Creating boys that will become high school graduates and obtain college acceptance or advanced skills training

Mission: The mission of New Beginning Academy is to enrich the lives of young men by providing a network of support, structure, and exposure.

New Beginning Academy facilitates the development of life skills and values, as well as provides the students with an academic foundation for them to recognize their full potential.

New Beginning Academy

Research shows that boys of color, with risk factors predictive of being a school dropout, often show signs in middle school grades by low test performance, grades, attendance, and disciplinary actions.

YouthBuild Preparatory Academy, Inc. has developed a Middle School Mentoring Initiative in which mentors will establish NBA programs at assigned Providence Public School District middle schools. Currently, these mentors are assigned to Nathaniel Greene Middle School and Roger Williams Middle School to work with sixth and seventh-grade boys of color. The mentors are graduates of YouthBuild who are currently employed by the YouthBuild. These mentors offer support for the struggling students and their families in hopes to successfully transition them from Middle School to High School with the necessary skills to succeed.

The specific goals of New Beginning Academy are to:

• Reduce the occurrence of misconduct, suspensions, etc.

• Improve student achievement, engagement, and development

• Prepare the students for a successful transition from Middle School to High School.

• Increase the number of students who transition into High School

• Create strong leaders in their community

New Beginning Academy and its mentors will achieve these goals by meeting twice and week and as needed, typically during their lunch period.

Students will have workshops on social-emotional and character competencies. Students will also work to increase their self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-awareness. The students will work on leadership development and will be shown how to be successful and influential leaders and role models in their communities. With the combination of soft skills, self-esteem and leadership qualities, the students have a new foundation to succeed.

Students will be exposed to the world outside their neighborhoods by being taken on college tours and involving them in different community events while keeping them connected to the classroom.

The students’ parents will be engaged in the work we do with the students. Students’ homes will be visited, and support will be provided to the families and the household.

Students will be reminded of the expectations of being a student at these schools. They will be encouraged based on high expectations for success. The students will be provided with an academic foundation for them to reach their full potential. They will be given assistance to succeed both academically and socially.