Carter G Woodson Annual Report

,

T

&

WHY DID WE DEVELOP THIS PROGRAM? The short answer is that we want to give young people “dreams that are bigger than their win- dows” by exposing them to opportunities and ex- periences that allow them to dream of better lives and equipping them to pursue those dreams. The longer answer is we are frustrated that Af- rican American boys lag 1-3 grades behind their grade level and perform below expected profi- ciency levels. We are frustrated that too many African American boys respect drug dealers and others who engage in criminal activity as a way of life because they are not exposed to men who look like them who have made it out of the streets and/or into successful lives by pursuing their dreams. We are tired to hearing of the school to prison pipeline that often places more African American men in our nation’s prisons and jails than in our nation’s colleges and universities. So, by developing this Program, we are turning our frustration into action so that we can make a difference in the lives of boys in our community the same way men in our communities made a difference in our lives. We are developing this Pro- gram that we might “build a bridge” to success for the young men with whom we shall work by providing life skills and educational opportunities. As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “…we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportu- nity of this nation. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice” that our children so richly deserve. We have come to help change lives.

WHAT IS OUR PROGRAM? The Woodson Boys Club was established to de- velop productive relationships with local school aged African American boys to enable us to equip them with leadership and academic skills through various cultural enrichment activities, and to offer mentorship and direction while assisting them in their progression as young men. The Woodson Boys Club consists of 4 primary components: (1) Academic/Career Development, (2) Cultural Enrichment, Enhancement and Education, (3) Mentoring Towards Manhood, and (4) Community Service Contributions. Sessions of the Woodson Boys Club includes presentations, speakers, movies/documentaries related to dis- cussion topics, homework assistance, educational opportunities, sports activities, other fun activities and community service projects. In addition to the weekly sessions, monthly educational and experiential trips were planned to various places. WHO IS OUR PROGRAM INTENDED FOR? Our Program is intended for African American boys who are currently in the 5th and 9th grades. We have created two cohorts, one for each grade that is comprised of boys from ever level of the academic and behavioral spectrum. We firmly be- lieve that the proper educational structure is one that recognizes that all children can learn from other children, and that each child has something to teach. Therefore, each cohort is comprised of diverse groups of boys with diverse backgrounds. Once the cohorts have been established, the Program is structured to enable us to work with the members of each cohort for the remainder of their academic careers in the Madison Metropol- itan School District (MMSD). In other words, once a boy has been selected for a cohort, we will work with that boy until he graduates from high school.

37