Jacksonville City Council Member Glorious Johnson (At-Large, Group 5) and former Jaguar great Tony Boselli's foundation are teaming up to establish a Youth Life Learning Center at Simonds-Johnson Park and Community Center, 3730 Moncrief Road. The Youth Life Learning Center will provide academic enrichment, character development, educational resources and family/community involvement activities with the goals of improving academic readiness and performance, providing a source of positive activities and role models for youth, and improving community pride and spirit. For several months Mr. Boselli and Council Member Johnson have been meeting to discuss ways of improving the prospects for young people in Jacksonville, particularly through targeted investments in programs that will encourage and enable youth to live more positive, productive, successful lives, and the Youth Life Learning Center is the result of those conversations.
The Youth Life Learning Center (YLLC) will be an affiliate of similar YLLCs established by former NFL star Darrell Green's Youth Life Foundation in Washington, D.C., Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Since his retirement from football, Darrell Green has devoted his time and resources to supporting and advocating for America's children, particularly through his support of quality after-school and summer programs for youth. The Jacksonville YLLC will be a partnership between the City and the Tony Boselli Foundation, and is located in one of Jacksonville's two Seeds of Change: Growing Great Neighborhoods pilot areas in Gwen Yates' City Council District 8.
The establishment of the Youth Life Learning Center will be announced as part of the day-long activities on Thursday, September 7th surrounding the renovation of Simonds-Johnson Park by the City, Hands On Jacksonville, the Tony Boselli Foundation, and Home Depot. Councilwoman Johnson, Tony Boselli and James Lowe, Regional Director of the Youth Life Learning Center in Nashville TN will speak at 1:30, describing their plans for the YLLC. Other activities at the park will include construction of new park furniture amenities; cleaning, painting and repair of existing facilities; and landscaping improvements.