Top 100 Program
YBM Leadership Alliance created the Top 100 Young Black Men program to combat the disproportionate amount of negative information and stereotypes being disseminated about young black men. The centerpiece of the program is the production and distribution of a full color, glossy publication that highlights 100 of the top black, male high school seniors who are leaders, achievers and an inspiration to their peers and younger students in the Charlotte area.
Applicants in the greater Charlotte region must be high school seniors who hold a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. A committee of distinguished judges will make selections based on each applicant’s GPA, SAT scores, community service, involvement in organizations/civic groups, and extracurricular activities. The 100 young men selected will be featured in the “Top 100 Young Black Men of Charlotte” and will be celebrated at the publication’s launch reception in October 2012. Top 100 YBM will be required to perform 50 community service hours in YBM’s Third Grade Reading Initiative.
3rd Grade Reading Initiative
The YBM Third Grade Reading Initiative is a literacy and mentoring program designed to increase the reading proficiency and learning capability of third grade students who havebeen identified as reading below grade level. More than 20 years of research shows that reading well by the end of third grade is critical to student success in school. There is a growing recognition among educators that there is a correlation between a student’s reading ability at the end of third grade and their long-term academic success. The National Research Council concluded: “Academic success, as defined by high school graduation, canbe predicted with reasonable accuracy by knowing someone’s reading skill at the end of 3rd grade.
A person who is not at least a modestly skilled reader by that time is unlikely to graduate from high school.”1The Third Grade Reading Initiative uses high achieving young black men from YBM’s Top 100 program to serve as reading mentors to the students reading below grade level. The Top 100 reading mentors will be paired with third grade students in their local communities. This near-peer relationship of pairing a high performing high school student with third grade lowperforming readers will provide a clear role model and example of success in academics, leadership and community service to the third grade student and their peers. The program also provides leadership development and community activism experience for the Top 100 young men. Finally, the program provides schools with educated and motivated resources to help with reading literacy, which is critical to closing the achievement gap. This is a true win-win-win relationship.
Leadership Conference
The YBM Leadership Conference for Young Black Men is the premier leadership development conference for Young Black Men between the Ages of 13 and 18.
Summer Academy
A significant portion of the academic achievement gained during the school year is lost over the summer months, when there are no education enrichment opportunities available. The Summer Leadership Academy (The Academy) is a summer enrichment and college preparatory program for young black men between 13 and 16 to combat that potential loss. Held on a local college campus, The Academy inspires young men to strive for a high level of academic achievement, school and community leadership, college attendance, and college graduation.
The young men attend classes in science, engineering, technology and math (STEM), language arts, financial literacy and entrepreneurship. They spend time participating in non-traditional sports (golf, martial arts). In addition to the African American college professors, graduate students, industry experts who share their expertise with the participants, alumni of previous summer programs serve as counselors and/or mentors.
College and Scholarship Workshops
The Saturday workshops prepare rising high school juniors and seniors for college with a comprehensive program developed for students and their parents or guardians. The monthly sessions will provide techniques for creating college success and help participants understand the complete college preparation process, which includes scholarship location and application strategies.