Michael Hines Saturday Academy

Michael Hines Saturday Academy: The Michael Hines Saturday Academy named in honor of True 2 Life dedicated violence interrupter, Michael Hines who after a 25 year sentence in prison made it his life’s mission to work with at-risk youth, was tragically taken from us at a freak motorcycle accident in July 2017. In an effort to honor Mr. Hines listed below are some of the goals of the Academy.

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The Goals for the Michael Hines Saturday Academy:

1. Decrease the dropout rate among Black and Latino students

2. Cultivate an interest in education, academics and school itself through self-empowerment and knowledge of historical contributions of African Americans, Caribbean and Hispanics in the Diaspora

3. Increase Mathematical and English comprehension verbally and through reading for Black and Latino students.

4. Increase the number of students of color scoring 3 and 4 on ELA and Math state standardized tests. 

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The Birth of the MHSA is also attributed to the renowned scholar Dr. Jawanza Kunjunfu’s who while addressing  a  crowd of several hundred people at the Central Family Center in 2016 ,spoke about the need for fathers to be involved in the lives of their children on every level but particularly with their education.

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Dr. Kunjufu also mentioned another important factor in the pupil performance which is the expectations of his or her parents and teachers which cannot occur without parental interest and support.  The stimulation of a talented teacher and an identifiable cultural component which allows students of color to tie their learning to their own cultural and historical contributions is essential to their academic performance. Since the beginning of Michael Hines Saturday Academy we have stay on course of the mission by assisting young people with their academic performance, providing social groups and cultural activities such as taking to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Cultural Center in Harlem NY and the African American History Museum located in Philadelphia PA. 

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Classes & Requirements

3rd - 7th graders are welcome to join.

Michael Hines Saturday Academy is every Saturday from 12:30-1:30pm