Programs & Services

Manhood Development Program

In 2010, the Office of African American Male Achievement initiated the Manhood Development Program (MDP), a unique academic mentoring model designed and implemented by African American males for African American males. Instructors for the program were carefully chosen based upon cultural competency, understanding of youth development, and past experience teaching.

During its first year the Manhood Development Program proved so effective that it grew from three to six sites. Today, the program is operating in 14 schools throughout the district: Dewey, McClymonds, MetWest, Oakland High, Oakland Technical, and Skyline high schools; Alliance, Claremont, Montera, and West Oakland middle schools; plus Allendale, Lafayette, Garfield, and Piedmont Avenue elementary schools.

The program seeks to:

• Decrease suspensions and increase attendance.
• Decrease incarceration and increase graduation rates.
• Decrease the opportunity/achievement gap and increase literacy.
   

Learn more about the Manhood Development Program in The Black Sonrise, an evaluative program report. 

Student Leadership Council 

AAMA launched its Student Leadership Council in September 2014. Consisting of African American males from middle and high school across the district. Members of the Student Leadership Council:

• create a network of African American male students in positions of leadership who support each other at their school sites
• act as role models and leaders for each other as well as for other African American males in our schools
• participate in school site councils in assessing and creating school site interventions and programming for African American males
• regularly present for Oakland's AAMA program at local and national conferences 

To date, the Student Leadership Council has traveled to Atlanta, Louisville, Memphis, New Orleans, New York City, Seattle, and Washington, DC. 

The application process for the Student Leadership Council begins in September 2018.