Project Greer Street
More than a mentorship, a paradigm shift for young black men at East High School
By Erin Vanderberg, Editor
The genesis for Project Greer Street, a four-year, after-school curriculum for a select group of African-American males at East High School, developed when husband and wife Ronald and Yvette Sally started looking at a variety of high schools for their oldest son.
During their due diligence, they discovered the myriad challenges facing African-American male students in secondary education – an issue that has been labeled a national crisis by outlets like PBS and The New York Times. Here in Denver, Mayor Michael Hancock hosted a summit this past February to discuss the state of black students in Colorado; abysmal was the short answer, according to the Denver Post.
As an African-American man, Ron knew firsthand that growing up to be a success is not an easy road. Project Greer Street takes its name from the street that he grew up on in north St. Louis, which he affectionately refers to as the “Notorious Northside” and describes as “your typical horrific inner-city neighborhood.”
He credits his education as the key to creating options for success in his life; a Rhodes Scholarship candidate, he graduated from Duke University, then the UCLA School of Law and moved to Denver with his family in 1995. He remembers vividly the life-long frustration that his father experienced, in part, due to the lack of a quality education.
When Barack Obama began campaigning for the presidency in 2008, the Sallys, who live in Park Hill, were inspired to try to make a difference for African-American males at their neighborhood high school, East.
“We’re just a couple of concerned parents who decided to take what works in our own house and apply it to kids who need it,” said Ron. “We believe that a quality education can be the great equalizer in an increasingly competitive global world.”
Launched in 2009, Project Greer Street started with a group of 11 East High School freshmen. The students were identified by the school’s administration – whom the Sallys credit for consistently positive program support – as having demonstrated the potential for academic excellence, and were invited to participate in the voluntary program. The Sallys designed an innovative curriculum that teaches tactics for success in the areas of academics, college preparation, life skills, networking and employment with a speaker series and exposure to opportunities outside of school.
“Project Greer Street is not just about taking a kid to a baseball game. It’s more than mentorship, this is about conducting a paradigm shift by setting great expectations and administering tough love,” said Ron.
One of the program goals is for each student to be admitted into one of the elite colleges or universities in the nation. Ron believes there is empirical evidence to prove that where an African-American male graduates from college enhances his choices for life success.
Over the years, the Sallys have seen the worlds of the Project Greer Street participants expand – in a good way. Through the program, Ron says that these young men are able to see beyond their neighborhood, beyond high school and eventually beyond Denver, to their place in the globalized workplace.
Project Greer Street will see its first class of seniors graduate in 2013. For more information, contact projectgreerstreet@gmail.com.