A UGA counseling professor’s group of mentoring programs aimed at developing and nurturing academic and social skills, especially in young African-American men, has received a grant from AT&T through the Athens Area Community Foundation.
Deryl Bailey, an associate professor in the College of Education’s department of counseling and human development services, began the Empowered Youth Program in 2002 as an expansion of his original Gentlemen on the Move program.
Today, the EYP includes two more groups: Parents of Empowered Youth and Young Women Scholars. These programs also include Saturday academies and workshops.
The programs provide K-12 students in Athens-area schools with tutoring, guidance and social skills training while offering a supportive structure for their parents. UGA faculty and graduate students work with participating elementary, middle and high school students in Saturday academies held on the university’s campus.
The latest funding will cover travel expenses for students to visit college campuses and other educational destinations. In addition, it will fund new computer equipment, volunteer training, new vocabulary and reading curricula.