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The SIMBA Project Β· MHSNC Β· Est. 2025

Restore The Roar

A cultural shift in how we treat our most vulnerable students β€” led by the athletes they already look up to.

SIMBA

3Γ—

More likely to be bullied. Special needs students face bullying at three times the rate of their peers.

56%

Rise in youth suicide over the last decade. Bullying is the gateway to the darkest outcomes.

197

Schools across North Carolina in our 10-year expansion plan β€” starting now in Guilford County.

The Origin

Restore The Roar

“A lion is born with a birthright β€” destined to lead, to protect, and to command respect. But what happens when you cage that lion as a cub?”

That is what bullying does to our children. Every day, a child’s birth right is stolen β€” not by force, but by words, by exclusion, by cruelty that reshapes how they see themselves.

A kid born to lead learns to hide. A kid meant to roar learns to stay silent. And the damage doesn’t wait. Bullying leads to gangs, drugs, dropping out, crime β€” and worst of all, suicide.

The SIMBA Project exists to restore that roar. We’re changing school culture from the inside out β€” using the athletes students already admire as mentors, lunch buddies, and advocates for inclusion.

When athletes show up for the most vulnerable students, everything shifts.

The Crisis Is Real

The Numbers Don't Lie

The bullying crisis isn't slowing down β€” it's accelerating. And the systems we've built to stop it aren't working fast enough.

56%

Rise in Youth Suicide

Decade-over-decade increase as bullying intensifies

+6pts

Bullying Perpetration

Up from 13% to 19% in the last decade

3Γ—

Special Needs Vulnerability

Students with disabilities face 3x the bullying rate

We have anti-bullying programs. But they're not plugging the holes. The water level keeps rising. It's time for a different approach β€” one that uses the social capital students already respect.

The Strategy

How SIMBA Changes Culture

Pay student-athletes to become anti-bullying ambassadors and lunch buddies with special needs students. When a respected athlete sits with a bullied student, the entire cafeteria watches β€” and something shifts.

01

The Strategy

Athlete-Ambassadors

25–100 athletes per school, paid $100–$200/month. These are the cultural influencers in every hallway β€” now contracted to be advocates for the most vulnerable students.

🍽 Lunch buddy 2Γ—/week
πŸ“’ Classroom training
πŸ“± Social media advocacy
🚩 Report bullying incidents
🎀 Community events

$200

Per athlete / month

02

Free Access

NIL Pipeline

Athletes not in the paid program get free access to group-based NIL opportunities, anti-bullying training, and a natural pathway to paid ambassador contracts. Maximum reach with zero barriers.
πŸ… Group NIL opportunities
πŸŽ“ Anti-bullying training
πŸ”“ Pathway to paid tier

FREE

Zero barriers to join

03

Amplifiers

College & Pro Athletes

College athletes mentor high school ambassadors. Pro athletes amplify the message to communities and media. Both participate in marquee events that make inclusion visible at scale.
πŸ† Mentorship pipeline
πŸ“‘ Media amplification
🌍 Marquee community events

∞

Cultural reach
Included Free in Every School

Game Changers Curriculum

Every school gets our comprehensive anti-bullying curriculum β€” free or donation-only. The goal: maximum adoption, zero barriers.

πŸ›‘οΈ

Anti-Bullying Advocacy & Bystander Intervention

🧠

Mindset Training & Personal Mission Statements

❀️

Emotional Intelligence & Reframing

🎯

Leadership & Using Your Platform for Good

Pilot Live Now
Phase Rollout

The Pilot Is Already Moving

We launched in Guilford County two weeks ago. The roadmap to statewide impact is already in motion β€” documented, measured, and built to prove the model.

01

Active Now

Guilford County

48 schools β€” 22 middle, 26 high schools.

1,200–2,400 paid athlete-ambassadors.

4,800+ athletes in the free pipeline.

Game Changers training in every school.

Year 1 – 2

02

Next

Charlotte-Mecklenburg

79 schoolsΒ across the Charlotte metro area.

Building on proven Guilford County results to accelerate adoption and athlete recruitment.
Year 3 – 4

03

Horizon

Wake County / Raleigh

70 schoolsΒ in the Research Triangle area.
Completing statewide coverage with full documentation and replication-ready playbook.
Year 3 – 4

197

Total schools across North Carolina by Year 6. Every school gets paid ambassadors, free curriculum, and a proven model that has been documented from day one.

10-Year Projections

What Success Looks Like

Conservative projections from our 10-year model. Every metric tied to documented intervention research and pilot tracking.

Projected Reductions
Bullying Incidents

20–25%

Youth Suicide Attempts

10–15%

Juvenile Crime Referrals

15–20%

School Violence Incidents

20–30%

Gang Recruitment

15–20%

Substance Abuse Initiation

10–15%

Cost Savings to Society

$1.75B

projected 10-year savings across NC
Criminal Justice

$500M – $750M

Healthcare

$200M – $400M

School Funding Recovery

$50M – $100M

Lost Productivity Prevention

$300M – $500M

$4–7

Returned for every $1 invested. This isn’t charity β€” it’s the highest-ROI intervention in public health.

ROAR

The Competitive Advantage

Why This Model Wins

πŸ›οΈ

Three-Tier Ecosystem

Paid ambassadors + free pipeline + college/pro amplifiers create compounding scale no single-tier program can match.

πŸ”“

Zero Barriers to Entry

Game Changers is free. Maximum adoption is the goal. No school gets left behind because of budget.

πŸ“œ

NIL = Accountability

It’s a contract, not volunteerism. Athletes are invested, tracked, and accountable β€” just like their sport.

πŸ“ˆ

Athletes Recruit Athletes

The program grows organically from the inside. Every ambassador recruits peers. The flywheel never stops.

πŸ”¬

Proven Before Scaled

Guilford County proves the model before statewide expansion. Every claim is documented, measured, and real.

⭐

College & Pro Validation

When pro athletes stand behind it, media follows and communities listen. Built-in amplification at every level.

🌎

Replicable Nationwide

Every city in America has athletes. Every school has vulnerable students. The playbook is universal.

πŸ’‘

Culture Change, Not Rules

Rules stop behaviors. Culture prevents them. SIMBA builds the social norms where inclusion is the default.
Help Restore the Roar

Fund the Roar

The pilot is live, but we need your support to scale it. Every dollar directly supports a child's birthright to belong β€” to be seen, protected, and included.

πŸƒ

$100 – $200 / month

Sponsor one athlete-ambassador for a full month

🏫

$1,200 – $2,400 / year

Sponsor a full athlete for an entire academic year

🌟

$50,000 – $100,000

Sponsor an entire school's SIMBA program

"It changes when a special needs student realizes they belong. It changes when a bullied kid sees an athlete sitting with them at lunch and realizes: I matter."

β€” The SIMBA Project Β· Mental Health Services of NC