Men of Tomorrow Receive Donation for SAT Preparation for At-Risk Youth

The University Area Community Development Corp. has donated $1,000 to the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity's Men of Tomorrow program to cover the costs of its SAT preparation program for at-risk youth.

This program, serving the university area community and beyond, also provides workshops for the participants, which include: goal setting, time management, career choices, financial aid, study skills, interviewing skills, college life, financial responsibility, managing money, community involvement, and social outings.

"We've been providing Men of Tomorrow with meeting space and support for years," said Dan Jurman, UACDC executive director and CEO. "This year we wanted to focus additional resources specifically on helping these exemplary young men with their efforts to get accepted to the colleges and universities of their choice. Performing well on the SAT is a big part of achieving that goal."

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity members use the MOT program to help at-risk students in their community finish high school and go on to a college-level education. Mentors from this program reach out to young men of all high school levels with the goal of connecting with them and providing support before they drop out. There is no set grade point average a student must achieve to participate in the program.

"It's never too late to change a young man's future," said Phil Paul, director of the MOT program. "The reality is the dropout rate has risen to a staggering high for these at-risk youth, making this program essential for these young men to have a successful future."

Since many of the fraternity members have grown up in similar situations or even been through the MOT program themselves, they make excellent mentors by being able to truly relate to these young men.

"News reports often highlight disturbing statistics about young African American males going to prison," said Martine Dorvil, director of community outreach for UACDC. "These statistics are alarming. But it's also important to highlight the young males who are not going down that path, thus inspiring others to do what is right."

These statistics are what originally sparked Dorvil's interest in the program. Last year, eight of the active senior members of the MOT program were accepted to attend higher learning institutions; six selected to four-year universities and two to trade schools. UACDC purchased laptops and presented to all eight graduating senior members.

"Hundreds of MOT graduates are living testimonies that the program was helpful to them, their families and their communities. We encourage other organizations to follow UACDC's lead in financially supporting programs like Men of Tomorrow that offer real solutions to today's challenges," added Dorvil.