On August 16, 1990, the Kick Drugs Out of America Foundation (KDOOA) was formed in Washington, D.C. The headquarters for the Foundation is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with offices in Houston and Dallas, Texas. Since the Foundation's national board has Chuck Norris as its Founder and Chairman, he seemed most appropriate as the person to describe its purpose, goals and other information.

KEY STRATEGIES

• Teach Discipline
• Instill Sense of Belonging
• Provide Meaningful Participation in Communities and Schools
• Set Reachable Goals
• Create Reflective Individuals
• Increase Family Participation
• Teach Transferable Skills
• Collaborate with Faculty and Administrators

"I attribute almost all of my success in life to the opportunity I had when I was 18 to learn the martial arts while stationed in Korea with the Air Force. I had grown up with neither athletic talent nor academic success and believed, like the majority of high-risk youngsters today, that I was never going to be a success at anything. The discipline, structure, goal-setting skills and hope for the future associated with the philosophies of the martial arts gave me the confidence I needed to become anything in the world that I wanted. My dream for the last twenty years was to be able to offer the same opportunity to kids like me, but at a much younger age, and with the hope of redirecting their lives." This is the response from Chuck Norris regarding the factors that made him decide to start a foundation for youth.

Norris says, "I believe the main reason KDOOA works is because every child wants discipline, even though they won't ask for it. They thrive when there is structure and boundaries are set. My foundation's martial arts program provides these things and instills many other life skills in the children so that they can believe in themselves and become hopeful for a productive future, one without drugs, gangs or violence. My instructor becomes a positive role model for the youngsters, also something many are lacking. Once they feel someone truly cares about them, they will set goals and reach them." According to Chuck, KDOOA's primary target population is inner-city youngsters, but its programs to help fight the war on drugs, gangs and youth violence also include students in various other environments.

Norris comments, "It costs an estimated $50,000 per year per youngster to be in a detention center or jail. It costs less than $500 per child to be in our program. KDOOA, with the help of all Americans, can make a difference for our children's future."

"I recognize the outstanding benefits the disciplines and philosophies associated with the martial arts can have for children, particularly those who feel there is no future for them," says Chuck. "Commitment to karate and the chance to earn a place on the Chuck Norris T.E.A.M. (T for truth, E for esteem, A for attitude, M for motivation) offer these kids an alternative to gangs. They get the tools necessary to combat overwhelming drug and gang-related peer pressures, and they can belong to their own positive gang."

"I believe a person's inner strength is developed through the martial arts. Once a person has a strong inner core of positive values, they believe they can accomplish everything in life. This is what we're all about, giving every child a chance to believe in themselves and a positive future. The students learn how to respect themselves and others, and I believe this quality is very important for all aspects of life." Norris explains that martial arts training serves simply as the vehicle to instill values and skills necessary to combat the drug and gang-related peer pressures. The core philosophy of martial arts stresses the vital importance of a healthy mind and body necessary to lead a productive life. He added, "Specific goals of the program are to encourage students to resolve conflict productively, avoid participating in gangs, choose drug-free lifestyles, and remain in high school until they graduate."

KDOOA hosts several events, including inter-school tournaments, that offer students opportunities to exhibit their skills at community organizations, help raise funds for their school program and offer their services for community service programs. One of Chuck Norris' goals is to get families back together, and he reports that school district officials are shocked at the phenomenal results to date. He emphasizes, "In all of our participating schools, the average for parental attendance for school functions is a dismal five percent. However, for every school function involving KDOOA, over 85 percent of the parents attend."

Evaluation
The following, Norris reports, are results of both analyses of data maintained by school districts as well as interview and survey data:

• KDOOA students have higher grades and better attendance records at the end of a three-year period than do students in the non-participant group.
• Even though students benefit most from KDOOA activities if they participate for more than one year, students who participate for just one year also show improvement. "Failing student" and "unexcused absence" percentages in the one-year group are lower during the year they participate in the program. On the other hand, the percentage of students earning "excellent" conduct grades in this group increases during their KDOOA participation year.
• Students who participated in the program during middle school have gone on to high school at higher rates than students in the non-participant comparison group.
• KDOOA program activities may contribute to students' successful transition through lower dropout rates and higher grade-to-grade transition rates and higher grade-to-grade transition rates during high school.
• Results of analyses of high school disciplinary action data documented in 1998 suggest that a student's involvement in the KDOOA program for three years in middle school contributes to behavioral self-discipline in high school.

Interview and survey data:

• High school students who have participated in the KDOOA program in middle school are less likely to have serious confrontations with others. Discipline records maintained by the Houston Independent School District substantiate this claim.
• The KDOOA program is effective in providing an alternative to other less beneficial groups.
• Not only were parents of participants more likely to attend campus functions, including belt ceremonies, but parents of students who were not enrolled in the program called the school expressing interest in the program.
• Parents of participants have reported that their children have more self-control and self-confidence because of their participation.

"Furthermore, far from becoming stale after the first year, the program is successful in attracting students year after year. In fact, 75 percent of the students who begin in the program during sixth grade continue to participate voluntarily through middle school," continued Norris. "And before you ask, I will tell you that the program is successful in attracting both boys and girls. Believe it or not, 40 percent of participants are girls!"

Asked about the future of KDOOA, Chuck says, "Since we are a non-profit organization, our expansion will be defined by available funding. As a long-term goal, we intend to implement this program in schools nationwide, although the focus for the next two years is expansion to other Texas cities. In order to initiate the KDOOA program in any city, a commitment from the school district is essential. We are not a franchise, nor are we affiliated with any commercial schools. All instructors work on a full-time basis for the foundation at their assigned school and are monitored by KDOOA management as well as school officials. Because we get so many requests for our program each year, we limit growth to eight or nine schools a year."

"The most rewarding thing for me is seeing the look of pride, happiness and most of all HOPE in the eyes of these children on the night they receive their first belt. I know I cannot change every child's life, but I also know that we have made a difference for thousands of children and their families. There are too many examples to list, but I am incredibly proud that we now have three black belt instructors full-time with KDOOA who started in the program eight years ago as very shy, introverted and vulnerable children. They cannot wait to give others the same chance they were given."

For more information or to send a donation to support KDOOA, you can contact appropriate personnel by calling 713/868-6003 or fax 713/880-1279. You may also visit the organizations's website at: www.kdooa.org.