Our Programs

Project Excel

Project Excel provides academic and social enrichment to help students build self-confidence and self-esteem by experiencing success in a after- school educational enrichment programming.  Project Excel emphasizes responsibilities and challenges associated with education and youth leadership.  The overall program goal is to strengthen the educational and leadership development skills in order to reduce academic failure and juvenile delinquency among youth in the program.

Utilizing the Positive Youth Development model as a basis for all services, our agency strives to incorporate the following objectives into programming:

• Develop character and leadership skills that will help youth reach their potential in life.
• Promote positive awareness of the importance of education in achieving life goals.
• Enhance educational capabilities in order to achieve success in life.
• Promote physical fitness, reduced stress, teamwork, and interpersonal skills.

Currently Project Still I Rise is implementing the Project Excel program in three low – income apartment complexes in the City of Dallas.  The program operates five days a week during the school year with an eight week summer program component during the summer months.

Urban S.T.E.M. Initiatives

With the advent of technology and globalization in the new millennium, it is critical for our students in the US
to have an educational foundation which prepares them to compete in the modern economy.  For kids in middle school today in the US, by the time they enter the job market - it will be nearly impossible to succeed without a good foundation in math and science.  There are many nationwide initiatives devised to inspire young people to cultivate an interest in science, technology, engineering and math (S.T.E.M.) and Project Still I Rise has answered the call locally.

Project Still I Rise has joined forces with the National Society of Engineers to charter a NSBE Jr. Pre-College Initiative (PCI) Chapter.  The program is designed to stimulate an interest in S.T.E.M. disciplines.  The goal is to encourage students in grades K-12 to attend college and pursue technical degrees.  Our PCI program provides activities to help students discover firsthand how engineering and technology relate to the world around them and discover the excitement of academic excellence, leadership, technical development and teamwork.  PSIR's partners for S.T.E.M. include the University of North Texas at Dallas, Rockwell-Collins, University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Instruments, STEM Alliance, First LEGO League and more.
                

Project Manhood Leadership Institute

The Project Manhood Leadership Institute is for minority male students in grades 4th – 9th. The goal of the program is to equip young minority male students with the knowledge and skills to make better decisions, thus preventing many of them from entering the juvenile justice system.

Project Still I Rise in collaboration with the Dallas County Community College District and the University Texas at Dallas address and support decreasing the incidence of school disciplinary actions, improving academic performance and increasing parent and child relationships. Using a scientifically-based, outcome-oriented curriculum, the Leadership Institute operates from a holistic approach that focuses on four major components:

• Academic enrichment
• Socio-behavioral
• Community support
• Parental involvement

The Project Manhood Leadership Institute strives to accomplish four specific objectives:

• Increase the percent of knowledge gained with the Integrative Pre – Algebra program;
• ensure the successful promotion of grade levels at the end of the school year;
• Increase school attendance as measured by reduction in absences and tardies
• Reduce negative behavior as measured by a decrease in school disciplinary referrals and suspensions

The program content includes individual program sessions all geared towards building foundational skills, boosting self-esteem, providing motivation to attend and participate in school, creating awareness of opportunities, providing training on setting and achieving goals, and living as positive role models. The skills learned in each session can be transferred and applied directly to the classroom, community and home environment.