A vision is a what, not a how. It is more than a dream – It's a dream PLUS. A vision must be designed, built and finished. A vision is the house where the dream resides.
~ Maynard Holbrook Jackson
A key objective of our work is to prepare our students for global leadership. While the cultural events and field trips offer this exposure, we elevated our ability to make an impact in this area by integrating a study abroad program into our model in 2013. The summer Study Abroad program allows students to develop critical thinking skills and to analyze cultural, social, and environmental constructs from a global perspective. Students are encouraged to expand their world-views as they observe and interact with people from different cultures.
The purpose of the Spanish study abroad program was to teach students through field based experience about the history, culture, and language of Spain. During the visit to this beautiful country we toured seven cities, including Madrid, Segovia, Burgos, Bilbao, San Sebastian, and Pamplona and Barcelona. Our students experienced life with other young people from the host country while visiting educational and cultural centers, and other historical landmarks. Through the first hand experiences of travel excursions, walking tours, visiting museums, and visiting important landmarks, the students explored and increased their self-awareness in relation to another culture and country.
Beginning in 2014, we engaged in a partnership with the City of Atlanta’s Office of the Mayor to participate in its Sister City Exchange program. Through this collaborative effort, students engage with peers from Nuremberg, Germany. For a ten to fourteen-day period, students exchange cities, living with local families and engaging in cross-cultural learning as well as international human rights service projects. Between visits, students communicate regularly to advance the work on their human rights projects and deepen their exploration of cultural differences as well as similarities. Human rights topics have ranged from immigration and human trafficking to civil rights and the death penalty. A culminating event is held at the Center for Civil and Human Rights where our students are able to share their research, key findings and recommendations for addressing these issues with local civic and community leaders. Each year, we sponsor two to four students to participate in this program. If it was not for our support, students of color would be unable to take advantage of this unique opportunity to study and understand the cultural experience of youth across the globe.
In 2014, MJYF launched its partnership with Confucius Institute at Emory University to create a study abroad program to China. Through this partnership, we have crafted a special curriculum of experiential learning and student immersion that goes beyond cultural exchange. For two weeks, students have an immersive experience, studying in China at Nanjing University which is one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious institutions. In preparation for their departure, our youth spend 40 hours learning the Chinese language to ensure adequate preparation for this experience. Upon arrival, their study of the language is coupled with culture and history lessons in the classroom along with extracurricular programming at local cultural and commercial centers. As part of their stay, students lived on campus in dormitories but also had access to city life and Chinese customs. Through their time in China, the students visited Tian’anmen Square, the Imperial Palace, Hutong of Beijing, The Great Wall of China, Ding Mausoleum of the Ming Tombs, Temple of Heaven Park, the Summer Palace, and many other sites.
The college prep program is a college readiness program that prepares our high school seniors to gain admission to and succeed at competitive colleges and universities throughout the country. In this program, students identify their colleges, complete the common application for college admission, apply to a minimum of ten colleges, receive SAT or ACT test preparation, complete the college Financial Aid information, apply for scholarships and write college admission essays. They also develop practical skills of time management, financial literacy, study skills and goal setting that will enhance their likelihood of success when they reach college. This program focuses on academic, personal and financial support needed to successfully enter and complete college as well as prepare for productive careers or graduate education. To that end, we provide one-on-one coaching to help our students navigate the college admission and financial aid application process.
This series of informal dinners during the fall months engages parents and students in conversation with admissions officers from competitive colleges and universities with outstanding programs that support first generation college students. Students and parents gain insights about what decision makers look for in college applications and are able to ask questions about financial aid, campus life, academic programs and programs available to support student success. Participating universities include: Washington University, Emory University, Spelman College, Davidson College, George Washington University and the list is growing.
We take students on day trips and overnight trips to visit to a wide range of public and private colleges and universities throughout the state of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and D.C.. These college tours provide them with what for many is their first college campus experience. Students explore which school settings might work best for them. For example, urban v. rural, large v. small, HBCU v. mainstream, private v. public, and the like. Visits with admissions officers give students insights about what it takes to get accepted and also about campus life offerings, including resources available for first-generation college students of color.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur
Community Service projects provide an opportunity for MJYF Leadership Academy students to develop a better understanding of the importance of giving back to the community. By volunteering and/or making contributions to local non-profit organizations, our students are able to apply the principles of leadership learned while participating in the MJYF Leadership Academy. Some of our local community service projects include: mentoring and tutoring elementary youth, neighborhood clean ups at local parks, donating personal items to youth in foster homes and packing medical supplies for international health care clinics.
