#PraiseTheYouth
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”
-Aristotle
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”
-Aristotle
Our Blueprint to Success
- It’s interest, not intellect - It’s our responsibilities as educators to ensure that our students are engaged with any information we expect them to retain and apply.
- Cultivate Faculties - Every student on the planet has access to six amazing mental faculties that can be strengthened to create their dream life: will, reason, imagination, perception, memory, and intuition.
- Develop Mindfulness - Our students will learn to transmute their emotions, as well as gain awareness on their connection to a broader world around them.
- Life-long learners - The frequency in which our students explore and learn on their own will assure the trajectory of their life continues to slope upward.
- Self-awareness - Understanding who they are, how they learn, and what they want out of life are questions our students answer with clarity.
Why we do what we do
Low-income, minority students are failing to graduate from college primarily due to 1 of 3 reasons.
- Finances - According to a recent study from 2014, the lowest family income quartile would need to spend 82% of their earnings on college expenses. Therefore, students are forced to enroll part-time, or work jobs with a full-time class schedule.
- Inclusion - There is a strong feeling of not belonging, due to many low-income, minority students not being exposed to other cultures prior to college. This results in a struggle to find emotional support, seek academic help, and/or connect with others.
- College Readiness - Often times, this demographic is a first generation college student. Not only do many of them reside from poorly resourced and academically struggling high schools, they lack awareness on how to navigate through college effectively.
We have created a comprehensive success program that addresses each area and prepares our students for life, as well as post-secondary education.
Our Programs
AGreaterU
AGreaterU (AGU) is a “Residential Extended Learning Community” (RELC) created as a resource in predominantly low-income communities for young men, who we believe, would thrive in a better learning environment. We know the solution for educational and professional advancement for low-income youth lies in a comprehensive and creative approach to education, mentorship, and wraparound support. We are a residential family resource for young men who want a better future but may lack support and/or resources to create it themselves.Our community serves high-risk, under-performing students throughout the Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana.
AGreaterU (AGU) is a “Residential Extended Learning Community” (RELC) created as a resource in predominantly low-income communities for young men, who we believe, would thrive in a better learning environment. We know the solution for educational and professional advancement for low-income youth lies in a comprehensive and creative approach to education, mentorship, and wraparound support. We are a residential family resource for young men who want a better future but may lack support and/or resources to create it themselves.Our community serves high-risk, under-performing students throughout the Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana.
Blueprint Mentorship
Our holistic, year-round mentorship program practices self-educating by consistently immersing young people in environments and sub-cultures that expand their beliefs and expectations. These experiences prompt emotional reflections of their values and past behaviors. We also utilize community service to create feelings of gratitude, fulfillment, and most importantly empowerment.
Our holistic, year-round mentorship program practices self-educating by consistently immersing young people in environments and sub-cultures that expand their beliefs and expectations. These experiences prompt emotional reflections of their values and past behaviors. We also utilize community service to create feelings of gratitude, fulfillment, and most importantly empowerment.
Beyond Athletics
Beyond Athletics gives Chicagoland’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods sports teams, high-level training services, camps, tournaments and other events that will engage the community. In addition to sports, Beyond Athletics will provide young people with mentoring, academic tutoring, financial literacy courses and social emotional learning.
Beyond Athletics gives Chicagoland’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods sports teams, high-level training services, camps, tournaments and other events that will engage the community. In addition to sports, Beyond Athletics will provide young people with mentoring, academic tutoring, financial literacy courses and social emotional learning.
Global Awareness Project (G.A.P)
GAP is an ongoing, multifaceted community outreach program that provides a unique learning experience for children and adults in under-resourced community. Speaking engagements, workshops and seminars will focus on self education, exposure to career opportunities, entrepreneurship, ownership, community wealth and finances and other positive and uplifting topics.
GAP is an ongoing, multifaceted community outreach program that provides a unique learning experience for children and adults in under-resourced community. Speaking engagements, workshops and seminars will focus on self education, exposure to career opportunities, entrepreneurship, ownership, community wealth and finances and other positive and uplifting topics.
The foundation of all aggf programs is...
Social emotional learningWe teach our own proprietary personal development curriculum that allows us to meet the youth where they are and improves self-awareness, identity, confidence. The curriculum includes restorative justice practices.
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ExperiencesWe consistently immersing young people in environments and subcultures that expand their beliefs and expectations. These experiences prompt emotional reflections of their values and past behaviors.
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Community ServiceWe use community service to expose our youth to the various way that they can give, build compassion for others, and inspire them to help others.
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