Since Project FLEX launched in 2018, its young participants in the secure custody of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice have become regular visitors to NIU and Anderson Hall.
Now a new experience has taken place for everyone engaged in the initiative developed to provide exercise and life lessons through sport.
“For the first time ever, we are putting on a statewide basketball tournament that incorporates youth from all the facilities in Illinois to compete in,” says Jenn Jacobs, M. Nadine Zimmerman Endowed Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KNPE).
“We’re going to have five youth teams and three NIU teams,” she adds. “We will cater it, have a DJ/MC, NIU Vice President/Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean Fraizer as a motivational speaker and a championship game halftime performance from the NIU Latino Studies dance troupe and other campus groups. We’re also getting our KNPE students involved as refs, coaches, athletic trainers and fans.”
And there’s more.
Jacobs and FLEX cofounder Zach Wahl-Alexander, associate professor of Physical Education Teacher Education, also will cut the ribbon on their new Project FLEX lab.
“Our recent FLEX grant allowed for some funding to create a state-of-the-art space,” Jacobs says of the five-year, $2.55 million from the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice.
“This will be the space our graduate students gather for staff meetings to plan programming, as well as a space for the FLEX youth to use as a home base when visiting campus for our College Readiness Exposure Week leadership retreats,” she adds. “We also plan to use this as a gathering space for community partners and researchers who want to learn more about Project FLEX.”
