A Dakar Proposal For
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BLUF: My Brother’s Keeper Proposal Bottom Line Up Front
Proposal: Pilot project is to engage middle school and high school students in the Compton Unified School District in two Tuskegee Airmen related projects: 1.
2.
The filming, accessioning, and curating of the story of the Fallen 66 (Tuskegee 332nd Fighter Group). The students will be involved in the search to find and verify the remaining living family members who are needed to process the DOD POW/MIA accounting command. Filming and documenting the oral history of remaining living Tuskegee 332nd Fighter Group members.
Benefit: Student’s involvement will simultaneously connect the past with the present and provide them with both insight into overcoming adversity as well as relevant jobs skills to prepare them for the future. We believe that this project will support not only the Brother’s Keeper Initiative but also the Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity (ODMEO) their Strategic Plan (2012-17) 1. Additionally, this model is scalable and should not be considered limited only to the Tuskegee Airmen. Other relevant stories or events (historical and current) could be studied and documented by students – not just in Compton, California, but in communities throughout the country. 1“Diversity
is a strategic imperative, critical to mission readiness and accomplishment, and a leadership requirement.”
My Brother’s Keeper Proposal Impact will be measured a number of different ways. 1. Work completed - video’s and other documentation. 2. Number of students involved in the various facets of the work. 3. Student progress. * How has the student’s performance changed since they started to participate? (Perhaps their progress can be tracked and compared to students who did not participate?) * Testimonials by students, mentors, teachers, parents and others. 4. Reach of sites and media created – how many visits and clicks. Level of engagement and discussion. Success Metrics: 1. 25% exposed enter program 2. 75% retained in program after a year 3. 95% retention in subsequent years 4. 8% increase in school retention
Final metrics will be refined based on resources of time and monetary commitments available.
Dakar’s Background Dakar Foundation is innately a Brother’s Keeper program. Since 2008 Dakar Foundation has made providing opportunities for minorities its primary function. We have worked with civic leaders, educators, entertainers, private industry and the Department of Defense to expose the disenfranchised to careers and skills required to compete in today and tomorrow’s competitive environments. As a result of the work with the Compton School District and these relationships, Dakar’s access to students combined with connections to potential mentors position it to be able to quickly bring these resources together to build lasting relationships which will result in better student outcomes. While Dakar has never been expressly a male oriented or male focused organization, we have recognized the need for encouragement and male role models are greatest among the male minority population. To this end, over 80% of the role-models and sustained advocates working in the Dakar consortium are males. Dakar programs are a collection of events over multiple years that cover the gamut of interests from Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. Facilitators of these programs are requested to remain for a minimum of one year to instill familiarity and trust of commitment between the students and the coaches/facilitators.
Why Dakar? Visiting Speakers STEAM boot camp Internships
“All Things Science� Joe Ellis/Auto Innovation Compton Creek Project
Department Of Defense Underserved School Districts Smithsonian, Schomburg Museums Core of Engineers Tina Speaks
Develop Sense of innate capability via history
Fallen 66 Buffalo Soldiers Red tails Hispania
90 Minutes TV Media Academy
Social Media Week Technology Advocate Media Literacy Programs
Items in red are in the planning/coordination process. Prepared for Dakar by ANGB Consulting
Why Compton, CA? My Brother’s Keeper Target
Boys and Young Men of Color
Compton Unified School District1 77.1% Hispanic 21.8% Black/African American 96% Eligible for Reduced Rate Lunches 25,798 Students
1
From draft of 2010 Compton Strategic Plan
http://web.compton.k12.ca.us/Components/UserControls/ResourceMgr/rsrcView.aspx?rsrc=CGBgesErlmk68bKM7xexxA%3D%3D
The Convergence Working with others, the initiative will leverage the power and expertise of for-profit and non-profit organizations.
By learning about the 332nd Tuskegee Fighter Group, students can see first hand that they have the power define their life – not their circumstances. (This story of overcoming challenges will resonate beyond race.)
Audacity of Hope/
Resources in the form or equipment and expertise will be brought to the table and made available to the students.
Overcoming Obstacles Provide Support
Brother’s Keeper Job Skills/ Education
Service to Country
Students, who may not be aware of the possibilities of serving either in uniform or not, will be exposed to the idea of service to country and opportunities available.
Supports ODMEO Strategic Plan (2012-17)
Valuable skills will be acquired in the process of completing this work. Digital Media students will learn filming techniques and story telling. Others who are involved in the identification of the remains will learn valuable lessons around STEAM.
Summary Dakar is prepared to formally conduct Brother’s Keepers programs with ODEMO leveraging the Fallen 66 as the core program on an indefinite quantity, indefinite duration with the purpose of meeting presidential objectives in said program beginning 30 days after required funding.
Questions & Discussion & Next Steps
My Brother’s Keeper Overview “That's why we are here today, to do what we can in this year of action to give more young Americans the support they need to make good choices, and to be resilient and overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams.” “And that's what My Brother's Keeper is all about, helping more of our younger people to stay on track, providing the support they need to think more broadly about their future, building on what works, when it works, in those critical life-changing moments.”
“Because if America stands for anything, it stands for the idea of opportunity for everybody. The notion that no matter who you are or where you came from, or the circumstances into which you are born, if you work hard, if you take responsibility, then you can make it in this country.”
Audacity of Hope/ Overcoming Obstacles Provide Support
Brother’s Keeper Job Skills/ Education
Service to Country “And that's why, in the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin verdict, with all of the emotions and controversy that it sparked, I spoke about the need to bolster and reinforce our young men and give them the sense that their country cares about them and values them and is willing to invest in them.”
Supports ODMEO Strategic Plan (2012-17)
“…we've got to make sure that every American shares in that growth, not just a few, and that means guaranteeing every child in America has access to a world class education. It means creating more jobs and empowering more workers with the skills they need to do those jobs.”
Background: Tuskegee 332nd Fighter Group •
African American combat-fighter pilots who fought valiantly in WWII.
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Institutional racism was so dominant that there was discussion about the ability of black pilots to successfully fly.
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These pilots established a successful record of protecting bombers by shooting down the enemy while incurring relatively few losses themselves.
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Through their training and their service, they had to fight not only the enemy but often racism among others. They, however, overcame these challenges and excelled.
Learning their story will give young men of color a sense of history and better understanding of who they are. It is a story of hope and possibility. Of overcoming great odds. And even more importantly, it is a story of character in adverse circumstances – of how men of character determined their circumstances instead of allowing circumstance to determine their character.