Taekwondo Plus (TKD+)
This project's parent organization is Ironworks Taekwondo Academy, Inc.
It operates in United States
It uses
Entered the Best New Project
More about Taekwondo Plus (TKD+)
Taekwondo opens the door for discussions with young people about bullying and suicide, two of the most pressing issues in our area. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for peo-ple 15 – 24 in the United States, and in the last two years ten teenagers have taken their lives in our area. Pennsylvania hovers on the national average for suicides but is 21% higher than the average for suicide in our region. Young people have said no one can help them; they feel helpless and hope-less.
They are embracing “suicide as a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” Taekwondo and leadership classes are teaching tools that address these issues by refocusing students’ values, teaching morality to correct their thinking and give perspective. Despite the singular nature of competi-tion, we train and compete as a team. This aspect creates camaraderie and trust as they experience physical and men-tal challenges together.
The same level of care, encourage-ment, and support is given in their taekwondo training, educa-tion (via leadership classes), and their personal lives. The emphasis is being excellent in all aspects of life not just one area. Our fight is for children’s minds, and training the body helps train the mind.