ATHLETICS UPDATE

Community Initiative

The Decatur Township school district recently implemented “Hawks Helping Hawks”, an initiative of community engagement and learning, with the goal of impacting Decatur communities and providing the most meaningful experiences for students. The three primary programs of “Hawks Helping Hawks” are Champions of Character, Healthy Hawks and Hawks Giving Hope. Through this robust community initiative, DC Athletics, the student body and staff all hope to help positively impact lives and change the world.

Champions of Character

Champions of Character is dedicated to supporting and improving our youth’s social, emotional and academic development in the local community. Through this program, student-athletes are assigned to Decatur Township Elementary School and Decatur Middle School to serve as mentors for younger students. The goal of Champions of Character is to enhance youth’s learning skills while building resiliency and self-control through the support of a caring, consistent mentor.

Healthy Hawks

Continuing our partnership with Community Hospital and Decatur Township Food Services, the Healthy Hawks program encourages children to take part in physical activity and make healthy choices in school and at home both nutritionally and behaviorally. This program also offers student-athletes the opportunity to serve as leaders in our Junior Hawks program. At Decatur Township schools, we strongly believe thatestablishing a healthy routine is essential for our students in order to improve and maintain their overall wellness.

Hawks Giving Hope

Hawks Giving Hope is a two-part program. First and foremost, our school district will partner with Special Olympics Indiana and the Riley Children’s Hospital to provide something we call “special experiences,” where our student-athletes will help bring joy to the Hawk families who are experiencing difficult times. Secondly, the Hawks Giving Hope program will support specific causes and events throughout the district including the MSD Community Dinner Program, Relay for Life, Riley Dance Marathon, Camp Riley and more. Getting involved in the community will not only provide our school district with a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction, but will also benefit the lives of many community members by lending a helping hand.

Through the “Hawks Helping Hawks” initiative, DC Athletics, students and staff live the district’s value of being a part of something bigger than ourselves. We are excited about this initiative, our new programs and the impact it will have on our students and on our community. Our goal is to grow “Hawks Helping Hawks” by partnering with more causes throughout the city over time and to slowly change the world one step at a time.