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The
Leadership Academy is the 100’s premier mentoring
and education program designed to become a part
of our community’s civic infrastructure by
rendering youth intervention and prevention services.
With the assistance of principals, counselors and
teachers at Turner Technical, Michael Krop Senior
High, Miami Northwestern, Miramar High, Blanche
Ely Senior High, Miami Jackson Senior, Miami Palmetto
Senior, Miami Norland Senior, Barbara Goleman Senior,
American Senior, Miami Springs Senior, Miami Central
Senior, Miami Carol City Senior, Booker T. Washington
Senior, North Miami Beach Senior, Robert Morgan
Senior, Pines Middle, Southwood Middle, North Miami
Middle, Madison Middle, Allapattah Middle, Horace
Mann Middle, Mays Middle, Highland Oaks Middle
and Norland Middle.
The
Leadership Academy begins its Sixth Year
with 60 students from over twenty (20)
schools in Miami Dade and Broward Counties.
These students are the “Young Leaders” of
the Leadership Academy. The Leadership
Academy transforms the Young Leaders’
motivation from the development of
interests and skills that produce a
de-emphasis on education which leads
to negative social or criminal behavior
into a motivation that promotes the
development of well-rounded, positive,
success-oriented individuals. Leadership
Academy includes, among other things,
specialized programs for improving
cognitive skills.
Members, Dr.
Harold Guinyard, Committee Chair and
Co-Chairs Lynn Washington, Frank Hall,
Shawn Topps and Mark Valentine, collectively,
coordinate monthly knowledge building
sessions at the Overtown Youth Center
for the Young Leaders center around themes
that are designed to develop leadership
skills, conflict resolution tactics,
self -awareness, self confidence and
personal responsibility. These sessions
also include academic tutoring, discussions
and presentations from community leaders,
career specialists and other guest speakers.
Also, during these sessions, the Young
Leaders participate in “male room” sessions
designed to promote discussion and conversation
on topic central to manhood.
Over
the six (6) years, the Leadership Academy
convenes at least two weekends per month.
During the intervening days, members
of the 100 serve as one-to-one mentors
to the Young Leaders, serving as the
Young Leaders advocates with the school
system, discussing sensitive topics about
manhood and addressing the many life
challenges confronting the Young Leaders.
Also, many of the Young Leaders have
never traveled beyond the boundaries
of Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Through
Leadership Academy, the Young Leaders
have included in their experiences, New
Orleans, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Las
Vegas, New York City, Detroit and Orlando.
The 100 has arranged for tours of Historic
Harlem, the New York Stock Exchange,
NASDAQ, the World Trade Center, the US
Capital, the Hoover Dam, Historic Sweet
Auburn Ave., Black College Tours – Bethune
Cookman, Tuskegee, Meharry Medical College,
Fisk, Tennessee State, Florida A&M,
Edward Waters, Savannah State, Albany
State, Morehouse,
Spelman, Clark Atlanta, Morehouse Medical
and ITC. The Young Leaders take quarterly
camping trips with the Sierra Club. They
have been certified in CPR and have met
and dialogued with internationally renowned
titans of business, industry, civil rights
and government.
At
this point, the success of the Leadership Academy
breeds welcomed challenges. Our evaluation reveals
that our most pressing needs are as follows:
Young
Leaders of Leadership Academy attended the Annual
Youth Development Conference in Las Vegas and additionally
are featured on the Internet site – Blackvoices.com.
The Young Leaders were featured during the Salute
to Youth Breakfast where Mr. Walters served as
an emcee, Mr. Madison gave the blessing of the
food and the closing prayer, Mr. Edwards prepared
a speech which received
a standing ovation and Mr. Leon providing the acknowledgments.
The Young Leaders decided that since the National
Youth Development Conference would be held in Miami
in 2004, they (Mr. Edwards, Mr. Phillipe and Mr.
Santana) invited the guest in English, French and
Spanish.
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Tutoring
and education consultants to assist with
literacy, comprehension and mathematical
skills
