Our Program

The Challenge

The Problem We Solve

The Scale of the Problem

Nearly half a million children in Metro Atlanta live in communities with low or very low child well-being. These kids face barriers to education, health, and opportunity that compound over time. Without intervention, the cycle continues.

Traditional Mentorship Falls Short

Traditional one-to-one mentorship programs are powerful but incredibly hard to scale. There simply aren't enough volunteer mentors to reach the hundreds of thousands of kids who need support. We needed a different approach.

Our Approach

The PowerUP Solution

Professional martial arts senseis who earn their living teaching core values and technique. They are mentors by profession — not volunteers who may burn out.

Professional Mentors at Scale

A single sensei can mentor 40–60 kids at a time. They don't just teach kicks and punches — they sit on the mat and teach self-regulation, resilience, and respect before any physical instruction begins.

At just $10 per student per instruction hour, the cost works out to roughly $500 per year for a full scholarship. That's the cost of one mentored child for an entire year of weekly martial arts instruction, core values training, and community.

PowerUP also provides business tools and marketing support to help senseis build sustainable businesses — creating a virtuous cycle where mentors thrive while serving underprivileged kids.

$10/Student/Hour

Incredibly cost-effective mentorship through the dojo model.

40–60 Kids Per Sensei

One professional mentor reaches dozens of kids every session.

~$500/Year Full Scholarship

A year of weekly mentorship, training, and community for one child.

The Model

The PowerUP Flywheel

Four pillars that create a virtuous cycle of impact, sustainability, and growth.

01

Core Values

Every session begins with instruction in self-regulation, resilience, and respect — the foundation for all growth.

02

Access

PowerUP removes financial barriers, giving disadvantaged and special needs kids access to high-quality martial arts mentorship.

03

Expectation

Students are held to high standards. The belt system creates tangible goals and accountability that carry over into school and home.

04

Scalability

Professional senseis mentor 40–60 kids at a time. PowerUP supports their businesses so they can serve more communities.

Proven Results

We Don't Just Believe in Our Impact. We Prove It.

In 2025, we collected 716 surveys with a 91% response rate from our 789 students using the SDQ and custom Behavior Survey.

“I applaud PowerUP's thoughtful approach to developing a community-based intervention that delivers meaningful outcomes.”

— Dr. Kimberley Lakes, Professor of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, UC Riverside

77%

Academic Performance

78%

Physical Health

77%

Home Behavior

78%

Self-Regulation

80%

Resilience

76%

Respect

56% of students improved in ALL aspects after just 8 classes

90% of students showed positive changes after one month of instruction

Diverse Disciplines

Martial Arts Styles We Offer

PowerUP partners with senseis across a range of martial arts traditions, each bringing unique values and techniques to our students.

Karate

Taekwondo

Capoeira

Tai Chi

Wing Chun

Savate

Judo

Our Partners

Partner Organizations

PowerUP works with leading youth-serving organizations across Metro Atlanta to identify and refer students who will benefit most.