About Us

THE ALPHA ESQUIRES YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

The Alpha ESQuires of Cleveland, Ohio, established in 2009, are a group of young men mentored by the Delta Alpha Lambda Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. This male mentoring program is for students in grades 8-12 throughout the Greater Cleveland area. Students are engaged in mentoring activities, community service, academic enrichment, and physical fitness programs that aims to develop the young men to be productive citizens. The Alpha ESQ Men are also affiliated with the Boys Scouts of America Venturing program and the National Step Show Alliance.

Overall Goals of the Program:

The overall goals of the Alpha ESQuires program are for each member to strive for high scholarship and excellence, exhibit good leadership skills and maintain progress toward their life goals. The objectives of the Alpha ESQuires are to:

Promote leadership development training,
Raise career awareness
Engage in community involvement,
Develop educational planning,
Increase oral communication skills and
Advance social awareness.

Program Thrust:

The Facts Regarding Black Male Achievement

Every 5 seconds during the school day, a Black public school student is suspended.
Every 46 seconds during the school day, a Black high school student drops out.
A Black male is 700% more likely than a White male to be sentenced to a local, state, or federal prison.
The unemployment rate for Blacks ages 16-19 is 25 percent.
Every 5 hours, a Black youth is a homicide victim.
Of the black males that graduate from high school, only 45% will enroll into higher education (college, vocational, or trade school).
Of the black males that enroll into higher education, only 33% will complete that higher education.
Every day a Black child or youth under 20 commits suicide.

With this kind of information it was prevalent, that the fraternity began to address these issues. Many of the young men affiliated with the program came with both external and internal challenges that may have interfered with a student’s success. Therefore the fraternity, through its educational activities program adopted a program thrust to address these alarming concerns. Though society tends to label the “Black Man,” we strive to tear down those barriers of disbelief by developing young-positive African American men intellectually, emotionally, culturally, spiritually, socially, as well as physically for passage into young adulthood. The program was created on the philosophy of it’s all about the “Better Making of Men”…but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11

Program Initiatives:

The Alpha ESQuires strives to reach their goals and objectives and overcome many of life’s challenges through these set program initiatives:

Improve student’s academic performance.
Encourage students to complete high school and pursue education beyond the high school level.
Grow the next generation of leadership.
Build responsible stewards as it relates to managing finances.
Develop strategies to deal effectively with conflict resolutions and enhance problem-solving skills.
Learn about responsible manhood, sexuality, and relationship issues.
Discuss and understand spiritual disciplines and the spiritual gifts within.
Participate in social activities and community service projects that exhibit teamwork, creativity, discipline, and commitment.
Use stepping to encourage physical fitness & integration of wellness programs.

Ideally, students are matched with a mentor who will meet with the student throughout the school year. The mentor acts as a tutor on subjects specified by the student’s teachers, as well as act as an adult role model and a source of friendship and encouragement.

The activities between students and the mentor will be closely monitored and structured by the Club’s advisor and the fraternity’s educational activities committee. On some occasions, parents are involved in orientation and program review meetings with their student. The men of the Delta Alpha Lambda Chapter believe that students will benefit greatly from having a positive or additional adult male role model in his life. The relationship will lead to increased academic performance, self-esteem, and physical/emotional/social development.

As students progress, mentors will work with counselors and teachers, of the student’s school, to monitor academic performance. The mentors will be making an excellent contribution to the quality of educational performance of these students. The students will participate in monthly seminars pertaining to academics, leadership, social, and personal development at various sites throughout the city. Many of the students will also participate as an elite step team to further enhance team building, physical development skills and the performing arts.

Interested in developing an Alpha ESQuires Youth Development Program in your community - CLICK HERE!