SPECIAL PROGRAMS
DCLI SUMMER SPORTS CAMPS
The DCLI Summer Soccer and Basketball Camps give young children the chance to learn and play soccer and basketball while being guided by youth participants in DCLI programs. For the older participants, leading the camp provides hands-on experience in leadership, mentorship, and teamwork, helping them develop essential skills as they engage with and inspire the next generation. This program not only promotes physical activity and sportsmanship for kids but also empowers DCLI youth to build confidence, practice responsibility, and make a positive impact in their community.
YOUNG MEN/YOUNG WOMEN ONLY
Young Men Only and Young Women Only are identity-based leadership and personal development programs designed to create safe, supportive spaces for students in grades 8–12. These programs give young men and young women the opportunity to talk openly, learn from trusted mentors, and grow alongside peers who share similar experiences. Through guided discussions, skill-building activities, and real-world conversations, participants build confidence, strengthen character, and develop healthy relationships. The programs focus on personal responsibility, self-awareness, and leadership while fostering meaningful connections that support academic success, emotional well-being, and positive engagement in their communities.
Level Up Lunch with Baby Talk
Level Up Lunch with Baby Talk is a monthly mentorship and leadership program created through a partnership between the Dawson Civic Leadership Institute and Baby Talk to support young mothers currently enrolled in high school.
Meeting once a month from 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. at Baby Talk, the program provides a safe, supportive environment where participants can connect with mentors and peers while discussing personal goals, future plans, education, leadership, and the realities of balancing motherhood with school and everyday life.
Level Up Lunch is an extension of the “Young Women Only” initiative
