Quarterly Report – January 2015

Every quarter, Growing Kings issues a research brief centered around educational and societal concerns effecting urban male youth nationwide and informs readers how we are confronting those problems locally.

The January 2015 brief asks the question, “Are Urban Male Youth Too Cool for School?” Using student pre- and post-program evaluations, we ask GK students how they feel their peers would view them if they did well in school. More often than not, the media draws a picture for boys and men of color and stereotypes them into believing if they performed well in school, then they are either bullied or looked at as outcasts.

Key Points:

• Nevertheless, among urban youth, the misconception pervades that urban males, in particular, do not view education as a viable vehicle for upward mobility.
• Despite the prevailing statistics of some of the research, we feel that, when given an opportunity to harness their academic and social potential, these students can truly blossom into productive leaders of the next generation.
• What we found was simple; either a negative sociology towards academic excellence did not exist within our students’ culture, or if it did, our other participants did not envision it as a deterrent for pursuing social and academic improvements.
• Through skill building, mentoring, and encouragement, students learn how to access their potential in order to perform well in school, which encompasses academic excellence, behavioral self-regulation, and decreased truancy.

View the entire report Quarterly Brief – January 2015