Plan” system children figure out who they are and who they want to become. They create business plans on how they can "earn their way," ultimately discovering the confidence that comes from self-sufficiency and right choices. MINDFULNESS AND LEADERSHIP RETREATS
Thanks to JeweL, The Taylor family, Rita Rudner & Martin Bergman, Derek Huntsinger, Sanford family, Wolfington family, The National Tennis Foundation and the Durst family, Kerry Clasby and Malibu Farms, the children are able to take a step back from their circumstances through retreats to figure out who they are and who they want to become, and how they want to get there. These retreats include Leadership talks, physical, emotional and mental health opportunities including; yoga, meditation, meaningful conversation and healing that tends to happen as a by-product of being in nature and around a supportive team. These retreats include Zion and Lake Mead national parks, the BVI environmental studies retreat, West Coast and East Coast leadership retreats, Alumni Mentoring Retreats, RV travel retreats, and Desert meditation retreats. MULTI-GENERATIONAL MENTORING PROGRAM
The way in which our foundation youth, alumni, staff and supporters take a deep and personal interest into each other’s lives is transformational. With daily in person, and online updates and conversations one on one and in small groups we have seen children go from the most challenging of times to the most inspiring of times. Children organically fall into our eco-system that has a tradition of helping one other to become their best selves. Alumni, donors, coaches and staff spend the time for one on one and group mentor meals and discussions. The young inspire and mentor the old and vice versa. When one child is down the others bring them up by setting great examples, sharing struggles, insights and victories. When asked at what age the program ends, in regards to mentoring it seems never. We have found the alumni into their 39’s are still gaining getting wisdom, and mentorship from our donors, supporters, and youth. Equally our youth continue to get the same. Everyone from all ages and backgrounds are still inspiring one another and participating in big and small ways that make it a very diverse, inclusive, positive and supportive ecosystem. PROJECT DRIVEN LEARNING
Our “Project Driven Learning” program is The future of education where children learn by doing simple to very complex real life projects. 60% of the Foundation’s programs, functions and operations are created by and run by the foundation youth. 90% of the Foundations operations include youth. The Foundation is run by the children for the children, where everyone earns their scholarship by finding their interests and filling that role within the organization. Learning through significant real life projects helps the youth to discover and be immersed in their passions, strengths and interests. Thanks for our partnerships with our Advisory Board Co-Chairs Jewel, and Bob and Mike Bryan, as well as our significant partnerships with the National Tennis Foundation, Richard Branson’s Necker Cup, Cirque du Soleil One Drop, and the WTT Vegas Rollers professional sports franchise, our children are given real volunteer opportunities, from doing tasks, bring an ambassador to high level leadershio and operational roles. Through our own events including high level fundraisers, national tournaments and our very large flagship festivals like Wellness Your Way and the World Mental Health Day Summitt and Concert, our children create the business plans from scratch and then execute on nearly every role. This is also true with most of our programs and functions within the foundation. We empower youth to be self-led, critical thinkers who know how to solve problems, work hard as a team, to do extraordinary things, all while building very meaningful connections within themselves, with their family, and friends. They are often given projects gradually overtime that to push them beyond their present capabilities, teaching them in a variety of ways how to grow and to take their laws and abilities to the next level. INSPIRE LEADERSHIP TALKS
Our leadership talk series has speakers from all walks of life to share their insights on what it takes to overcome adversity to be contented, inspired and successful. The children get the chance to ask questions, share their stories and build relationships. Past speakers have included a US President, Senators and CEO’s, Hall of Fame athletes, philanthropists, humanists, fellow students and alumni and various thought leaders. GROUP LEADERSHIP TALKS
We have found our most profound and meaningful talks taking place daily in large and small groups where the children share what they are going through, their challenges, insights, highlights and life experience. This has resulted in a level of inspiration, healing and connecting as a community that is beyond words to describe. These take place daily in the office, over mentor meals and more so at our leadership retreats. FAMILY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
For children and families that have been displaced, homeless or facing extreme poverty, the Foundation provides grants, assistance and help with housing and life’s essentials. This includes the mentoring, counseling and physical, emotional and mental health care they would need had they been your own child. We refer youth to physicians and help them to get all of the support they need to not only survive but to thrive at the highest levels. This includes living and transportation expenses and a program that has an emphasis on recovery, healing and earning their way. Thanks to the Wolfington Family and Kelly Price we have access to three homes, including a boys and a girls house. Each house has a “house” parent/guardian that oversees the students and helps them in their transition to stability and joy. DISCLAIMER:
Our activities and programs include group discussions, activities and tools that lean on research, literature and tools created from experts and thought leaders in the fields of DBT, trauma therapy, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, sports psychology, nutritionists, sleep science, physical, emotional and mental health. If anyone has issues with anxiety, depression, or suicidal ideation, or any other physical, emotional or mental health challenges we encourage you to get diagnosed and treated by a medical professional and NOT by our content, materials, tools, peer or staff input. We are solely here to provide are a safe and inspirational place where people can share and open up about their lives, and to practice working on their growth, healing and education. Just like you go to a gym to get physically fit, but to a doctor to address a physical ailment, people are welcome into our programs to get physically, emotionally, socially, and mentally fit, but all emotional and mebtal ailment need to addressed with a doctor. We do not diagnose or treat any medical issues or prescribe medication to program participants. We suggest people do their own research, talk to specialists and doctors for medical advice. Be aware that any and all input or opinions by our curriculum, staff, facilitators, speakers or participants given is each persons personal experience or opinion and not the opinion of the organization. We suggest you never listen to these opinions in the place of advice from a medical professional. ICF is a growth mindset based healing community that focuses on helping people to find their best selves. We are like the wholistic gym of the future where you can meet like minded people who want to work to improve all aspects of themselves. To be diagnosed or treated for anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, ED’s or any other physical or mental health challenges please seek out and only listen to your doctor. Our programs, along with the contents of our website, are for informational purposes only. This website is not for emergency or crisis help. Our programs are not intended to provide mental health diagnosis, counseling or treatment. You should always seek the immediate or timely advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on our website or heard from our staff or participants! If you or someone you know is in crisis right now, please call the Su***de Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. If you require emergency help, please call 911 or go to your local hospital emergency room.”
We are NOT certified mental or physical health specialists. We are NOT doctors, physicians, psychologists, or psychotherapists. We DO NOT diagnose or prescribe. We are a peer-to-peer mentoring program that is facilitated by lived experience experts and people in the midst of their healing and growth process.
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Our programs and websites, including text, programs, content, videos, personal conversations, tools, graphics, and images, is furnished as an informational resource only and place to be open and to share, and is NOT a substitute for the knowledge, skill, and judgment of qualified psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians and healthcare professionals. This information does not constitute any affiliation, endorsement or promotion by The Inspiring Children Foundation, it’s staff, soeakers, partners or participants, and this information is not intended to be relied upon for medical diagnosis or treatment. The Content, information, comments, opinions, advise or guidance, programs and activities do not constitute medical or legal advice and is not intended to be relied upon to cure, diagnose, or treat any mental or physical health condition. The Foundation does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, adequacy, or completeness of this information. Information accessed on or through our staff, programs or websites/socials is neither complete nor exhaustive and does not cover all mental health concerns, diagnoses, disabilities, illnesses, and physical conditions or their management or treatment. Do not rely on us for medical care or advice. Should you have any health, medical, or disability questions or concerns, please consult a physician or other healthcare professional. Never disregard, avoid, or delay obtaining advice from your licensed mental health care provider because of something you have read or experienced through our foundation. This program and content does not provide counseling or crisis intervention services. Individuals in need of these services should contact their health care provider or community mental health center or the National Su***de Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). If you or someone you know is having immediate thoughts of self-harm, su***de, or harm to others, immediately call 911.
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The Inspiring Children Foundation is not a direct service organization. ICF does not recommend or endorse any clinicians, counselors, psychiatrists, social workers, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the website. Reliance on any information provided by our foundation resources, employees, others appearing on the website at the invitation of our foundation, or other visitors to the website is solely at your own risk. The website and the content are provided on an "as is" basis.”
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Moreover, this information should not replace consultation with your doctor or other qualified mental health providers and/or specialists. I
Links to other websites are provided solely as a courtesy and references in the links are not-endorsed, approved or sponsored by ICF. ICF does not verify the accuracy of the information on those websites. You must rely on the advice of your medical providers for treatment and diagnosis and not on the information contained in these websites or shared by our organization or it’s staff and partners. Use of this site and any other website to which a link is provided remains the responsibility of the user.
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Only a licensed physician should evaluate your situation, provide a diagnosis, or render other medical advice to you, and you should act only upon the advice of such physician. Medical treatment should be sought immediately upon the onset of symptoms, without regard to the content of this website. By accessing the website, you acknowledge that any decision to use any content or service available through this website or to take or not take any action based on information contained herein is your sole decision, based on your independent evaluation. Similarly, ICF is not liable for any action you may take based on any advice the provider of which claims to have relied on medical information contained herein. Further, ICF is not liable for your reliance on any information published in any medium by any other institution or organization identified in any manner on this website. As to the materials presented on this website, ICF makes every effort to ensure that its sources of information are accurate, reliable and up-to-date, but it makes no express or implied warranties or representations that the information contained herein is correct, complete, unbiased or useful. ICF is not liable for any errors or omissions in the materials herein presented or for any use you or others may make of the materials presented.
