Thanks to a Letter of Intent from L&M Real Estate Development Partners, IRONBOUND has been given a rare opportunity to transform a 5,000 square-foot retail space in downtown Newark into its first Courage Academy—a facility that will physically combine a complete boxing training gym with THRIVE, our small business incubator.
Activating our mission
COMBINING THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
ON ONE SIDE….
A boxing gym, complete with a “real” regulation ring and all the required equipment for amateur and rising boxers—heavy bags, speed bags, lockers, and a stocked taping station.
ON THE OTHER...
A conference room and virtual workstations, complete with the tech and software every entrepreneur needs to create a website, learn a new skill, and build a business—and a new life—from scratch
These two spaces will be separated by a sound-compressing wall of glass that allows for high-visibility from both sides as a reminder to stay in the fight—and why.
Bigger Space. Wider Impact.
The new Courage Academy more than triples our current training square footage, allowing us to serve more of Newark’s opportunity youth.
A Free, Open, and Safe Place for Newark’s Youth
Extended weekday and weekend hours, including summer camp programs.
Free training for all participants, with all costs covered for amateur competitions and THRIVE initiatives.
A World-Class Facility + Community Model
The Courage Academy will exponentially expand the impact of our coaching and training programs. Together, with the continued support of donors like you, we can help even more at-risk kids in Newark—and build a working model for communities like ours in cities around the country.
“Along the way at IRONBOUND Boxing, everyone finds a community—a community built on expectations of excellence and an ethic of Lift As We Climb.”
All Roads Lead to IRONBOUND
Adjacent to two NJ Transit light rail stations and within one black of over a dozen public bus routes, the Courage Academy is much more accessible location for our kids and volunteers (some currently commute over 90-minutes for training!).
“Everything we do at IRONBOUND takes courage. The Courage Academy culminates both of our initiatives and makes them both more powerful. With your help, we can introduce choices these kids never knew they had—and it put them all within reach.”
THE DATA DOESN’T LIE.
TODAY’S OPPORTUNITY YOUTH NEED US MORE THAN EVER.
WHAT OUR KIDS ARE UP AGAINST
On average, high school dropouts are 3x more likely to be unemployed and 8x more likely to be arrested or jailed.
Only 1 in 10 youth from low-income families go on to graduate from a four-year college.
Nearly 45% of children living in poverty are overweight or obese compared with 22% of children living in households with incomes 4x the poverty level.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE’RE IN THEIR CORNER
Active kids have lower levels of depression and higher self-esteem. They also are less likely to engage in high-risk behavior like smoking, drug use, and unprotected sex.
Active kids have 40% higher test scores, are 15% more likely to go to college and earn 8% more as adults.
The right business ecosystems—like our THRIVE initiative—can mitigate or negate structural obstacles to business building for Black and minority business owners—and add $290 billion in business equity.