Combing Education and Sports....Education is Number One!

"Grinding" Away in "The Lab"

    Within the city of Lancaster there sits a store front building on the 400 Block of North Queen Street.  A place where 35 students from various walks of life come together a few times a week to improve their lives and work towards their futures.  A place where academics is what counts and making yourself a better person is what matters.  The building is home to the Children Deserve a Chance Foundation; a non-profit organization whose ultimate goal is to provide a safe and uplifting atmosphere where students can receive help with homework, set and accomplish goals, plan for college and obtain emotional support. Our objective is to be a beacon of hope to adolescents who are in high-risk areas, where they may be surrounded with drugs and gangs and are in need of positive role models.

    Our students belong to the BowTie Program, which is dedicated to providing an environment conducive to educational, emotional, and social success. We work closely with students to develop individualized plans of action with one goal in mind; getting every child into college. We are constantly doing research on how to accomplish that goal for all learning styles and personality types.  It is important that we develop relationships with the students, parents and educators to ensure a recurring theme of success. 

    The expectations we have for our students are high and we refuse to allow mediocrity.  While focusing on three specific areas, Enhanced Literacy, Entrepreneurship, and Mentoring, our students are always required to spend at least five hours a week at our facility, maintain a 3.0 GPA, attend all classes and participate in extracurricular activities, all while researching potential colleges and careers.  Graduates of our program will possess the tools necessary to allow them to make a difference. 

    Since 2004 our students have shown us that every day presents something new and exciting.  We hope that by providing guidance and support, our students will continue to reach their goals and be able to be a positive role model to others in the future.   

Our Founder

    Jordan often awoke in the middle of the night dreaming of the excitement he felt leading up to the day he scored his 1000th basketball point during his senior year at Conestoga Valley High School. In the midst of his excitement, his mother diverted his attention to an article in the newspaper about his fellow classmate, James Kline. Like Jordan, James was a good student who possessed tons of school spirit and loved sports. Sadly to say, the article that day was not focused on that. James was in need of life-saving brain surgery due to his lifelong battle with epilepsy.

    As Jordan began to know James on a more personal level, he felt compelled to do something to make a difference in James' life. Jordan always had an unexplainable desire to change the world, and he knew with the power of passion and persuasion he could move the basketball fans in his hometown to support this cause.

    The week leading up to game day, Jordan began to inform the entire class body about James. He also organized a fundraiser during half time and raised more than one dollar for every point he had scored during his high school basketball career. Nothing topped the feeling during that moment. He knew this was just the beginning to a life goal and journey.

    Following the operation, James and his mother came to Jordan’s house to express the gratitude they had for helping him receive the operation that saved his life. James conveyed how he was forever changed by the surgery. It confirmed the path that the foundation had undertaken. Nothing could ever top the feeling that comes with helping another person in life.