The Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT) program is helping young men at Capital High School find their voice and build leadership skills, according to a Mar. 19 announcement. The nonprofit, in its first year at both Capital and La Follette high schools, focuses on mentorship and college readiness for high school students.
The initiative aims to support young men of color in attending and graduating from college, but it is open to students of all backgrounds. By emphasizing mentorship, leadership, college readiness, and career readiness, IYT seeks to improve attendance in the first year, behavior in the second year, and academic performance by the third year.
“This year is all about building rapport, but also getting a change in their engagement and attendance,” IYT program manager Aaron Broadwater said. “I’ve already heard from Principal Victor that some students who never speak are participating and engaging in their classes, so I can’t wait to see their progress by the end of the year.”
Workshops held twice weekly encourage discussions on topics such as masculinity and emotional expression. “Today we talked about how we might see masculinity in the media as a ‘tough guy’ which can be negative if our students play out that stereotype in their life,” IYT instructor Riley Morin said. “But we reframed that portrayal so that hopefully they can get to a point where they feel comfortable talking about anything, and handle their emotions in a positive way.”
Students have reported personal growth through participation. Adrian said, “I feel like a lot of things that we do here improve me as a person. I joined the class because it’s a place where I can talk about my emotions and my friends’ emotions — it helps me understand how other people see the world and overall become a better person.” Dreyden added, “I’ve learned how to read the room, how to really understand what other people are saying and speak up when it’s right. Plus how to get other people to understand what I’m saying even in an emotional state.”
The Madison Metropolitan School District Board supports student well-being through health and safety initiatives according to the official website. The board maintains 53 schools including elementary, middle, high schools, and alternative programs according to the official website, serving more than 26,000 students according to the official website. It prioritizes equity, inclusion, and excellence in education according to the official website.
Broadwater said that while immediate improvements such as increased participation are important milestones for students involved with IYT, “the long-term goal is a complete shift in life trajectory.” He added: “There’s nothing that changes someone’s life trajectory like having access to resources that can help them excel in school.” The Madison Metropolitan School District Board is led by an elected seven-member group according to the official website serving the Madison community according to the official website.
