Excercise and Sport Science NEWS Release

 UNCG RECEIVES SEVERAL GRANTS
 FOR ITS YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAM

GREENSBORO — Dr. Tom Martinek, a professor of exercise and sport science at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, has recently received several grants totaling $44,900 to continue an after-school and summer program that uses sports activities to help teach young people social skills and personal responsibility.

Dr. Tom Martinek

Called Project Effort, the program has served more than 100 boys and girls from Hampton Elementary School, Mendenhall and Lincoln Middle Schools and Page and Dudley High Schools in Greensboro. It is designed to help under-served youth resist and avoid the problems associated with drugs, poverty, neglect and exposure to criminal activity. UNCG graduate students play a vital role by planning strategies, training and supervising student groups and teams.

The Moses Cone Community Health Development Fund has provided $13,100 and Hampton School has provided $3,000 to support the elementary and middle school programs, mentoring program and parent/teacher involvement. The Warner Foundation has provided $22,800 to support the Youth Leader Corps, veteran high school members who teach sport and responsibility values. In addition, the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro has given $6,000 to help run a special tutorial program at Hampton School.  Selected Leaders will assist younger children in their classroom work. This segment of the Youth Leader Corps will begin next fall. Each year, Martinek seeks funding to continue the program.

A mentoring aspect of the program developed by Martinek is also being used in other cities including Chicago. Project Effort has gotten national and international recognition and received visits from professors from the University of Virginia, Kent State University, Youngstown State University and The University of Waikato in New Zealand.

A UNCG faculty member since 1976, Martinek is a professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science in the School of Health and Human Performance. His area of specialization is psychosocial factors affecting the teaching of physical education. He is author of three books, "Psycho-Social Dynamics of Teaching Physical Education," "Growth and Development: The Child and Physical Activity" and "Pygmalion in the Gym." He has published several research articles in professional journals. Martinek is a graduate of the University North Dakota; he received his master's degree from George Williams College and his doctorate from Boston University.
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