Sons Empowered to Succeed, Inc.

Detroit, MI 

Sonsempowered.org

(248) 687-9483

After School Initiative

September 2023

The Narrative

In 2019, the number of single parent households rested at about 23% in the United States and today almost 80% of those homes are single mother led. 

In our school system female teachers outweigh male teachers at an overwhelming 77%. The responsibility of teaching our boys to be young men has fallen on the shoulders of our nation's women. Try as they might the statistics staggeringly illustrate their need for help. 

Vision

Sons Empowered To Succeed, Inc. (S.E.T.S.) creates a setting where boys are inspired to develop into productive and independent young men that are physically and emotionally responsible for themselves.

Mission

Sons Empowered To Succeed, Inc. (S.E.T.S.) works with young men from high risk households to help them identify, verbalize and regulate their emotions to support the outcomes of decreased behavioral incidents and increased community involvement, thereby putting an end to the school to prison pipeline. S.E.T.S does this via social emotional learning, skill development, college and career preparation and physical movement.

Skill Development

Soft Skills:

1. Conflict Management

2. Self-Empowerment

3. Effective Learning: The Learning Course (http://note-tlc.com/aboutus.html)

4. Critical Thinking

Practical Skills:

1. Future Planning: College preparation and skilled trades introduction

2. Movement/Exercise: Martial Arts and Yoga

3. Educational Assistance: Tutoring

Schedule (15 Weeks for  Semester 1 and 20 Weeks for Semester 2-2 Days Per Week)

1. Day 1

Yoga/Martial Arts- 1 Hour

Group Session w/ Art Therapy or Social Emotional Learning through Effective Learning Curriculum- 1 Hour

2. Day 2

Tutoring and College and Career Preparation- 1 Hour

Group Session w/Art Therapy or Social Emotional Learning through Effective Learning Curriculum- 1 Hour

Our Outcomes

• Increased class attendance

• Decreased suspension rates

• Improved reading skills

• Academic confidence

• Cultivated futures/college prep & skilled trades awareness

At the end of the program, participants will complete a storytelling exercise where self-reported qualitative data will be gathered to give a gauge on our outcomes and inform program facilitation and content improvements for future iterations.  

Key Performance Indicators

Students will be given a pre, mid and post survey to assess:

• Confidence level in Reading

• Confidence level in Writing

• Confidence level in Math

• Awareness of key components of choosing a college

• Awareness of key components of college entry requirements

• Awareness of key components of path to college preparation (FAFSA completion, scholarship search, essay and resume writing, application deadlines, SAT prep, etc.)

• Ability to identify emotions across a spectrum

• Ability to identify and efficacy with utilizing emotion regulation skills to get from one emotion to a target emotion

• Feelings regarding overall mental, physical and emotional health

Participant confidence and awareness of areas assessed will increase subjectively as reported via surveys.

Participant attendance and suspension rates will be obtained from the office. Participants' attendance and suspension rates will be compared to their attendance and suspension rates from last year if they attended a DPSCD school. Participants' attendance and suspension rates will also be compared to peer norms within the school. Participants should have improved attendance rates and lower suspension rates that are, at  minimum, on par with their peers with the goal of it being better.