BELL is excited to launch a new program in the summer of 2006: BELL BOYS. In partnership with the Charles Hayden Foundation, BELL is developing the summer enrichment program, modeled from BELL Summer , to specifically address the interests and needs of Black and Latino boys the most vulnerable student population.
| Why Boys? | | According to standardized test results, 8 out of 10 Black and Latino boys living in low-income, urban communities fail to demonstrate proficiency in basic literacy or math skills. |
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Nationwide, Black boys represent 9% of public school enrollment, but account for 22% of all expulsions and 23% of all suspensions. |
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Graduation rates of Black and Latino males are significantly lower than the national average. |
| | | In 2000, 25% of all Black and Latino youths ages 16-19 were not in school or employed, nearly twice the national average and six times the national unemployment rate. |
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Black and Latino males under 18 are 3.5 times more likely than Whites males to be incarcerated and are more likely to receive their GED in prison than graduate from college. |
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| Goals | |
Develop a new comprehensive summer enrichment program specifically for Black and Latino boys. |
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Start with 500 boys in 2006 and grow to make the program available to every boy in Boston's low-income communities. |
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Ensure that every child in the program meets BELL's goals for academic gains and social development. |
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Create a "pipeline" of educational and enrichment opportunities for boys from kindergarten through college. |
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Establish a replicable model for positively impacting Black and Latino boys for policy makers and practitioners. |
