Youth Ultimate Project

The Youth Ultimate Project (YUP) was developed by a group of teens attending Northwest High School, with the mission to invest in the community and leadership of Cambodian youth by providing a positive outlet through the sport of Ultimate Frisbee. These teens hosted a free Ultimate Frisbee camp in Cambodia during the summer of 2011 for youth who were seeking an opportunity to stay active and healthy. With their combined experience in playing and coaching Ultimate Frisbee, they wanted to bring the spirit of the game to Phnom Penh. Through the game of Ultimate Frisbee, they wanted to share what the sport has given them: a true sense of belonging to a community that works together for a common passion.

The Mother House Fund Seed Grant was used to fund equipment and supplies directly benefiting Cambodian teens participating in YUP 2011 summer camps. We were impressed with the unique connection this group of teens wanted to create with the community of Phnom Penh. It was clear from their proposal that they wanted to make a sincere difference in the lives of the youth they would be coaching. Their own words illustrate best their intention to make a difference: “…through our camp, we will be working to instill positive change in the lives of these youth by strengthening and building leadership, collaboration, and integrity skills that will be important in this generation’s future. By the end of the camp, we believe that the connections built, globally and locally, will encourage and promote The Mother House Fund’s value of “One Earth, One Family.””

Cambodian youth selecting their t-shirts at camp

A very happy camper during a Youth Ultimate Frisbee drill

Youth in Cambodia participating in a summer camp
run by a group of Seattle teens and the Youth Ultimate Project

A group of youth participants and coaches on one of the last days of camp

YUP Camp organizers: Kilian Marsh, Julia Bladdin, Addy Borges,
Louis Cohen, and Chris Trinh, receiving a Mother House Fund grant
from fiscal sponsor, Cathy Michalec, of Teens in Public Service