The OHGI Foundation
Donation protected
OHGI is an acronym for "Out Here Gettin' It!" It is more than a slogan, it’s a culture adopted by those who dream big and have the drive to turn that dream into reality. Adversity and competition are just obstacles that will make for a better success story. For someone who is OHGI, failure is just a tool used to get stronger, smarter, and better! There are no excuses, set your mind to something and don’t stop until it’s YOURS!
The OHGI Foundation (Registered Non-Profit Corporation in NJ) has been created to give underprivileged children the opportunity to compete in life on a level playing field and be "OHGI" to the best of their ability. The foundation will show children that their current situations should not set limitations on how far they can go in life. Many kids are raised in unfortunate situations that can make them believe they have no way out. The OHGI Foundation organizes life and sports camp, youth mentoring programs, college prep courses, fitness-health seminars, as well as other programs to aid and give kids the confidence they need to excel in life. With your help we will be able to extend our programs to many areas in which kids are underpriviliged and not equipped with the necessary tools to become successful.
Thank You,
The OHGI Foundation
Core Values
The OHGI Foundation has been created on core principles and values. We will use these principles and values to empower children; giving them the confidence, strength, and educational tools they need to succeed in life!
Hard work- OHGI has been established on the principle of hard work. Life is a challenge and to overcome the obstacles and hurdles it brings, one has to be willing to persevere through tough situations.
Faith- One must have the faith to believe in their selves that they can accomplish anything and succeed in life, no matter how tough the circumstances are.
Dedication- The initial decision to make a change is the first and most important step. However, whether a person can remain dedicated and sustain an effort to accomplish a task will always prove to be the difference maker. Dedication is what sets the ‘people who try’ apart from the ‘people who do’.
Trust- As a foundation we must gain the trust of the students we are mentoring. This trust will help us communicate with the children and will allow us to make a strong impression with our positive influence.
The OHGI Commitment
The OHGI Foundation has made the commitment to spread positive change throughout communities in America. “The children of today, are [indeed] the leaders of tomorrow!” However, this is only true if the children survive to see tomorrow, and if they do, are possessed with the tools to be successful. In many communities across America, it is more likely for a child to be killed or go to prison, than attend and graduate college. The OHGI Foundation will target these communities and are 100% committed to making a positive change.
The SWAG Program
What is “SWAG”?
“SWAG” is an acronym for “Students With A Goal” and is a program that began in high schools in Williamsburg, VA. The program was created by my fellow College of William & Mary classmate Crystal Morales, with the help of Meltoya Jones and Carly Guinn.
The Purpose
Many children are not aware of the possibilities that are available to them. Because of this, the children set mental and physical limitations on themselves and do not strive to fulfill their potential. One of the main reasons why people do not succeed in life is because they do not set goals. Setting a goal is the first step in accomplishing a task. It is a decision within made to devote time and effort to complete a task. By using examples and educational resources, SWAG will open the student’s eyes to the endless opportunities available to them with hard work and dedication. We will have people who have been in the children’s position, faced the same struggles, and have overcome challenges to become successful in life.
Members
My name is David Caldwell and I am the founder of The OHGI Foundation. After graduating from The College of William and Mary in 2010, with a business degree in finance, I went on to play in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts for 2 years. After being released from the Colts, I was signed and later released by the New York Giants. I am now going into my second year playing in the Canadian Football League for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. I am currently in my offseason and positioning myself for career plans when my playing days are over.
Whether in sports or any other aspect of my life, I have always relied on persistence and hard work to catch whatever dream I am chasing. I am a firm believer that through hard work and dedication, ANYTHING is possible. OHGI represents the lifestyle for overachievers and individuals who do not stop competing when they beat their competition, but continuously strive to outdo themselves. There is always room for improvement, and someone who is OHGI will always find a way!
I have been working with children for several years. There is not a better feeling than the satisfaction of knowing that you made a positive impact on a child’s life. Whether teaching, mentoring, or coaching, I have been able to connect with kids and gain their trust. I have found that many children are missing the right encouragement and influence from the people they look up to. Providing them with this support and care can make a world of a difference in the outcome of their lives and put them on the path to success. This is what I strive to do.
Who will be targeted?
Inner cities and urban communities that have students who struggle to receive positive support will be the targeted areas for the foundation to help. Schools with grade levels from 6-12 will be our main focus. It is important for children in these grades to be influenced and motivated in the right direction. With all the negativity these children are surrounded with, they are rarely exposed to positive influences from people they admire and strive to be like. This lack of positive reinforcements is what causes children to make irrational decisions, as they feel they have no other realistic way of living life.
Sports-Life Camps
Camp Goal
These are 1-day camps designed to mix the teachings of our SWAG program, along with a chosen sport. The camp will extend a free invitation to students in grades 6-12 in a particular community. We will have a skills camp, in which participants will receive coaching from high school, college, and professional coaches/trainers. After the instruction part of the camp, there will be tournaments based on age/skill to allow the kids to compete and apply the previous teachings to actual games. Awards and prizes will be given to camp standouts. These awards will recognize players who work hard, perform exceptional, and are great teammates.
Parental Involvement
Parents will also be active participants in the camp and will participate in a workshop followed by an open panel discussion that will focus on the role parents need to play to encourage and educate their children. Parents/guardians should be a child's greatest influence. Too many times children are either guided in the wrong direction by their parents, or are not encouraged in a positive direction. A mother/father’s support for their child at a young age can easily be the deciding factor of whether their child graduates college or goes to prison.
Guest Instructors and Speakers
We have already contacted and confirmed the attendance of various positive role models in our local community, as well as some known throughout the country. These include school principals, policemen, firefighters, civil rights leaders, lawyers and professional athletes. We have also spoke with former/current gang leaders that are campaigning for children to make better decisions than they made and choose a positive lifestyle instead of gang life. Many of the professionals that will attend have come from the same inner city and urban communities the camp participants are currently growing up in. The children will be more receptive to individuals that they can relate to and vice-versa. By the children seeing people who came from their community and similar areas, they will know that with the hard work and dedication, they too can overcome obstacles and succeed in life.
Fitness-Health Awareness Camps
Childhood obesity has skyrocketed in the past 30 years, doubling in children and tripling in adolescents. In 2010 more than one out of every three children were either overweight or obese. This impacts a child’s health tremendously, as well as socially. An obese/overweight child is at a high risk of pre-diabetes, stigmatization, and poor self-esteem. These children are more likely to become obese adults and face problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.
Obesity is a problem that can be fixed and our foundation is dedicated to helping this cause. Through our fitness-health awareness camps we will provide community workouts and health seminars to educate and encourage people to live a healthy lifestyle. These seminars will include meal coaching, fitness exercises, health tips, and more.
The OHGI Foundation (Registered Non-Profit Corporation in NJ) has been created to give underprivileged children the opportunity to compete in life on a level playing field and be "OHGI" to the best of their ability. The foundation will show children that their current situations should not set limitations on how far they can go in life. Many kids are raised in unfortunate situations that can make them believe they have no way out. The OHGI Foundation organizes life and sports camp, youth mentoring programs, college prep courses, fitness-health seminars, as well as other programs to aid and give kids the confidence they need to excel in life. With your help we will be able to extend our programs to many areas in which kids are underpriviliged and not equipped with the necessary tools to become successful.
Thank You,
The OHGI Foundation
Core Values
The OHGI Foundation has been created on core principles and values. We will use these principles and values to empower children; giving them the confidence, strength, and educational tools they need to succeed in life!
Hard work- OHGI has been established on the principle of hard work. Life is a challenge and to overcome the obstacles and hurdles it brings, one has to be willing to persevere through tough situations.
Faith- One must have the faith to believe in their selves that they can accomplish anything and succeed in life, no matter how tough the circumstances are.
Dedication- The initial decision to make a change is the first and most important step. However, whether a person can remain dedicated and sustain an effort to accomplish a task will always prove to be the difference maker. Dedication is what sets the ‘people who try’ apart from the ‘people who do’.
Trust- As a foundation we must gain the trust of the students we are mentoring. This trust will help us communicate with the children and will allow us to make a strong impression with our positive influence.
The OHGI Commitment
The OHGI Foundation has made the commitment to spread positive change throughout communities in America. “The children of today, are [indeed] the leaders of tomorrow!” However, this is only true if the children survive to see tomorrow, and if they do, are possessed with the tools to be successful. In many communities across America, it is more likely for a child to be killed or go to prison, than attend and graduate college. The OHGI Foundation will target these communities and are 100% committed to making a positive change.
The SWAG Program
What is “SWAG”?
“SWAG” is an acronym for “Students With A Goal” and is a program that began in high schools in Williamsburg, VA. The program was created by my fellow College of William & Mary classmate Crystal Morales, with the help of Meltoya Jones and Carly Guinn.
The Purpose
Many children are not aware of the possibilities that are available to them. Because of this, the children set mental and physical limitations on themselves and do not strive to fulfill their potential. One of the main reasons why people do not succeed in life is because they do not set goals. Setting a goal is the first step in accomplishing a task. It is a decision within made to devote time and effort to complete a task. By using examples and educational resources, SWAG will open the student’s eyes to the endless opportunities available to them with hard work and dedication. We will have people who have been in the children’s position, faced the same struggles, and have overcome challenges to become successful in life.
Members
My name is David Caldwell and I am the founder of The OHGI Foundation. After graduating from The College of William and Mary in 2010, with a business degree in finance, I went on to play in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts for 2 years. After being released from the Colts, I was signed and later released by the New York Giants. I am now going into my second year playing in the Canadian Football League for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. I am currently in my offseason and positioning myself for career plans when my playing days are over.
Whether in sports or any other aspect of my life, I have always relied on persistence and hard work to catch whatever dream I am chasing. I am a firm believer that through hard work and dedication, ANYTHING is possible. OHGI represents the lifestyle for overachievers and individuals who do not stop competing when they beat their competition, but continuously strive to outdo themselves. There is always room for improvement, and someone who is OHGI will always find a way!
I have been working with children for several years. There is not a better feeling than the satisfaction of knowing that you made a positive impact on a child’s life. Whether teaching, mentoring, or coaching, I have been able to connect with kids and gain their trust. I have found that many children are missing the right encouragement and influence from the people they look up to. Providing them with this support and care can make a world of a difference in the outcome of their lives and put them on the path to success. This is what I strive to do.
Who will be targeted?
Inner cities and urban communities that have students who struggle to receive positive support will be the targeted areas for the foundation to help. Schools with grade levels from 6-12 will be our main focus. It is important for children in these grades to be influenced and motivated in the right direction. With all the negativity these children are surrounded with, they are rarely exposed to positive influences from people they admire and strive to be like. This lack of positive reinforcements is what causes children to make irrational decisions, as they feel they have no other realistic way of living life.
Sports-Life Camps
Camp Goal
These are 1-day camps designed to mix the teachings of our SWAG program, along with a chosen sport. The camp will extend a free invitation to students in grades 6-12 in a particular community. We will have a skills camp, in which participants will receive coaching from high school, college, and professional coaches/trainers. After the instruction part of the camp, there will be tournaments based on age/skill to allow the kids to compete and apply the previous teachings to actual games. Awards and prizes will be given to camp standouts. These awards will recognize players who work hard, perform exceptional, and are great teammates.
Parental Involvement
Parents will also be active participants in the camp and will participate in a workshop followed by an open panel discussion that will focus on the role parents need to play to encourage and educate their children. Parents/guardians should be a child's greatest influence. Too many times children are either guided in the wrong direction by their parents, or are not encouraged in a positive direction. A mother/father’s support for their child at a young age can easily be the deciding factor of whether their child graduates college or goes to prison.
Guest Instructors and Speakers
We have already contacted and confirmed the attendance of various positive role models in our local community, as well as some known throughout the country. These include school principals, policemen, firefighters, civil rights leaders, lawyers and professional athletes. We have also spoke with former/current gang leaders that are campaigning for children to make better decisions than they made and choose a positive lifestyle instead of gang life. Many of the professionals that will attend have come from the same inner city and urban communities the camp participants are currently growing up in. The children will be more receptive to individuals that they can relate to and vice-versa. By the children seeing people who came from their community and similar areas, they will know that with the hard work and dedication, they too can overcome obstacles and succeed in life.
Fitness-Health Awareness Camps
Childhood obesity has skyrocketed in the past 30 years, doubling in children and tripling in adolescents. In 2010 more than one out of every three children were either overweight or obese. This impacts a child’s health tremendously, as well as socially. An obese/overweight child is at a high risk of pre-diabetes, stigmatization, and poor self-esteem. These children are more likely to become obese adults and face problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.
Obesity is a problem that can be fixed and our foundation is dedicated to helping this cause. Through our fitness-health awareness camps we will provide community workouts and health seminars to educate and encourage people to live a healthy lifestyle. These seminars will include meal coaching, fitness exercises, health tips, and more.
Organizer
David OhGi Caldwell
Organizer
Montclair, NJ
