Posted1/11/2021 5:30 AM
Jaiden Lovelace struggled with behavioral issues in middle school, often getting into trouble and affecting his grades.
But today, the 14-year-old from South Elgin, who dreams of playing football in the NFL some day, is focused on graduating from South Elgin High School.
It s why he joined Brothers Rise Up, a leadership program for Black male students in third-grade through high school within Elgin Area School District U-46. It helps monitor and improve students academic performance, attendance and behavior, and offers curriculum for character building, social skills, leadership and career development. I get a lot of emotional support and it s a place that we can be open and talk, Jaiden said of his interactions with peers in the group last year.
Updated 12/13/2020 8:22 AM
A mentorship program initially targeting youth in the Elgin community has shifted its focus toward helping African American boys develop leadership skills.
Brothers Rise Up now provides mentoring and support to 130 Black male students in third through ninth grades across 17 Elgin Area School District U-46 schools. The program focuses on monitoring and improving students academic performance, attendance and behavior and offers a curriculum emphasizing character development, social skills, leadership and career development.
The goal is to help Black male students achieve their goals, improve their future prospects and provide a forum where they can share their struggles, said Jim Cook, a dean s assistant at Kenyon Woods Middle School who founded the program in 2019 as part of the nonprofit Midwest Sports Academy.