One mission

Transforming the lives of underserved youth

Come visit our new community center at 704 Euclid Avenue

Helping youth realize their full potential.

Access Youth Academy was created in 2006 to transform the lives of underserved youth through academic mentorship and sports.

High School

Graduation Rate

100%

Student Earned Scholarships

$10,800,000

College

Acceptance Rate

100%

National

Title Wins

13

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Together, Let's Make a Difference!

We are thrilled to extend an exclusive invitation to you for Access Youth Academy's highly anticipated annual fundraising event, the Sunset Soiree 2024. Hosted at a private residence and set against the breathtaking backdrop of hope and opportunity, this event promises to be an unforgettable celebration of Access students, their remarkable journeys, and the transformative power of education and community support.

Click Here to Purchase Tickets or Become a Sponsor

Potential Made Powerful

In a 14-year commitment that begins in 5th grade, Access students embark on a curriculum of intellectual, physical, and social development where academic enrichment, sports training, and financial support combine to help them realize their full potential.

The dedication required of both scholarship and sportsmanship creates a culture of character and determination- one that yields powerful results. Access Youth Academy shapes champions and leaders, with skills that fuel students through high-school graduation, on to elite universities, and well beyond into their careers.

Over a decade later, we see leaders where young students once stood. And in today's students, we see dynamic, empowered lives unfurling on the court, in the classroom, and in communities- proof that so long as opportunity is there, exceptional effort and guidance will take young people to places they never thought possible.

Join us in celebrating another year of success as Access grows our program to serve more first-generation college students, expand access to an active play space, and provide sufficient guidance, support, and access to opportunity for students to break the cycle of poverty and find success. All donations benefit our transformational squash and academic enrichment programs, helping underserved youth achieve their dreams of success in high school, college, and beyond.

Access News: Success Stories, Impact, DEI, & Development

San Diego academy using squash to help kids reach college

BY STEVE ATKINSON

JULY 29, 2021

It begins with an after-school program of academics and squash from 7th through the 12th grade. Students visit colleges, prep for the SAT and ACT, get help with college applications, and of course, play in squash tournaments ...

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Blair Sadler is ‘flunking’ retirement as he helps students through squash

BY ELISABETH FRAUSTO

JULY 9, 2021

La Jollan Blair Sadler, a former president of Rady Children’s Hospital, is using retirement to continue his crusade to squash social inequities via Access Youth Academy ...

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Academics and squash give charter students a new choice for college

BY M.G. PEREZ

FEBRUARY 2, 2022

“Why is it called squash? Because the ball is squashy,” said Deon Saffery, the Academy’s squash manager. She was recruited from the United Kingdom to come to San Diego and teach children as young as 10 how to play the centuries-old game ...

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Thankful for our Local and National Donors

A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to transform the lives of underserved youth. Access was founded in 2006 by Greg Scherman and Chris Walker, who believed the San Diego community could benefit from an urban squash program that provided opportunity and support unlike any other non-profit in the region.

Federal Tax-ID (EIN) 20-5119659

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