Last year an Urban Prep student was shot multiple times as he left a roller-skating rink. When I visited him in the hospital, he was connected to life by tubes too numerous to count. In that moment, it seemed that this young man--in whom Urban Prep, his family, and our supporters had invested so much--would not survive. The Urban Prep motto is "We Believe" and our principle core value is Faith, but standing there looking at this child in a hospital room abandoned by hope, I stopped believing.

 

News of youth being gunned down in the streets of our city is commonplace. Far too often, we hear tragic tales of violence, but rarely do we hear accounts of the events that unfold in the aftermath of these violent eruptions. Who will mend the broken hearts and bodies of the families, institutions and communities left in the wake of tragedy? 

At Urban Prep, we get quite a bit of attention for our 100% college admission rate, support programs for alumni while they're in college and Fellowship program for alumni after completing college. What often goes unnoticed, however, is the far more important work we do to build a tightly-woven support network. We take very seriously our responsibility to the young men in our charge, for whom violence is a part of their daily experience. Our entire structure, including our culturally relevant curriculum, personal counseling services, daily group mentoring sessions, and unique rituals gives our students the tools they need to succeed when facing extraordinary disadvantages.

These programs are possible because of you, and we are incredibly grateful that you have made our work a priority. As 2015 comes to a close, I am asking that you continue your support by clicking here to give generously to Urban Prep's Annual Appeal. Funds raised by our Annual Appeal empower Urban Prep to be the organization that it is. Just as our students rely on Urban Prep, Urban Prep relies on you.