Greg Kelser, Winning Futures To Host Unique Camp for Detroit Students

June 8, 2011 - PRLog -- Detroit, Mich. – One hundred Detroit Public School students entering high school will be learning skills this summer that should help them get around a basketball court and through their first year of high school with better success. The one-week camp June 20 through 24 at Renaissance High School sponsored by Powerlink Facilities Management Services and Sodexo will combine elements from former Detroit Piston Greg Kelser and the award-winning mentoring curriculum of Winning Futures.

The change from eighth to ninth grade is generally considered one of the most difficult transitions for students; those that do well in ninth grade have a much better chance of graduating from high school than those who struggle. “We planned the camp to give eighth graders more of the skills they will need to succeed in that first year in high school,” said Link Howard III, president and CEO of Powerlink Facilities Management Services. “What Greg Kelser can teach about focus and discipline from an athletic perspective will be supported and applied to academics and everyday life through the Winning Futures curriculum. It’s a powerful combination.”

“Sodexo is proud that our support of the Greg Kelser and Winning Futures summer camp allows 100 Detroit Public Schools' ninth-graders to get the athletic and academic jumpstart they need to succeed in high school,” said Steve Dunmore, president of Sodexo Education - Schools. “Sodexo's commitment to improving student well-being in support of advancing achievement in Detroit Public Schools mirrors the camp's mission, making this a perfect partnership.”

Greg Kelser, who was co-captain of the 1979 NCAA Championship Michigan State University basketball team, and later played with the Detroit Pistons said, “I am thrilled to be partnering with Sodexo, Powerlink and Winning Futures as we endeavor to provide a unique one-week camp experience for 100 graduating Detroit eighth graders. As our participants prepare for the exciting challenge of high school we hope to demonstrate to them that education and athletics can coexist and each can serve as a motivating factor for success in the other."

Kristina Marshall, President and CEO of Winning Futures said, “Young people who have participated in Winning Futures have shown improvements in attitudes, focus, teamwork skills, goal setting, and confidence. These are all critical characteristics for success in high school, and we are pleased to be working with Greg Kelser to nurture them at this unique camp.”

Background

Powerlink (www.powerlinkonline.com) is an ISO 9001-certified facilities management and maintenance services company whose professional staff follows industry standards for quality and process to help customers reduce costs, improve efficiency and gain higher customer satisfaction. With headquarters in Detroit, Powerlink’s professional service staff is seamlessly integrated at more than 200 customer sites.

Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, delivers On Site Service Solutions in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Motivation Solutions such as Esteem Pass. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $15 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog.

Gregory Kelser (www.gregorykelser.com) is an alumnus of Detroit Henry Ford High. He attended Michigan State University, where he was co-captain with Earvin “Magic” Johnson on the 1979 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship team. Kelser was both a basketball First Team All-American and a First Team Academic All-American. He later played for the Detroit Pistons, and continues as a broadcaster for Piston’s games on Fox Sports Detroit. Kelser’s popular basketball camps combine athletic conditioning and skill-building with daily messages emphasizing how extremely important the role education has been in his life. Kelser challenges every participant to pursue education with the same determination and energy he or she uses for sports.

Winning Futures (www.WinningFutures.org) is a 501(c)(3), non-profit goal setting, mentoring, and scholarship program for teens.  More than 20,000 students have been impacted and $1.5M has been awarded in scholarships since 1994. The organization's evidence-based life skills program has been implemented into agencies in 30 states. More than 90 percent of winning Futures' students continue their education past high school.  
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Note to Editors: With prior notice, media are welcome to cover camp activities on Tuesday, June 21 and Friday, June 24. Please contact Bob Rossbach by Monday, June 20 if you are planning to cover the camp or shoot video or still photographs.

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Powerlink Facilities Management Services hires and trains the best service professionals in the industry. An ISO 9001:2000 certified company.