A Night of Champions at the Blue Magnolia Brings Group Mentoring To Kids — When Growth Changes Lives

People celebrate a lot of things. But a recent party at The Blue Magnolia event venue celebrated something truly impactful. That would be The Champion Project (TCP) expanding its mentoring programs with church partners, schools and shelters this year.

The Champion Project is a trauma-informed group mentoring program geared around youth who live in 24-hour staffed, group homes, today’s alternative to traditional orphanages across the Greater Houston area. These kids have often experienced trauma, multiple placements, multiple schools and adults coming in and out of their lives. The Champion Project surrounds them in care environment with stable, caring adults who try to help them build a sense belonging, confidence and academic success.

“These kids are 6, 10, 16, 18 years old,” TCP co-founder Elizabeth Chappell says. “Their stories are just beginning. We can’t change what has already happened, but what happens next matters. Their story isn’t defined by what’s already been written.”

Programs TCP has bring stability and consistency to these kids. Mentor teams visit them in each home.  They provide individual tutoring to help close academic gaps, and they bring the Book Bus to group homes, churches and communities.

The night at the Blue Magnolia event venue heralded that remarkable growth. Since April, TCP has expanded from nine to 11 mentoring programs, grown from five to six church partners, and increased tutoring from about 50 kids in four schools to roughly 70 youth across 15 schools and homes.

TCP is also addressing academic gaps — assessing 60 kids and finding that the average seventh grader performed at a third grade level in reading and mathematics. During a summer pilot program, students who received two hours of weekly tutoring over eight weeks were able to perform one full grade level higher.

The project’s Book Bus brings a library and love right to the doorstep of the kids it helps. This large, covered trailer is stocked with books and simple activities, forging bounds between volunteers and the kids.

The Champion Project’s next big event is April’s Love Big gala.