Mayor and Rocky Mount Leaders Visit BMW Academy in Lexington, KY

Last Saturday, 5 people from Rocky Mount (including Mayor Roberson), visited the Black Male Working Academy in Lexington, Kentucky. The Academy is a collaborative effort between Fayette County Public Schools and First Baptist Church Church Bracktown. The program currently serves 350 middle and high school males in Central Kentucky. BMW  meets with its participants on Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings providing sessions on literacy, math, leadership skills, ACT prep, personal, mental, social and emotional growth, to name a few. There is also a Pre BMW program for second and third grades as well as Junior BMW serving fourth and fifth-grade students. Early BMW serves kindergarten and first grades. The success of the BMW program has inspired the creation of the Carter G. Woodson Academy, the first all-male college preparatory school for boys in Kentucky.

The Statistics:

• Over 75 percent of the high school young men in BMW take AP, advanced or dual credit classes.
• The average ACT score for African American males in Kentucky is 17.8. The average ACT score for BMW students is 22.8. Five young men in the last five years have scored 30 or higher on the ACT.
• Last year, four of the 29 high school graduates were accepted to the University of Louisville Speed School of Education.
• Since its inception, students have also received scholarships to University of Kentucky, Murray State University (Kentucky), Prairie View University and other community and four year colleges and universities.

Requirements:

• Attend Tuesday nights and Saturday tutoring and mentoring programs
• Maintain 2.5 GPAShow consistent improvements in grades and behavior
• Read 60 minutes per day or one book per week
• Participate in community service
• Maintain good conduct at home, school, community
• Parents are expected to attend parent sessions throughout the year
• No cost for the students to attend and participate