Jp4 Foundation

The JP4 Foundation enriches the lives of youth in underserved urban youth through providing access to healthy meals, healthy activity, and more importantly healthy relationships. In 2018, our mission took a significant turn based on the words of a 12-year-old boy who attended our first summer-long camp when he shared his reason for attending camp: “They said you would feed me.” On that day, the foundation changed course. We began connecting with our community – parents, caregivers, teachers, park and recreation directors, youth organizations, and kids. We surveyed, researched, and held focus groups to understand community needs. We analyzed the user experience from various perspectives, developed journey maps to understand students' emotions and thoughts, and identified gaps in our program offerings. What began as a summer baseball camp for eight students at Battle Creek Middle School in St. Paul has transformed into year-round mentor-led programming, reaching hundreds of children in the Twin Cities each year. With summer-long camps in Minneapolis and St. Paul and our after-school program, offered exclusively in St. Paul, we provide kids ages 5-13 with a mix of physical fun and life-skill development, allowing them the freedom to enjoy being children. Our unique approach combines academic and social-emotional learning while fostering positive social interactions with peers and mentors from the community, all within a safe and supportive environment.