History of the Have A Standard
Foundation
In September of 1991 Ty Cobb, founder of the Have A Standard Foundation, began researching the strategies and methods of existing youth programs in the United States.
The situations he identified in 1991 are often still apparent in 2006:
• Youth in at-risk situations have the ability to grow and be successful, but the negative influences in their environment often decrease their hope and their desire to work for success.
• Youth leaders do not have enough volunteers to mentor and develop relationships with all the youth who are struggling and lack a strong understanding of Biblical standards.
• Most youth leaders are able to track “participation” numbers, but lack a system that tracks and reports the “progress and growth” of their participants.
Ty set out to develop a program which has successfully reached the following goals:
• Portability: Be reproducible in multiple types of locations, to facilitate the development of partnerships between youth programs.
• Student-Mentor Relationships: Establish relationships between students and mentors, and create events that assist in continuing and strengthening the relationships.
• Biblical Standards: Teach Biblical standards to students, and monitor their growth in understanding the Biblical standards.
• Volunteer Materials: Increase youth group leaders’ opportunities to recruit volunteers and mentors by equipping them with completely prepared lessons, events, and meeting plans.
• Themed Events and Challenges: Incorporate themed events and activities that increase the interest and excitement of the participants, and lead to increased participation.
• Central "Hub" Facility: Design a facility that supports the satellite locations using the reproducible curriculums (to help create more participation in many underserved locations).
With the help of many contributors, the following curriculums and supporting events have been created:
• Student-Mentor “On-going Discussion” System
• C.R.O.S.S.FIRE Events
• CROSSCHECK S.P.O.R.T.S.
Supporting Strategies:
• Experiental Learning
• C.R.O.S.S.FIRE Commandos
• Plans for building Community Centers in a way that facilitates Student-Mentor interaction
In the spring of 1996, Ty Cobb began working full-time on these much needed reproducible curriculums, events, and the supporting tracking system. During the first few years he personally funded the program. In 1999 Bill Seely began to work as a volunteer, developing and testing the soccer, basketball, and baseball curriculums, and the training system for satellite facilitators. In 1999 Ty charted and incorporated the Have A Standard Foundation, which achieved 501 (c) (3) non-profit status in 2001.
Interested in joining Have A Standard’s efforts in establishing long-term, Biblically-driven, successful Student-Mentor relationships? Click here to find out how you can support.