African American Male Leadership Academy is an innovative program sponsored by North Carolina Central University for at-risk minority male youth.

The OJJDP FY 09 Earmarks Programs further the Department's mission by providing grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended, to organizations identified in the Explanatory Statement Regarding H.R. 1105 (Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009), 155 Cong. Rec. H1653 (daily ed. Feb. 23, 2009) (statement by Rep. Obey, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations of the House).

School dropout, poor academic performance, delinquent and criminal behavior, gang involvement, and substance use are major risk factors negatively affecting the wellbeing and life outcomes of youth in Durham, North Carolina. North Carolina state and Durham county level data suggest that African American youth in general and males in particular are especially vulnerable and at greater risk than their peers for dropping out of school, performing below grade level on state standardized tests, and becoming involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. The African American Male Leadership Academy (AAMLA) will seek to reduce delinquency rates and improve the educational outcomes of the target population. The AAMLA will engage at least 75 at-risk students African American male students in grades 8-12 in an after-school program designed to improve their academic performance, leadership skills, and resiliency against anti-social behaviors. The goals of AAMLA will be to: 1) decrease delinquency and high-risk behaviors; 2) improve academic performance; and 3) improve and strengthen relationships among families, schools, and the community. The program will focus on fostering leadership skills, civic engagement, and educational competency skills and will include tutoring, mentoring, service-learning, career planning, and family engagement.
NCA/NCF