Team Prime Time Team Prime Time is a truly innovative and comprehensive after-school intervention program that runs from 3 to 6 p.m. on middle school campuses, when juvenile crime is at its peak. Team Prime Time does far more than keep kids off the streets. It provides a supportive and exciting environment based upon personalized interaction with a professional staff and a creative curriculum that combines academics, athletics, leadership training, and mentoring in a unique manner that helps at-risk students realize their full potential. Westcoast Sports Associates has partnered with Team Prime Time to make their unique programs even better, by sponsoring the WSA Prime Time Cup, and to make it available to more deserving at-risk students, by adding a learning group (which includes a staff member, eight at-risk students, and up to 16 developmentally disabled students) at the Palms Middle School site. Read on to learn more on the WSA Cup and Prime Time's programs: Population Served by Team Prime Time At-risk middle school students from low-income communities in Los Angeles Students who qualify for aid programs, including Federal Free Lunch Program, AFDC, and Title I Curriculum Overview Academics: Within the academic component, three concrete priorities are emphasized. The first priority is to make sure students are completing homework and performing well in their classes. The second priority is to identify areas of academic need (including literacy) and address them through the use of our Individualized Tutorial Plans. Team Prime Time is able to closely monitor student progress and create these ITPs through regular communication with teachers and the counseling office. Our third priority is to expose the kids to valuable learning opportunities beyond the standard school day through supplemental challenge activities (that emphasize problem-solving and teamwork) and through educational field trips. Athletics: The athletics component -- beyond improving skills and understanding of sports -- enhances self-esteem, builds confidence, teaches teamwork, and promotes a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, as exciting new research indicates, athletic participation has a positive effect on academic performance. For many, Team Prime Time is their only chance to participate in organized sports. As a result, the opportunity to enjoy sports on a daily basis provides incentive to maintain regular attendance at school and in the program. Each sport segment culminates in the WSA Prime Time Cup, a tournament that brings teams from each TPT site together to compete in a structured, team-oriented event for the honor of holding the new WSA Cup aloft (see picture). These tournaments help reinforce academic accountability, as student-athletes must meet CIF standards for eligibility to participate. Leadership: The leadership component is designed to give the students the desire and the means to proactively improve their community and themselves. To this end, TPT has formed a unique and innovative partnership with the Special Olympics of Southern California called the Special Olympics-PRIME TIME program. After undergoing an extensive training program, TPT's at-risk middle school students serve as coaches and mentors for developmentally disabled students, demonstrating skills they learned in the TPT athletics component. Ultimately, the students feel valued and respected, greatly enhancing their self-esteem, which positively impacts all areas of their lives. The leadership program also gives students the chance to meet guest speakers from around the community who introduce them to previously unknown opportunities for gainful employment and avenues available to take advantage of them. Mentoring Program: Our low student-to-counselor ratio of 8:1 (not including volunteers) means our counselors are not just supervisors -- they become coaches and mentors, adults these children can consistently rely upon and trust. This low ratio is crucial because it ensures that each child receives quality, personalized attention in the classroom and on the playing field. Team Prime Time is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, Tax ID # 95-4846644. To learn more, visit http://www.teamprimetime.org. [ return to Charities main page ]