Book Description
In striving to reduce racial achievement gaps, schools and youth development programs are increasingly turning to youth mentoring programs. But how to ensure success? Here, accomplished educators Graig Meyer and George Noblit reveal how one such program challenged institutional racism and eliminated persistent achievement disparities in a local school system that boasts a national reputation for excellence. The authors share personal lessons, strategic guidance, and detailed practical advice for educators and community leaders seeking to create successful youth mentoring programs. Their story, backed by research, offers a real-world perspective on the important work of challenging systemic racism in schools. Meyer and Noblit demonstrate how mentoring and advocacy come together in a strengths-based program that boosts academic success and post-secondary enrollment for youth of color, while also creating change to benefit all students in a school system.
About Craig Meyer
Graig Meyer is a social worker, educator, and youth development specialist working as an Equity Leadership Coach and partner in The Equity Collaborative. He has sixteen years of experience leading equity work in public schools. Additionally, Graig was the director of the nationally recognized Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate program. He also served as the Director of Student Equity and Volunteer Services for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro (NC) City Schools. Graig was one of the co-creators of the Student Six: Strategies for Culturally Proficient Classroom Practice, which has been nationally recognized for its innovative use of student's voice to train teachers in research-based best practice. Additionally, he works with school districts and non-profits nationally from his base in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Graig is also a member of the North Carolina General Assembly.