Steps to Success

Steps to Success is a comprehensive, research-based intervention, based in the belief that working with schools and families will holistically support the development and wellbeing of each child in his context. Steps to Success is made up of the following core elements:


 


1.       A Life Coach:


Each Life Coach is a full-time, paid staff member who mentors the boys, both individually and in groups, and partners with parents, caregivers and teachers in support of the boys’ success—academically, socially and emotionally. We believe our Life Coaches are the core intervention of our program; necessary for Black boys, who need positive, credible, admirable Black adult male role models to emulate;


 


2.       Individualized Academic Supports:


Tutors are drawn from local partnering colleges and universities, including graduate and undergraduate students. Current partners include: Teachers College, Barnard College, Cooper Union, and Pratt. Our tutors emphasize core competencies, such as English and Math, and provide intensive, one-on-one weekly tutoring for each boy. Ideally, tutoring takes place at each boy’s school to create a better connection to school needs and to align with teachers to ensure success. Our Academic Coordinator provides support for each tutor in tailoring tutoring to meet individual needs;


 


3. Saturday Cultural Academy:


Operating each Saturday from 9:00am - 2:00pm at Frederick Douglass Academy public school, the Saturday Cultural Academy helps to build positive Black identity and expose the boys to new activities (i.e. fencing, theater, saxophone) and opportunities. The Academy’s primary goal is to assist each boy in the development of cultural, academic and social skills critical for success—in school and in life;


 


4. Everyday Heroes:


Our Everyday Heroes are adult Black male role models from various professions (i.e. lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs, etc.)  who volunteer at the Saturday Cultural Academy to share their personal “success stories” and wisdom about forming paths to success--emphasizing the role of education in achieving success;


 


5. Parent Strengthening:


We believe it is necessary to partner with parents in order to ensure their children's success. Our parent strengthening component provides critical tools and support parents need to guide their children to success. This includes providing workshops on topics such as: parenting skills, parent-child connectedness, child and adolescent health  and wellness, meeting parents’ own needs (such has health and stress management), and providing skills for how parents and schools can work together. Involvement with parents also includes general meetings, a Parent Leadership Committee, family events, and weekly emails from the Director;


 


6. Evaluation:


Program tracking and information-gathering by Dr Michael Mackenzie, Assistant Professor at Columbia University School of Social Work allows us to understand what works best for the boys in our program as well as to provide future lessons for other parents, caregivers, teachers, and communities in raising Black boys to be successful.


 


Please note: Unfortunately, we are not currently accepting applications for new boys to enter the program. You may contact us to sign up for our waiting list in the event that we take on a new cohort. 


 


Program Staff:


Roger Ball, Life Coach


Charles Emmanuel, Life Coach


Pierre Andre, Life Coach


Carol Britton, Academic Coordinator


Marissa Bailey, Administrative Assistant


 


For more information, please contact Jessica Silk at 212.949.4969 or jsilk@childrensaidsociety.org


 


 


This program is made possible through the generous support of The Charles Hayden Foundation.

For more information please contact

Jessica Silk: 212.949.4969