Expanding the worldview of Pocono Mountain youth — because the mountain is not the whole world, and every kid deserves to know that.
Crown Roots Foundation exists to expand possibility for Pocono Mountain youth. We use basketball as a gateway — a way to reach kids and teach them about their potential — but our real work is mentorship, academics, and worldview expansion. The mountain has athletes, scholars, and future leaders. They just need someone to show them how big the world actually is.
We believe that where you grow up should not determine whether you grow. Every young person on the mountain deserves access to development, mentorship, and college-readiness pathways that help them see beyond what they've been told is possible. The Work Is the Reward.
A Pocono Mountain where kids know their world isn't confined to the zip code they were born in. Where academics and character are championed with the same energy as athletics. Where girls don't have to transfer to The Valley or other states' schools to compete, families don't choose between a part-time job and off-season training, and mentors are telling kids every day: you can be great in the classroom, on the court, and in life.
Crown Hub is the Foundation's first program — but not its only one. It uses basketball as a conduit to reach young people and connect them with academics, mentorship, and community. Basketball is the door. What's on the other side is what matters.
The door. Structured, local basketball leagues that give Mountain youth year-round competitive experience — and a reason to walk through it. On the court, you can physically see changes in your ability. That same growth applies to academics and life.
The primary focus. Academic scholarships are exponentially more obtainable than athletic scholarships. We champion classroom excellence with the same energy as athletic excellence — because "I'm going to the League" is not a plan. Education is. Whether that's a four-year university, trade school, or technology program — we help students find their path.
Tracking alumni who used academics to change their family's trajectory. Students like Kiaya Jones and Daysha Mobley — 0 EFC kids who proved that the classroom is the path out. Their footprints become the roadmap for the next generation.
Tearing down divides and building together. Partnering with teachers, educators, and community centers who are invested in youth success. Each community is unique — there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this work.
Students can enter Crown Hub through an Athletics path or an Academics path. Both lead to the same destination: expanded worldview, mentorship, and opportunity. We champion both because every kid's entry point is different.
Crown Hub is the Foundation's first program, designed for the Pocono Mountain community. But the model is built to serve similar communities nationwide — anywhere kids are isolated and underserved. The mission scales; the approach stays local.
Students join a Crown Hub class and we track their progress from intake through college completion. Where did they start? Where did they go? Our outcomes data proves what's possible when kids get access.
The numbers tell part of the story. The rest plays out in gyms, living rooms, and transfer paperwork across the Poconos every year. This is why athletics alone isn't enough — kids need mentors telling them they can be great in the classroom, not just on the court:
Parents aren't championing basketball year-round. Many families expect coaches to develop their daughters entirely within the regular season. When schools hold open gyms in the off-season, attendance is minimal. The culture of year-round development that Valley programs take for granted does not exist here.
Varsity-level girls prioritize work over basketball. In economically disadvantaged households, a part-time job isn't optional — it's survival. Girls who could be developing their game are instead working shifts, because no one has built a local pathway that makes basketball worth the tradeoff.
The best players leave. Girls who do excel and find their way into competitive basketball often join Valley AAU programs out of necessity — there is nothing for them here. And the ones who develop into standout players? They transfer to Valley programs or out-of-state schools that have built the competitive infrastructure the mountain lacks. The mountain develops talent, then watches it walk out the door.
Girls aren't watching basketball. Without local role models, competitive programs, or visible pathways, girls on the mountain aren't growing up as basketball fans or aspiring players. The pipeline doesn't just leak — it was never built.
These numbers don’t tell the story of talent — they tell the story of access. When kids grow up without competitive programs, mentors, and information, the mountain becomes the whole world. It shouldn’t be.
On the mountain, that 49% average is spread across every school. There is no wealthy neighboring district to absorb the cost or subsidize programs. In the Valley, high-poverty districts like Allentown (91%) sit next to affluent ones like Parkland (23%) — and all of them are within 20 minutes of multiple AAU programs, YMCAs, and training facilities.
| Mountain Schools | Lehigh Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | 6 | 12 |
| Total Enrollment | 7,460 | 23,604 |
| Avg Econ. Disadvantaged | 49% | 46% |
| Girls AAU Programs | 0 | 2 |
| YMCA Locations | 1 | 2+ |
| Facilities / 100 sq mi | 1.6 | 4.1 |
| Drive to Girls Development | 45–60 min | 10–20 min |
| AAU Cost as % of Median Income | 2.4–9.1% | 1.5–5.4% |
Pocono Mountain School District has committed nearly $4.9 million to gym and athletic facility upgrades in recent years — including a $1.49M gym renovation at East High School and a $3.38M Wellness Center at West. These investments show the district values athletics. But a renovated gym without year-round programming is just a building. Without structured off-season development, the mountain’s girls still have nowhere to grow — no matter how new the floor is.