Recap: Back to School Kickoff

Donte’s Boxing & Wellness Foundation had the opportunity to host a community back-to-school resource fair in partnership with the Montgomery County Collaboration Council and with support from our MCPS Community School partners. The purpose of this event was to share information that aligns with the ENOUGH Pillar of Safe and Thriving Communities. ENOUGH is a project funded by the Governor's Office For Children (GOC). Donte’s Foundation is an ENOUGH-aligned partner, and this event allowed us to build on the work we were funded to implement during 2026.

We provided a Free Youth Boxing Clinic for ages 10-18, followed by backpacks for giveaway, dedicated resource tables, refreshments, and connection time. We engaged our community members in a Participatory Action Research (PAR) survey activity to learn what they need to feel safe and thrive in their community, and what youth would like to achieve through boxing.

OUTCOME

PAR results showed that both youth and parents value safety, protection, and community to succeed. The desire for “respect” was a common theme among youth and adult responses; “self-defense” was a frequent response from youth as to why they want to box. This suggests that while youth and families value safety and respect, not everyone feels safe or respected. Many are seeking a solution to address or defend themselves against this vulnerability.

Based on feedback, youth and families enjoyed the resource fair and felt supported by the event and PAR activities. We plan to use the PAR results to inform our programming and invite deeper conversations with our community about their experiences so we can continue to be responsive and meet their needs.