Minority Outreach Program Celebrates 30 Years of Empowering Students
This year will mark the 30th anniversary of the College of Coastal Georgia’s Minority Outreach Program. The trademark initiatives of the Minority Outreach Program have been Boys of Summer and Girls of Summer, which have helped many youths over the years improve their academic and personal development skills.
Boys of Summer was founded by the Fourteen Black Men of Glynn in 1992 as an early intervention program to help young Black men. It was an extension of their Torchbearers Program, and focused on middle school students who were struggling academically and lacked strong male influences. In partnership with the Minority Outreach Program, young men would spend four weeks on the College’s campus to receive academic instruction with the goal of completing high school and one day earning a college degree. The program has been very successful with many participants demonstrating academic gains in core subject areas and pursuing careers in a variety of fields such as education, banking, and sports leadership. In 2017, the Girls of Summer program was created as a complement to the Boys of Summer program with similar goals, and has also resulted in outcomes of achieving academic gains. Student participants have increased their Georgia English and math proficiencies by 10 percent within the last two years. Both programs have evolved to being more empowerment-focused, with an emphasis on career exploration, mentorship, and building life skills over the course of two weeks.
To celebrate the many years of empowering area students, the College has set a goal to raise $30,000 in honor of the thirtieth year of the Minority Outreach Program, which will be used to maintain the programs. The Georgia Power Foundation has already contributed $10,000 towards this goal. The Foundation believes in enriching communities across the state in the areas of health, education, the environment, culture, and diversity. They have been a big supporter of both the College and local community over the years. Their gift will go a long way in helping the College prepare future generations for success.
“Georgia Power is proud to support the College of Coastal Georgia’s Minority Outreach Program as they celebrate 30 years of service to the area,” said Area Manager Dialo Cartwright. “We are committed to supporting the communities where we live and work, and look forward to seeing the impact this program will continue to have on young men and women in this area.”
College of Coastal Georgia President Michelle Johnston is very proud of the success the Minority Outreach Programs have had over the years.
“We will always be grateful to the Fourteen Black Men of Glynn for starting this important initiative and partnering with the College. These programs are truly changing the lives of students and renewing their commitment to their school work,” Johnston said. “The Georgia Power Foundation has been a great supporter of education and community outreach. We deeply appreciate their generosity towards the Minority Outreach Program, and look forward to continuing to provide this program for many young people in the area.”
For more information about the Minority Outreach Program and to donate, please visit www.ccga.edu/minorityoutreachturns30.