Community College of Philadelphia Programs Provide a Support System for Black Male Students

Diverse Issues in Higher Education January 19, 2012 by Amara Phillip

At the Community College of Philadelphia, two programs aim at low graduation rates among African-American males through the use of support coaches or mentors who help first-time college students inside and outside the classroom.

Through a series of assessments, the college uncovered a disturbing trend that seemed to be echoed at colleges across the country: African-American males were returning to college—and graduating—at a far lower rate than their peers.

The college, which is around 53 percent African-American, applied for and received a $600,000-per-year Predominantly Black Institutions grant, which the school used to create the Center for Male Engagement in 2009.

Building off the success of the program, the college used a $500,000 grant from the Open Society Foundation to fund Project Achieve, an extension of the center that focuses on nontraditional students, veterans and their families.

Dean of students Ronald Jackson describes the center as a “wrap-around program” in which support coaches provide guidance in all areas of a student’s life—whether personal, professional or legal.

“It’s not an academic-based program,” says Jackson. “It’s where a student may be comfortable to have whatever issues they’re facing addressed.”

Kevin Covington, a support coach at the center, says he was drawn to the program because of the city’s low college graduation rate among African-American males, which is below 50 percent.

“Somewhere along the way they either just stop going to school or they are not successful in college,” he says.

“We try to push beyond the old adage of ‘stay in school,’” says Covington. “We say ‘stay in school’ with a purpose. And that purpose is to graduate.”

The mentors try to create a sense of belonging without being excessively preachy, he says. As a model, the coaches try to replicate the atmosphere of a barbershop, which in the African-American community symbolizes an open, supportive environment in which ideas are exchanged and strong friendships are forged.

“We try to create an academic barbershop,” Covington says.

The support coaches at the center function more as life mentors, says Covington. Each coach is involved in nearly every aspect of a student’s life—whether it’s getting help with class, planning long-term goals, paying bills or looking for a job.

Christian Carr, an 18-year-old freshman psychology major, was referred to the club by a financial aid counselor. He visits the center regularly—about once a day—for tutoring in English.

“It’s just one of my stops among places to go every day,” he says.

But what really draws him to the center is its atmosphere—relaxed and always brimming with conversation about the news and current events.

A recent hot topic? “Right now, the Occupy Movement’s pretty big,” Carr says.

Carr’s visits to the center have made him more aware of the need for young people to have mentors as they navigate the crucial years between high school and college, he says. His ambition is to become a high school guidance counselor.

Mikeal Thomas, a 36-year-old Iraq War veteran and health service management major, has been visiting the center since January 2010.

Like many of his counterparts, Thomas decided to return to college after working a series of odd jobs. For him, the center is another way to stay connected with his classmates.

“We have a huge age range—from older students to freshmen and first-time college students,” he says. “It’s just a place where a lot of younger and older men meet and just push each other to graduate,” he says.

“The center is basically a place where we provide those missing parts that round out a person’s college experience and round them out as an adult,” says Jaycee Hall, a 37-year-old engineering major and mentor at the center.

Hall, who hopes to transfer to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, is well aware of the pitfalls that first-time college students can encounter. He nearly flunked out of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, which he attended from 1992 to 1994, after succumbing to a series of distractions.

He attends classes part time while juggling a job as an electrician. As a mentor, Hall helps first-generation college students navigate the unfamiliar terrain—and newfound responsibilities—of an undergraduate education.

Covington says that first-time college students are often surprised at how little guidance they receive during their first year on campus.

“In high school, they already know what classes they’re going to take. They know the teachers, and you probably have the same teachers from ninth to 12th grade,” he says. “In college, much of it is on you.”

As the Center for Male Engagement enters its third year, administrators at the college are pleased with the results. The persistence rate among students who visit the center regularly is around 90 percent, far surpassing expectations.

Jackson, however, isn’t quite satisfied.

“We need to reach out to students before they even get here,” he says. “We’re hoping we can get them to see the value of education while they’re still in high school.”

They’re looking to expand the program, which may be a challenge, he says, because many students attribute the success of the program to its small-scaled intimacy.

“We really want to make sure that we’re maintaining that environment, which is what you need for those intimate relationships to be established,” he says.

“We’re creating a place where they feel that they belong and that they have a stake in,” says Covington. “Here, they have a place to go.”

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