Black Self Help Information

The KHEPRW Institute

The KHEPRW Institute

WHAT IS THE KHEPRW INSTITUTE?

Kheprw Institute (KI) is a community organization that works to create a more just, equitable, human-centered world by nurturing youth and young adults to be leaders, critical thinkers and doers who see the people in any community as the most valuable assets and are committed to working with marginalized communities to bring about change that leads to empowered self-sustainable communities.

The Hidden Genius Project

The Hidden Genius Project

The Hidden Genius Project was founded in 2012 by five black male entrepreneurs/technologists who were unnerved by the dramatic juxtaposition between the high unemployment of black male youth and the plethora of career opportunities within the local technology sector. To address this challenge, the founders established a program to connect underserved, young black males with the skills, mentors, and experiences that they need to become high-performing entrepreneurs and technologists in a 21st century, global economy.

CODE 2040

OUR MISSION

CODE2040 creates pathways to success for Blacks and Latino/as in the innovation economy.

CODE2040 is a nonprofit organization that creates programs that increase the representation of Blacks and Latino/as in the innovation economy. We believe the tech sector, communities of color, and the country as a whole will be stronger if talent from all backgrounds is included in the creation of the companies, programs, and products of tomorrow.

Black engineers join forces to boost diversity

Black engineers join forces to boost diversity

About 1% of engineers at Facebook and Google are African American. The population of Palo Alto, Calif. is 2% African American, Menlo Park, Calif., is under 5%.

Over the summer Adeagbo founded /dev/color, a nonprofit group for African-American engineers that officially launched on Wednesday. The group brings together engineers from top companies such as Facebook, Uber and Airbnb to provide support and a voice to African Americans and give them the opportunity to raise up the next generation, Adeagbo says.

Adeagbo says he hit on the idea while volunteering as a mentor to a couple of computer science students.

"These students knew they had someone who had their backs, whom they could look up to and reach out to when they needed help. I thought to myself: Every black software engineer could accomplish a lot if they had someone like this," says Adeagbo. .

The name /dev/color is a reference to a common directory on computer systems "as well as our efforts to strengthen the community of Black software engineers, engineers of color," he says.

Adeagbo's /dev/color is joining Black Girls Code, Code 2040 and the Hidden Genius Project, a new and growing wave of enterprising organizations founded by African Americans aimed at addressing the scarcity of African Americans in the tech industry.

Tufts Black Alumni Association launches second year of mentorship program

Tufts Black Alumni Association launches second year of mentorship program

Tufts Black Alumni Association (TBAA) held a launch event on the evening of Oct. 10 to mark the second year of the group’s mentorship program, which aims to prepare students for the professional world through connections with alumni.

The event took place in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room and featured several speakers, including TBAA President Biodun “BK” Kajopaiye (A ’07) and alumnus Groom Dinkneh (A ’13), the director of the TBAA mentorship program and Young Alumni Affairs, according to TBAA alumni ambassador Jared Smith, a senior.

Dinkneh explained that the mentor program creates connections by matching up students with alumni.

“The program is an opportunity for alumni to connect with undergraduates who are interested or share some interests in academic or professional affairs,” he said.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. event helps high school students

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. event helps high school students

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. recently gave 43 high school students a taste of college life with their inaugural event “AVID with the Alphas.”

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap by preparing all students for college and other postsecondary opportunities. High school students from the North Texas area were selected as part of the program to spend a day with members of the Alphas and gain insight into the benefits of attending a university.

During a three-tier process, students learned how to apply for college, heard first-hand accounts of how to make the transition from high school to college, and participated in the social aspect of college by attending a tailgate with the Alphas

Relius Johnson, a former participant in AVID as well as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and several other organizations on campus, helped put together the event in terms of funding and management.

“We just wanted to get more students aware of college, especially minorities,” Johnson said. “Blacks and Hispanics aren’t going to college. So, we all came together and thought of this program.”

See more at the following link: http://tamuceasttexan.com/1344/news/alpha-phi-alpha-fraternity-inc-event-helps-high-school-students/

CBM Starts Mentoring Program In Oakland

Mentoring Proram for Young Black Men Starts at Montera Middle School

Concerned Black Men (CBM) Program Manager Lance Dennis sat at a table Tuesday in the multipurpose room at Montera Middle School going over his lesson plan for the day.

Every Tuesday and Thursday for 45 minutes, Dennis mentors sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade boys with weekly life skills sessions that also address career exploration.

Currently, there are about 15 boys enrolled in the program at each grade level, attending weekly group sessions that address etiquette, healthy eating, exercise, and community service projects.

The program has outside funding and does not cost the school or parents anything to participate.

“We were looking for a school that matched our mission, and Principal Tina Tranzor was very receptive to what we are doing,” said Dennis. “Some of these students are dealing with issues that many adults have to face like domestic disturbances. So we want to empower them and make positive impacts on their lives.”

More at the link provided

NAZ: 1,300 children on college track

NAZ: 1,300 children on college track

In a basement room lined with college banners, inside the Five Points Building, staffers, parents and partners celebrated Northside Achievement Zone’s (NAZ) milestone of having 1,300 students enrolled and on track to be college ready. 

NAZ, through its Promise Neighborhood is seeking to build a culture of achievement in a geographic zone between 35th Avenue to the north, Penn Avenue to the west, West Broadway to the south and Interstate 94 to the east. Naz’s goal for its Promise Neighborhood is to graduate children college ready and end a cycle of poverty within the north Minneapolis area. And though it was a celebratory atmosphere, Geoffrey Canada, founder of the famed Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc., told staffers the celebration should be short-lived as there is plenty more work to be done. 

“We except no excuses for failure,” said Canada, speaking to a room of about 50 staffers, parents and NAZ partners. “Our kids have been failed for too long. People have to do more. You have to double your efforts of what got you to this point. If you keep doing the same, you’ll be in this same place next year. This is the beginning of a process that takes time, but in a community that doesn’t have time to wait.”

More at the link provided.

The Baltimore Algebra Project

The Baltmore Algebra Project

Ralikh and his colleagues stay involved because beyond tutoring math – as the name implies – the goal of the Baltimore Algebra Project is empowering city students who may not have otherwise been given a chance. The organization has a dual focus: increasing math literacy and advocating for student rights in the city of Baltimore. Wrapped up in a peer-to-peer tutoring program is an organization fighting daily to raise the socioeconomic status of youth in Baltimore.

Doing so starts by practicing what they preach. First, the Baltimore Algebra Project is youth-run. One hundred percent of its leadership are young people; the oldest, like Ralikh, are in college. While the non-profit has a Board of Directors with adults, the Baltimore Algebra Project – indeed, the national Algebra Project model, founded in the 1980s by civil rights activist and math educator Robert Moses – has functioned with adults working in an advisory capacity.

As the old piece of economic wisdom goes, there’s no better social program for the jobless than simply having a job. This logic applies to young people in Baltimore just as much, if not more, to any other distinct demographic group – according to the Urban Alliance, only 24 percent of youth maintain employment in Baltimore City and most of their jobs are in food service, retail, and administrative fields. Ninety percent of the Baltimore Algebra Project budget goes to paying young people to teach other young people critical math skills.

More at the link provided.

 

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) has announced a new merger with Opportunity Funding Corporation (OFC)

WASHINGTON, DC – The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) has announced a new merger with Opportunity Funding Corporation (OFC), which will allow the organization to lead the HBCU community in innovation and entrepreneurship by developing the next generation of African-American entrepreneurs for the 21st century.

For the past 26 years, TMCF has focused its efforts on preparing leaders of tomorrow by placing recent graduates of the country’s HBCUs in good jobs with some of the world’s largest and most well-known employers. By combining resources with OFC, students at TMCF’s member-schools will now have access to opportunities that they will not get from other organizations.

“Entrepreneurs are key to the American enterprise and TMCF will now ensure the HBCU community does its part to guarantee that there is a talented and diverse pipeline of future entrepreneurs,” said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., TMCF President and CEO. “The announcement of the TMCF-OFC merger is a very special moment for TMCF because it represents a natural evolution of our business model from that of a purely scholarship granting organization to a business-creating and job-producing one.”

The Opportunity Funding Corporation is a first-of-its-kind entrepreneurial concept aimed at creating successful black-owned businesses to spur economic development in black communities across the country. Since its inception, OFC has played a significant role in incubating companies by serving as the financing vehicle for hundreds of minority entrepreneurs, like BET Founder Bob Johnson and Radio One Founder Cathy Hughes, who have successfully launched nationwide minority business enterprises.

One Dad’s Impassioned Response to Saggy Pants

One Dad’s Impassioned Response to Saggy Pants

You might have seen the story this week about a controversial new dress code that bans saggy pants on the famous oceanfront boardwalk in Wildwood, N.J. You know the saggy pants syndrome: Jeans or trousers worn so low that you can see the person’s choices in underwear— brand and color, boxers or briefs. Not exactly attractive.

It just so happens that saggy pants is a passion for one Virginia dad. Gil Knowles, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and father of one (Miami TV news reporter Summer Knowles), considers the fad an opportunity to mentor instead of criticize young men who choose to show their behinds.

His book: Help Them Pull Their Pants Up: How Mentors and Communities Can Empower Young African American Men.

More at the link provided

 

Urban Prep Academies Graduates All College Bound For The 4th Year In A Row

Urban Prep Academies Graduates All College Bound

For a remarkable fourth consecutive year, all 167 seniors at Urban Prep Academies schools have been accepted at four-year colleges or universities this fall.

Students of the two Chicago public charter high schools -- located in the city's Englewood and University Village neighborhoods -- gathered Thursday morning to celebrate the achievement of their schools, which some have dubbed "Hogwarts in the Hood" for their impressive, seemingly magical rates of success, CBS Chicago reports.

Still, Urban Prep's founder and CEO Tim King says, "the only magic going on at Urban Prep is the magic that these guys put in with their hard work and dedication.”

Carson Scholars Fund

For those of you who didn't know of Dr. Ben Carson before his remarks at The Prayer Breakfast... For those of you who want to broadcast the man, NOW, here is some information for you about the Carson Scholars Fund. All emphasis added is mine:

The Carson Scholars Fund, Inc. was founded in 1994 to address the education crisis in the United States. When world-renowned Johns Hopkins Pediatric Neurosurgeon Benjamin S. Carson, M.D. and his wife, Candy, read a research study about education in the United States, they were alarmed by the findings. The study showed that our nation’s students ranked #21 out of 22 countries; next to the bottom of the list in science and math. Furthermore, the Carsons observed that many school display cases were filled with large trophies paying tribute to their sports teams’ achievements, while honor students only received a pin or certificate.

Dr. and Mrs. Carson felt compelled to take action. They believed that if children could be taught early to excel, they would stay motivated and have a higher chance of educational success later in life. The Carson Scholars Fund was built on these principles.

Carson Scholarships are awarded to students in grades 4-11 who exemplify academic excellence and humanitarian qualities. Winners receive a $1,000 scholarship to be invested toward their college education, along with a recognition package, and an invitation to attend an awards banquet. Carson Scholars become role models and leaders at their schools.

See more at the site.

Philly Phresh Start Project To Promote STEM

Philly Phresh Start is a project to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) among underrepresented minorities. We will engage students by connecting STEM to their day-to-day realities and interests. Minority youth will be exposed to the possibilities and encouraged to imagine a better future.

Magic Johnson Opens School For High School Dropouts

Magic Johnson Opens School For High School Dropouts

ATLANTA – Basketball legend Magic Johnson has opened an education center in downtown Atlanta for high school dropouts.

The Magic Johnson Bridgescape center helps give those who have left school, or are at risk of dropping out, the opportunity to earn a high school diploma. The program, which has just opened its doors, is free and accepts students aged 14 to 20 years old.

Unlike traditional schools, Bridgescape takes a holistic approach, with life skills counselors as well as teachers on site to provide developmental and academic support. Students get academic credits online, including one-on-one and small group classes.

“Those students who finished school [from the center in Ohio] with us at the end of the last school year, 75 percent of them returned at the beginning of the school year to continue their education,” said Jennifer Parker from Bridgescape, in a televised interview with WSB TV 2.

“You can’t get a decent job in this town so you have to get a high school diploma,” said 19-year-old student Chris Wallace in the same report. “It shows me that someone like him [Magic Johnson] cares about people like us.”

Johnson, who is well known for his philanthropic work, has over the years talked about the value of getting a good education. This program is part of the Provost Academy Georgia, a statewide virtual charter high school.

Magic Johnson Bridgescape centers are already operating in Ohio, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. More Georgia locations are planned in Augusta, Macon and Savannah.

 

Charter School Students Closing Achievement Gap

Charter School Students Closing Achievement Gap

Students at charter schools are making significant strides narrowing academic achievement gaps — between poor and affluent students, between urban and suburban schools and between minority and white students — according to a new analysis of the 2011 Connecticut Mastery Test released Wednesday.

A report from the Connecticut Charter School Network says that black, Hispanic and low-income students in charter schools far exceed state averages for their demographics, cutting the math achievement gap in half for black and low-income students and reducing it by two-thirds for Hispanic students.

On average statewide, students who receive free and reduced price lunches — a measure used to identify poor students — are 22.75 percentage points behind their more affluent peers in math proficiency.

However, low-income students in charter schools are only 13 points behind the more affluent, average students.

More at the link provided.

Charter school for black boys a hit with parents

Charter school for black boys a hit with parents

It bothered the Rev. Henry E. Green that, for some African-American boys, going to jail before they reached the age of 20 seemed to be an accepted rite of passage. He watched sadly, correcting wherever and whenever possible, the young boys walking the street with their pants hanging below their buttocks.

Green, then the senior pastor of Mt. Hermon AME Church in Miami Gardens, had a dream.  He wanted to build a school where boys could be taught, at a young age, how to grow up to be responsible men.

Before he could bring the dream to fruition, Green was appointed presiding elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Tampa District of Florida.  But before he moved on, Green shared his dream with the Rev. John F. White II, who succeeded him at Mt. Hermon, 17800 NW 25th Ave.

White accepted the challenge to make it possible.

“We praise God for Rev. Green and his vision,”  White said. “We've tried to pick up the mantle and carry it forward.”

He and his congregation organized the Mount Hermon Community Education Corporation in 2007 with the mission: To save the children.

Salvation would come through developing and mentoring urban youth by providing quality education and educational support programs in economically disadvantaged communities.

“The vision was to focus on early education," said the Rev. Paul Wiggins, an associate pastor at Mt. Hermon and executive director of the corporation.

More at the link provided

African-American male teachers try to be role models

African-American male teachers try to be role models

At a church service Sunday to honor African-American male teachers, the talk turned to the mentors who had made a difference in the lives of some black educators.

For George Maxey, the new principal at Raines High School, it was John Fox, a white teacher who inspired him in third grade, when Maxey lived in a housing project in Brooklyn, N.Y.

For Julius Paden, principal at private Lighthouse Christian School, it was the late Bernard Wilkes, basketball coach at Ribault High School for 30 years.

For Dwayne Thomas, assistant principal at Mandarin Middle School, it was Bud Hicks, who worked as a custodian at his school in Detroit.

The custodian encouraged Thomas, the son of a single mother, to go to school and keep up his grades. He took him to a Detroit Red Wings game. He nicknamed him "Slick" because he tried to slide out of work.

Fort Pierce Chapter of Mad Dads to Honor Those Who Completed FAMU Program

Fort Pierce chapter of Mad Dads to honor those who completed FAMU program

Abelard Cesar is now a confident 17-year-old boy who plans to be a computer engineer and expects to attend Florida A&M University in a few years.

He credits that confidence to the Mad Dads Fort Pierce chapter, which sent him, along with six other high- and middle-school teens, to an intensive summer study program at FAMU.

Those teens are being recognized by Mad Dads for completing the Black Male College Explorer program at a ceremony Sept. 19 at Lincoln Park Community Center on Avenue M.

Mad Dads is a nonprofit organization mentoring boys with an eye to help them succeed in school and in their personal lives.

The Explorer’s college program is designed to keep black male students on track for college and give them a chance at success. Students who do well receive an all-expenses-paid first semester at FAMU, along with mentoring and assistance in applying for financial aid.

More at the link provided.

Steve Perry

Principal's tough love, high expectations gets kids into college

HARTFORD, Connecticut (CNN) -- Principal Steve Perry doesn't believe in cursory inspections. For him, every single detail matters. T's are always crossed, I's are always dotted. Shirts are always buttoned and tucked in.

During his daily morning hallway inspections, he reprimands a student not wearing the Capital Prep school approved sweatshirt with a "That's not our gray." He then quickly peers into another classroom to witness a student acting up. "Don't do it! Don't do it! Don't do it!" he warns sternly. The student retorts "Why not?" Perry knowingly looks at him and simply says, "You're the upperclassman" and with that, the student sheepishly walks away.

It's all part of the daily routine of tough love and high expectations at Capital Preparatory Magnet School in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. It's a public magnet school, with a college prep school attitude. As Perry says, "If you don't want to go to college, don't go to Capital Prep. Go somewhere else."

More at the link provided

Black Star Project Joins Open Society Institute’s Campaign for Black Male Achievement

Black Star Project Joins Open Society Institute’s Campaign for Black Male Achievement

The Black Star Project will receive $50,000 from the Open Society Institute to support the Million Father March and a school-based program that engages Black men as mentors and tutors in the Chicago Public School System. The grant was awarded through OSI’s Campaign for Black Male Achievement, a three-year grantmaking initiative to address, and help reverse, the ways in which African-American boys and men are stigmatized, criminalized, and excluded from the U.S. economic and political mainstream.

Even as Americans elected their first Black president, the end of 2008 saw an onslaught of dire reports on the educational, social and economic outcomes for Black males in America. Sky-high dropout rates for high-school students, an out-of-control murder rate for 14- to 17-year olds and a 72 percent unemployment rate for high-school dropouts paint a bleak forecast for young Black men.

The Black Star Project has joined with the Open Society Institute’s Campaign for Black Male Achievement to address these issues. With the support of the Campaign, Black Star will expand its successful Million Father March and also launch an initiative that uses school-based strategies to recruit Black male tutors and mentors. Research by the National Fatherhood Initiative shows that children, male and female, perform better in school, at home and in life when their father takes an active and positive role in their lives. Additionally, Black male tutors and mentors provide measurable guidance for Black boys and young Black males in America.

More at the link provided.

Black Parents Group Aims To Fight School Stereotype

Black Parents Group Aims To Fight School Stereotype

Nathan Stephens had heard just enough of generalizations about black parents - talk that they don’t care about their kids and claims that they don’t attend school functions.

It was time to form the Black Parents Association of Columbia Public Schools to empower and inform black parents, Stephens said. An organization that has been talked about for decades is finally having its first meeting at 7 p.m. tomorrow at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.

"What really brought it to a head on a personal level was when I felt like black parents had been attacked in the local media," said Stephens, who has children at Parkade Elementary School and Hickman High School. "That’s the term I use - ‘attacked.’ "

Stephens said he was referring to recent news stories and online forums in which school officials and others talked about black parents not being sufficiently involved in the lives of their children. He said black parents are active, but their participation just might be not visible.

Other parents ask Stephens questions in church or at the store, he said, and he knows black parents care about their children’s education. "How dare someone say black parents aren’t involved," he said.

Among its goals, the new group will work with black parents, answering any questions or just support them in general. The association also wants to increase the visible participation of black parents, which could include having some parents fill in for others who might be working during back-to-school functions or parent-teacher conferences, Stephens said.

More at the link.

Running Rebels Youth Programs

Running Rebels Youth Programs

The Running Rebels Community Organization (RRCO) is a private, non profit 501(c)(3) organization, located in Milwaukee’s central city, and began in 1980. as a small group of volunteers committed to helping the youth in their neighborhood stay off the street and in school through recreation, discussion groups, and educational field trips. Its mission is to help Milwaukee youth to develop mentally, physically, and spiritually. Most staff are minorities and reside in the central city. While the agency serves more than one thousand 4-18 year old children and youth and their families throughout Milwaukee County, the great majority of clients live in the central city and range in age from 10-15 years. About 90% are African-American, 90% are male, and most are referred through the court system and have had serious problems in family, school, and community. The majority of RRCO’s 60 paid staff (part- and full-time) are multi-cultured, and the seven-member volunteer Board of Directors are composed of minorities. Ten program volunteers and two office volunteers also work with the organization. Programs are funded through a variety of sources, including purchase of service contracts with Milwaukee County’s contracted managed care agencies, the Milwaukee County Probation Services Network and foundation grants.

SEED School: Harvesting Success

SEED School: Harvesting Success

She giggles and grins but can’t stop talking about the tragedies that have filled her life.

Not yet a teenager, Tierra Jones will never forget the horror of watching a woman run down by a car on a West Baltimore street, or finding her beloved pet dog, B.J., hanging dead by its leash from a broken window in her own backyard. “I busted out crying that time,” she said.

About seven years ago, her mother died from an accidental fall in her home.

Tierra grows quiet at the memory and drops her face into her arms. That’s a lot of pain for a little girl to shoulder.

But Jones is resilient. She acts like a typical 12-year-old, who is just beginning to notice boys, likes listening to rapper Lil’ Wayne and will talk as long as anyone will listen. She dreams of becoming an FBI agent, but with the life she’s had, that goal — for the longest time — seemed way out of reach.

Today, however, her life is full of possibilities.

This past summer, Jones was among 80 students admitted to the state’s first public boarding school, the SEED School of Maryland.

The school’s aim is to give disadvantaged students an opportunity to reach their potential, plucking them from the chaos surrounding their lives and placing them — for free — in a safe, supportive environment, where they can grow socially and academically.

Nearly every graduate of the school’s sister campus in Washington, D.C., gains admission to college, and for Jones and many other children, this is the opportunity of a lifetime.

““The SEED School is a godsend for her,” said Alega Penn, 37, the wife of Jones’ cousin Gregory Penn who took Jones in about three months ago. “They’re able to give her an education, where she’ll be nurtured; They’ll give her the love and care she needs.”

More at the link

The SEED Foundation

The SEED School of Maryland

Ron Clark Academy

The Ron Clark Academy

Oprah Gives Atlanta School Money

ATLANTA -- A letter from Oprah Winfrey last week seemed like the world's best Christmas present _ until teacher Ron Clark noticed an extra piece of paper flutter out of the envelope.

That's when the Atlanta educator saw the $365,000 check for the innovative private school he opened in one of the city's poorest neighborhoods in 2007. It was, quite literally, an answer to a prayer.

"We teach school all day and fundraise at night," said Clark, who finds private donors to pay most of the $14,000 annual tuition for each student. "To have an unsolicited gift come like that is incredible."

Clark surprised his students with the news of the donation Wednesday morning in a gathering at the south Atlanta school. The children, parents and teachers erupted in deafening cheers when he showed off the check.

Several cried at the news.

Student African American Brotherhood (S.A.A.B.)

Student African-American Brotherhoold (S.A.A.B.)

Mission

The Student African American Brotherhood Organization is a dynamic organization established specifically to assist our participants to excel academically, socially, culturally, professionally, and in the community. SAAB is primarily comprised of male students who strive for academic excellence and make a commitment to plan and implement programs that benefit their community at large. We encourage our participants to embrace leadership by being positive examples for each other through a strong commitment to academic achievement , brotherhood, and community service. We provide weekly study sessions, weekly developmental seminars for students of all ages, business meetings, social and religious activities, and work with various non-profit service agencies (i.e., Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Boys Club, etc.).

 

FedEx African-American Network launches new mentoring program

FedEx African-American Network Launches New Mentoring Program

“Every child is entitled to an education that prepares them to compete in a global economy,” said Supt. Kriner Cash.

About 200 FedEx employees recently attended a kickoff luncheon to celebrate a local mentoring initiative sponsored by the FedEx African-American Network. The African-American Network will coordinate the program through Memphis Cares, a part of the National Cares Mentoring Movement that encourages able adults to mentor at-risk youth via a trusted mentoring organization.

The luncheon highlight was the keynote message by Dr. Kriner Cash, superintendent of Memphis City Schools. Dr. Cash told the FedEx group that he would like to see all segments of the community come together to uplift the city’s children and give them new hope for the future. “Every child is entitled to an education that prepares them to compete in a global economy,” he said.    

Through Memphis Cares, the African-American Network will work with five well-established area agencies to sponsor one-on-one as well as group relationship-building opportunities for Memphis-area youth. The participating agencies are the U.S. Dream Academy, Streets Ministries, Memphis City Schools – CONNECT; Exchange Club Family Center, and Kappa Alpha Psi - Memphis Alumni Chapter’s Kappa Days of Caring. Each agency has subject-matter-experts, screening processes and training materials already in place

Leaving the learning at home

Leaving The Learning At Home

"So many things happened to me in terms of racism from teachers, principals and other students," Rowry said. "I decided I'm not going to subject my kids to that."

His three children, ages 8, 6 and 3, have never been in a traditional classroom. He and his wife, Chelsea, home school them.

Once seen by many blacks as something only whites do, home schooling has steadily gained momentum in the black community in the past eight years and is expected to continue to grow, say home school experts.

"Ten years ago, there were not that many people of color home schooling," said Brian Ray, president of National Home Education Research Institute in Salem, Ore.

General dissatisfaction with public schools and increased awareness about home schooling are motivating blacks to change course, experts said.

Concerns about children missing associating with other students and the loss of a spouse's income, however, keep many blacks who are interested in home schooling from taking the leap.

An estimated 220,000 black students were home schooled in 2007, according to the institute. In comparison, 84,000 were home schooled in 1999, according to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics.

CBM and 100 Black Men, Doing The Thang

CBM Partners with school system to help black boys

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - Some Albany men want to make sure students get on the right track at an early age.

 Concerned Black Men of Albany is partnering with the Dougherty County school system to mentor and encourage African American boys in Kindergarten through third grade at Magnolia and Alice Coachman Elementary schools.

Alice Coachman principal Pat Victor compares the men's support to a tomato plant being supported by a garden stake. 

"If you stake them, your tomatoes will grow up to be fine tomatoes and not fall on the ground. So this is the intent, to make sure those young men get the support they need to be fine productive citizens," says Victor.

100 Black Men award $61K in scholarships

The 100 Black Men of Bradley County take a holistic approach to "breaking the cycle ... reaching out ... reaching back" in their efforts to improve the quality of young people's lives. The mentors focused Saturday morning on rewarding youths who have chosen to pursue education.

Scholarship checks averaging $1,800 were presented to 19 college students and scholarship accounts of about $1,550 each were opened in the names of 11 middle and high school students. The total amount of scholarships in 2008 equaled $61,000.

The community leaders have awarded more than $250,000 during the program's 12-year-existence.

100 Black Men of Baton Rouge Partners with Edison Learning

Baton Rouge, LA – 100 Black Men of Baton Rouge and EdisonLearning, the leading education company partnering with public schools in the United States, will welcome students for the first day of classes at the new Capitol High Academy for Boys and Girls on Thursday, August 7.  Capitol High Academy is located at 1000 N. 23rd Street in Baton Rouge.  Dawn Green is the school’s new principal.

“One of the greatest things you can ever do in life is to help someone else achieve their goals and dreams,” said John F. Smith, vice president of programs for the 100 Black Men. “Our collaboration with EdisonLearning, and with the support of parents, we will create a solid foundation for the future of our children’s education here at Capitol High Academy, and help them to fulfill their dreams.”

Gateway To Leadership Internship Program

Gateway To Leadership Internship Program

Washington, D.C. (May 27, 2008) ––The Gateway to Leadership program begins its second year with an impressive class of 34 interns working at 17 financial services firms. Gateway to Leadership is a joint initiative of the NAACP and The Money Management Institute (MMI) that provides summer internships for undergraduate students attending America’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) at leading financial services firms. The only program of its kind, it promotes workplace diversity focused exclusively on the financial services industry and provides career-long guidance and support to its student participants.

"Representation for minorities in the financial services industry still lags behind reasonable numbers,” said NAACP Interim President & CEO Dennis Courtland Hayes. ““Without a diverse employee pool that includes minority executives and managers, and absent sincere outreach efforts and adoption of best practices that cut across racial lines in the new global environment, corporations will never be as profitable as they may hope.”

Black Scholars

Urban League of Rochester Salutes, Helps Black Scholars

Leonard, of Webster, will speak of that confidence and of her belief that one should "never give up ... no matter how hard things are," when she speaks before the Urban League of Rochester's "Salute to Black Scholars" recognition dinner on Tuesday.

Since its inception in 1980, the Black Scholars program has recognized more than 5,700 area students for their outstanding academic achievement. Leonard was named a Black Scholar during each of her four years at Edison.

She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in computer engineering and a master's in business administration from Clarkson University.

Leonard praises the Black Scholars program for being part of a support network that bolstered her confidence and emphasized the importance of staying focused on one's goals and giving back to the community.

She joins a chorus of Black Scholars who say the program has benefited them.

More at the link provided.

SOM students mentor Detroit schoolchildren

SOM students mentor Detroit schoolchildren

Wayne State University School of Medicine students have banded together to launch a cultural and academic academy for middle and high school students of Detroit.   

The Promoting Uplift to Lives of Success and Empowerment (PULSE) Enrichment Academy meets two Saturdays of each month from August to April, bringing Detroit students onto the School of Medicine campus to be taught a variety of cultural and academic subjects by SOM medical students.

The academy, the brainchild of second-year medical students Letacia Sims, Cecelia Calhoun and Dakisha Felder, was established with a Widening the Pipeline Program grant from the School of Medicine’s chapter of the American Medical Student Association. Many of the students volunteering as teachers and tutors are members of the Wayne State University School of Medicine chapter of the Black Medical Association/Student National Medical Association. Ms.Sims, Ms. Calhoun and Ms. Felder are community service chairpersons for the SNMA.   

“We saw a need for this type of programming,” said Ms. Sims, a native of Georgia who wants to practice pediatric medicine. “Kids need to expand their horizons in academics and culture. SOM students need volunteer hours, and the children of Detroit need the help, so it’s mutually beneficial. We get to give back to the community.”

More at the link provided.

Mentoring Program Gives Students Wisdom, Awards

Mentoring Program Gives Students Wisdom, Awards

DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO – In Bob Countryman's days, mentoring was a trickle-down affair – brother to brother.

That's all his family could manage for its 13 children when mentoring programs were practically nonexistent, said Countryman, 70, of San Diego.

Today, he is a driving force behind organized mentoring for young African-Americans.

Countryman, a retired Drug Enforcement Administration forensic chemist, served as master of ceremonies for the Links Inc. San Diego chapter's black male high school seniors achievement awards ceremony. It was held at the downtown Marriott Hotel & Marina yesterday.

Nineteen students were honored at the ceremony attended by roughly 400 people.

Links is a national nonprofit organization of black  women, with some chapters overseas.

More at the link provided.

Project Ready changing attitudes, 1 by 1

Project Ready changing attitudes, 1 by 1

For young black men, dodging gangs, drugs and negative peers and trying to avoid becoming a victim of crime is as much a part of their academic success as hitting the books.

"You've always got to watch your back when you're walking. You never know; maybe those two dudes, or three dudes, you just passed might come back. Like they've seen something they like (such as a clothing item or gold chain) and try to take it," said Marcus Bowens, 17.

Disturbed by the unyielding pattern of high youth violence rates and low graduation rates, the Urban League of Rochester has launched "Project Ready," a program to provide academic mentoring and training in life skills for young black men.

The development program meets twice a week to provide tutoring, train participants on test-taking and public speaking and raise cultural awareness.

More at the link provided.

Club steers black boys, men to college

Club steers black boys, men to college

DAYTONA BEACH -- Hosea Crooms Jr. stands when he speaks. He looks his audience in the eye.

He delivers words with the passion of a preacher and the confidence of a lawyer, the latter of which he indeed wants to be -- after a successful football career. The Atlantic High School sophomore talks of going to Florida A&M University or Harvard.

"When I started here in sixth grade, I was rough around the edges, kind of like sandpaper," Crooms said, wearing a blue pinstripe suit, vest and tie on a recent Saturday morning.

Now the 16-year-old quarterback of the champion Brain Bowl team is a rising star who's recruiting other boys to join him at Bethune-Cookman University's Black Male College Explorers Program.

There, boys in sixth through 12th grades meet in a classroom on campus, analyze the news, get tutored on their schoolwork and learn to play the Royal Game -- chess. In addition to meeting on Saturdays during the school year, the program also has a summer component, where students like Hosea get an opportunity to focus on academics and learn more about colleges and universities.

Mentoring programs such as Explorers are a major part of efforts to steer more black men to college. Institutions such as Bethune-Cookman have long sought more male students. B-CU and other schools, including Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, are rolling out programs designed to help black men in higher education succeed.

Rest at the link provided.

Ariel Community Academy

Ariel Community Academy

Philosophy of Education: Our philosophy is congruent with the Experimentalist philosophy which views change as an ever-present process in a student's learning experience. Experimentalism insists that curriculum is the subject matter of social experience and instruction is a problem solving, project-oriented process. The role of the teacher is to assist and advise the student, actively participating and contributing to their learning in order to expand and discover the society they live in and share experiences together. We believe that a child's education at Ariel Community Academy should be based on current and up-to-date research that is supported by the best teaching and learning methods.  Therefore, students should be aware of their own multiple intelligences and utilize a wide variety of abilities to demonstrate what they have learned. Curriculum: The Ariel Community Academy Integrated Thematic Curriculum is a working document that gives you a framework for what a students should know and what you should teach. The design of the curriculum is purposefully broad in order to provide the teacher with many options for planning and implementing individualized, small group, and whole group instruction. The scope and sequence is a grade level guide for necessary skills. The universal themes provide a way for teachers to integrate multiple intelligence instruction across content and program areas. The curriculum provides teachers with the autonomy to create authentic or criterion referenced assessments for individual, small group or whole group instructional plans. Ariel Community Academy represents a student-family-school-community partnership that educates children to their fullest potential: cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically. The staff is committed to being nurturing and responsive to individual student needs and supportive of families and community. Together our partnership will assist students in becoming literate participants and contributors in a global society. The three imperatives that drive teaching and learning at Ariel Community Academy are: 

       

Writing - Ariel students will be cross-categorical writers, able to use the symbols, language and strategies of all discipline to         record their communications.

       

Presentation Skills - Ariel students will be able to present their ideas and the ideas of others

       

Decision Making and Problem Solving - Ariel students will demonstrate a critical use of knowledge to solve personal and         collective problems.

Ready To Teach (UPDATE)

Ready To Teach (Updated website)

Howard University’s Ready to Teach (RtT) Program is a unique program designed for those who have previously earned a Bachelor’s Degree and now seek to make a career transition into the teaching profession. The RtT Program prepares qualified candidates to teach for high-needs schools in:

Chicago (IL), Clayton County (GA), Houston (TX), Prince George’s County (MD), and Washington (DC).

Our website has the application (applications due on March 3, 2008!) as well as the requirements for enrollment in RtT.

Anyone who wants more information about the program can email us here.

Black Male Initiative Worth Duplicating

Black Male Initiative Worth Duplicating

After a summer visit to the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, N.Y., Shawn Mitchell couldn�t wait to plan a future career in technology.

 

�There were so many inspirational speakers there � they talked about not just the aspect of technology and science but about life and life�s struggles,� says Mitchell, 20, a sophomore at the New York City College of Technology, a branch of the City University of New York (CUNY) also known as City Tech. �It was just very inspiring, very eye-opening (and) I saw and experienced stuff that I never experienced before.�

 

Laboratory visits are one of many methods used by City Tech�s Black Male Initiative (BMI) program that engages Black male students in the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The BMI program, which targets both potential and existing City Tech students, was recently named one of nine U.S. Model Replication Institutions by NASA and the National Science Foundation for its innovative approaches in attacking the problem of Black male student enrollment and retention.

 

City Tech�s strategies will be replicated at other schools across the country as part of an initiative being administered by the Institute of Higher Education Policy (IHEP). IHEP officials say this initiative is designed to expand access in the STEM fields for students at minority-serving institutions.

On Our Shoulders

The On Our Shoulders program was created out of the empathy felt by its founder, Ray Cook, as he watched countless youths die and become victims of violence on the streets of Baltimore.

The counseling, education and skills training offered by On Our Shoulders helps young people develop career potential and connections to advanced education.

The program components include:

Group Sessions

• Assessment
• Review Street Violence Statistics
• Health and Hygiene Classes Conducted by Registered Nurses
• Individual Drug Counseling and Referral
• Young Mothers/Fathers Group
• Support Groups for Young Victims of Violence

On The Job Training

• Pre-apprenticeship Training
• Catering, Food Handling and Baking Classes
• Clerical Training
• Construction/Electrical/Plumbing
• Barbering/Braiding (Hygiene Enhancement Classes)
• Modeling Training/Fashion Shows

Skill Enhancements

• Academic Skills
• G.E.D. Preparation and Testing
• Computer Skills
• Job Readiness Skills
• Life Skills/Coping Skills/Decision Making Skills
• Paid Internships
• College Preparation/Scholarships/Advanced Education

Crimminal Assessment

• Help young people understand charge papers and court procedures
• Provide an assessment on program participants to the courts
• Appropriately recommend "On Our Shoulders" as an alternative to incarceration

Advanced education will be based on academic performance, attendance, punctuality, and commitment to the program. Our youth will need to demonstrate a high degree of motivation within the program to receive a court representation and assessment verification

Pioneer Achievement Committee Scholars

Pioneer Achievement Committee Scholars

For the Pioneer Achievement Committee Scholars, high school is more than a place to hang out with your friends.

Instead, they view it a chance to set the rest of their lives on the right path.

It's a message the Scholars - all black males - hope to pass down to more than 40 of their peers at Ann Arbor's Pioneer High School..

"This is about giving everyone a chance at a better life," said Kyler Wilkins, junior who hopes to go to the University of Michigan and major in computers and/or engineering. "It has to start here (in high school). You have to be going now in order to there later."

The PAC Scholars program was set up three years ago by Pioneer High School students to help shrink the achievement gap.

It runs as a mentoring program. Scholars, who are juniors and seniors with grade-point averages above 2.8, work with emerging and potential scholars, underclassmen with GPAs under 2.7. There are about 13 scholars this year.

"We're working to facilitate the transition to achievement," said Marshall Thomas, a senior with plans to go to Columbia University to study creative writing. "We want to be a role model. We want to try to level the playing field at least.

Delta Sigma Theta SEE

Delta Sigma Theta Science and Everyday Experiences (SEE)

In 2002, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF), in partnership with the AAAS Directorate for Education and Human Resources Programs, began developing and implementing the 5-year Science and Everyday Experiences (SEE) Initiative, an informal science education project funded by the National Science Foundation. The SEE Initiative helps parents and caregivers of African American elementary and middle school age children (K-8) develop effective ways to support children's informal science and mathematics learning experiences.

Another partner in this community-based science effort includes Radio One, Inc., a conglomerate of 51 radio stations in urban and African American markets that served as the broadcast medium for the original Delta SEE Connection. The Delta SEE Connection is a series of interviews with African American role models that are contributors in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines.

JSU Kids Kollege

JSU Kids Kollege

Mission Statement

The mission of Kids Kollege at Jackson State University, in partnership with parents, teachers, administrators and the community is to provide the opportunity for all students to develop academically, socially, technologically and emotionally to their greatest potential in order to become productive self-sufficient members of the twenty-first century and beyond.

Vision Statement

To Educate, Enhance, Enrich and Prepare students today to become our leaders of tomorrow through partnerships between the parents, the schools and the community. Parents, Schools and the Community Making the Education Process Work.

Black Parent Movement

Black Parent Movement

The goal of BlackParentMovement.com is to assist in the development of our next group of Young Black Leaders. We will do this by providing an o­nline platform to discuss the issues and obstacles that make the Black Parenting Mission increasingly more challenging.

This website/blog is for US…Parents, Potential Parents, Soon-to-be-Parents, Parents that have “put in their time”, and anybody else that is concerned about the state of our young people and the future of our collective Culture. By the way, Black = anyone of African decsent. The MOVEMENT is open to all that wish to be involved…

BlackParentMovement.com was started July ‘06. We will continue to develop, tweak, design and poke at the site until we get it right - feedback is encouraged.

In the meantime, have fun, agree to disagree, and spread the word…the MOVEMENT IS NOW!!

Prep for Prep

Prep for Prep

The mission of Prep for Prep is to identify and nurture a generation of leaders from minority group backgrounds who have the education, the skills, and the commitment to help guide this society towards a significant narrowing of the gap between the rhetoric of the American Dream and its blemished reality. As a strategy for developing leaders from minority groups, Prep for Prep seeks to identify those boys and girls who are most likely to benefit from attending academically-demanding independent schools. The Program attempts to prepare these youngsters for success at such schools and to instill in them a commitment to educational achievement as a means of developing their leadership potential.

The Black Student Fund

The Black Student Fund

Since 1964, the Black Student Fund (BSF) has provided financial assistance and support services to Washington metropolitan area African-American students, grades pre-kindergarten to 12, and their families. BSF-assisted students stay in school, graduate high school with distinction and enter college. 70% of these students are from o­ne-parent households — Many are the first generation to progress to higher education.

   

Established to racially desegregate the independent schools of the National Capital area, the Fund serves as an advocate for all black children and strives to assure that black students and their families have equal access to every educational opportunity.

   

Although Black Student Fund programs focus o­n the hundreds of students we directly support annually, over the years, our scope has broadened to provide services that reach thousands in both the greater Washington, DC area and the nation. Whether offering parents information o­n options in education for their children, providing multiracial training to teachers, or networking black educators into the independent school system, BSF programs represent over three and o­ne half decades of expertise, and are recognized for their quality and accessibility.

The New Jersey Orators

The New Jersey Orators

To improve the public speaking skills of New Jersey students between 7 and 18 years of age, thereby increasing their self-confidence, leadership skills and ability to maximize career choices and academic success.

New Jersey Orators, Inc. is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) volunteer organization   founded in 1985 by a small group of New Jersey African-American corporate    executives who set out to improve the language skills of African-American   youth, from ages 7 to 18 years, in preparation for roles of leadership and   employment.

 

The prime objectives of the program are

 

1. language mastery in seven categories of public speaking,
2. enhancement of self-esteem,
3. assistance in career selection, and
4. engagement of parents in their children’s development.

 

Orator training consists of 40 weeks of one-hour meetings coinciding with the school year and participation in statewide competitions. With an annual membership of almost 500 students, there are chapters throughout the State of New Jersey (Lakewood, Montclair, Neptune, New Brunswick, Newark, Nutley, Orange, Perth Amboy, Piscataway I, Piscataway II, Plainfield, Plainsboro, Scotch Plains, Somerset) in six counties (Essex, Monmouth, Middlesex, Ocean, Somerset and Union). There are over 200 volunteer coaches, and almost 100 volunteer judges, timekeepers, and assistants. The organization is managed by five (5) Co-Founders, who are the Board of Directors, and a volunteer Management Board. The New Jersey Orators is located in Somerset, NJ and shares the office facility with the headquarters of the ORATORS, INC.

 

The organization has three Critical Success Factors:

 

1. competition performance,
2. depth and range of knowledge of competition categories
3. high school graduation.

 

Students are evaluated by judges, tracked by coaches in their selection and   mastery of the categories, and monitored for high school completion.

Beehive Arts Program

Beehive Arts Program

The Beehive is an arts program dedicated to sharing the repertoire-and-technique of the Seven Cultural Arts with as many young people as possible through classroom and after school instruction. Students work closely with an artist in a classroom setting and receive hands-on instruction.

The AGBOLE YORUBA School

The AGBOLE YORUBA School

As the nation's first and only full time pre-kindergarten to ninth grade school offering instruction in English and Yoruba as equal languages in all subjects, the mission of the Agbole Yoruba School is to create a standard for academic excellence through full immersion in American and yoruba culture.

   

Watoto World

Watoto World

WATOTO VILLAGE, seeks to partner individuals, business, organizations, and communities to "adopt" schools in Urban America in an effort to provide the technology skills and resources to our children. Here you will find Home Pages and other works of adopted schools. New Perspective Technologies and The Park Place Academy have adopted James Monroe Elementary, of Norfolk, VA. GrabEwE, Inc., Watoto World partners, have adopted Job Barnard Elementary in Washington, D.C.