A2MEND

African American Male Education Network & Development

$50k in Scholarships Presented to A²MEND Students

A²MEND presented $50,000 in scholarships to student mentees during the organization’s annual summit held earlier this year. The scholarship funds are annually donated to deserving students who are currently mentored through the organization.

A²MEND scholarships provide mentees with financial support for tuition, books and living expenses. Scholarships are awarded to students with special qualifications, such as academic achievement, artistic abilities, demonstrated leadership and/or athletic talents. Scholarships also are awarded to students who are in a particular field of study, are members of underrepresented groups or demonstrate a financial need. The students will use the funds to pursue their studies in community colleges or further their education at four-year universities.

Since launching the scholarship program a decade ago, A²MEND has awarded more than $500k in scholarships to African American students.

Roland Martin Unfiltered Airs A²MEND Interview

In early June, A²MEND was featured on Roland Martin Unfiltered, a daily digital show broadcasted from Washington, D.C. that focuses on issues important to the African American community. Conducted by award-winning journalist Roland Martin, the show interviewed A²MEND Co-Founder Ed Bush about the organization’s efforts to mentor Black men to help them succeed in California’s community college system.

A²MEND Co-Founder Ed Bush shown being interviewed by Roland Martin during his daily digital show.

Roland Martin concluded the A²MEND interview by allowing a group of panelists to ask extemporaneous questions about the mentoring organization. The A²MEND interview was aired during a segment of the show’s weekly Education Matters segment.

To view or share the A²MEND interview, please click here – interview starts at 1:58:30.

A²MEND Purchases Land in Ghana

Over the past decade, A²MEND’s executive board members have accompanied student mentees to various African countries as part of its Africa Study Abroad Program. A²MEND’s leadership has seen first-hand how traveling to African countries have helped give students a greater sense of identity, a vital quality that is inextricably connected to their self-efficacy and wellbeing.

A²MEND leaders shown in Ghana during their African trip last summer through the organization’s Study Abroad Program.

With this impact in mind, A²MEND’s leadership returned to Africa in December 2021 to purchase a parcel of land in Ghana. As part of this land acquisition effort, the organization will plan for the future construction of the A²MEND Racial Trauma and Wellness Retreat Center to provide a healing space where African American students and educators can be themselves and affirm who they are in a safe environment.

To transform this vision into a reality, A²MEND is seeking your support. Please join the organization in this endeavor by adding your name and contact information to the upcoming Capital Campaign for A²MEND’s Racial Trauma and Wellness Retreat Center by visiting here. A²MEND will remain in touch about how you and your network can help the organization materialize this dream on behalf of the futures of young Black men.

African Diaspora Education Summit Sept. 19-24

We are excited to announce an amazing opportunity to join A²MEND board members in traveling abroad to the University of Cape Coast, Ghana to participate in a momentous academic-based All African Diaspora Education Summit from September 19-24, 2022.

This historic summit promises to be a profound professional development opportunity for African American educational professionals to understand both the historic and current educational context that will create the space and freedom to reimagine how we teach and serve Black students. Moreover, this convening will seek to heal, restore and invigorate African Americans who have experienced the weight of working in spaces that have caused harm due to anti-Blackness and racism.

This summit will attract educational practitioners, preeminent scholars and administrators from across the globe. California’s community colleges serve the highest number of Black students in the state. Thus, our voices need to be present and centered in this global conversation.

Attendees will need to secure a tourist visa for this trip, which adds additional timing to the travel process. Your passport must be sent to the Ghanaian Embassy in Washington, D.C. within 7-20 business days, depending on if it is expedited. This means that you will not have access to your passport during this time; so if you have travel plans that will require use of your passport, you should plan accordingly. More travel preparation information can be found here: https://ghanaembassydc.org/visa/

To learn more about this incredible summit, please visit A2MEND.ORG and click on the summit flyer, which will direct you to the summit’s information page.

We hope to see you at this incredible summit!

A²MEND Board & Students Travel to Africa in July

Last summer, A²MEND resumed its Africa Study Abroad Program, where executive board members accommodate a group of student mentees to Africa to visit their ancestral homeland. This July, A²MEND’s leadership plans to escort another group of Leadership Academy students to Kenya as part of this annual cultural excursion. The trip is a life changing experience for the students, as it profoundly connects them to their historical homeland of Africa. To support A²MEND’s Africa Study Abroad Program, please Donate Now.