June 27, 2011

THE MADISON PREPARATORY ACADEMY FOR YOUNG MEN




Guest: Kaleem Caire, President/CEO, Urban league of Greater MadisonLink
The Urban League of Greater Madison is on a mission: to improve the educational outcomes of young men in Madison by establishing the Madison Preparatory Academy for Young Men, a public charter school which will serve as a catalyst for change and opportunity, particularly for young men of color. Based on current education and social conditions, the fate of boys of color is uncertain. In the MMSD class of 2010, just 7% of African American seniors and 18% of Latino senior were deemed "college-ready."

Kaleem Caire takes us back to his personal roots of being raised by an aunt and grandmother while his mother slept in a bus shelter on State Street and his father lived a revolving door life of in and out of prison. Kaleem's school grades reflected the hopelessness he felt, but a stint in the Navy changed that. He was told he was an under-achiever, that he wasn't fulfilling his full potential. The Navy paid for his education, and the rest is history.

Now, through the Urban League of Greater Madison, Kaleem and his team are planning to instill those core values of excellence, pride, leadership and service into the lives of young men who are at risk for academic achievement. On this program, Kaleem Caire explains their strategies to prepare Madison Prep students for success at a 4-year college or university so they will be qualified to join the workforce of tomorrow. Community awareness and support is a key strategy!

To learn more about the Madison Preparatory Academy for Young Men, go to www.ulgm.org.