By Jason Mandell

December 1, 2009 -- It’s 4 p.m. on a Friday afternoon in Santa Monica. School may be over for the weekend, but at the Santa Monica Police Activities League (PAL) on Olympic and 14th Street dozens of kids are busy taking classes, doing homework and training in sports.

Created 20 years ago to foster trust between youth and the men and women of the police department, PAL has provided at-risk and under-served youth with a “second home,” says Eula Fritz, the program’s director.

A cheerful leader with an easy smile, Fritz is the backbone of the organization, which takes kids who might have fallen through the cracks of the system and helps them grow, learn and achieve their potential.

“A lot of kids have a negative image of the police,” says Fritz. “PAL’s whole purpose is to create a positive experience.”

Two police officers on staff interact with the kids everyday and take them on field trips to different police facilities, as well as on adventures such as canoe trips in Santa Barbara.

Creating a bond between kids and cops is just one part of PAL’s story, says Fritz. The bigger goal is to boost kids’ self esteem.

Some youngsters come in with a history of poor grades in school, others don’t get the encouragement they need from their parents, Fritz says. The result is a poor self-image, which is the most important obstacle to overcome.

“Once you start feeling good about yourself, it’s amazing what you can accomplish,” she says. “We give the children the attention that they need. We say, ‘We’re going to help you and make sure that you try.’”

Thanks in part to Fritz’s ongoing fundraising efforts, PAL’s headquarters boasts a state-of-the-art computer room, a dance room, an arts and crafts room with lots of natural light, a lounge where kids can just “kick it” and a sparkling gymnasium.

With classes ranging from Spanish 101 to Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatics, PAL makes sure kids have every opportunity to explore their interests in a safe, encouraging environment, Fritz says.

A college prep program focuses high school students on what they need to do to get accepted into college. And special events like “PALloween” on October 31 create a real sense of community among the staff and students.

“We’re like one big happy family,” says Fritz.

Fritz found her true calling several years ago, while working at a part-time job in West Hollywood’s Parks and Recreation department. “I fell in love with recreation and working with kids,” she says.

At the time Fritz was pursuing a master’s degree in kinesiology – the study of the movement of the human body – so she decided to focus her studies on community leadership and using physical activity for youth development.

“How do you use activities to get through to youth, teach social skills, raise self esteem?” says Fritz. “How do you reach at-risk and under-served youth?”

The answer, in Fritz’s case, was to join PAL, whose kids mostly come from the economically disadvantaged Pico neighborhood. As a PAL coordinator, Fritz worked closely with the youngsters and led a number of programs. For two summers she ran PAL’s gym on Virginia Avenue, where kids develop their skills at boxing and martial arts.

“I tried to make the workouts more interesting,” says Fritz. “I wanted to make it fun so kids would want to come back.”

Meanwhile, Fritz’s bosses took notice of her care and commitment to the children. She became acting director of the organization last year, and this summer the position became official.

“There’s an old saying, ‘Find something that you love and you’ll never have to work again,’” says Fritz. “I took that to heart.”

“There’s an old saying, ‘Find something that you love and you’ll never have to work again,’” says Fritz. “I took that to heart.”

“How do you use activities to get through to youth, teach social skills, raise self esteem?” says Fritz. “How do you reach at-risk and under-served youth?”