In three weeks, the local chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Rho Epsilon Lambda, will offer its first Alpha Boot Camp, or ABC, to the Miss-Lou.

The ABC is free and open to students in the third through 12th grades near and far, if willing to travel for such a great opportunity. It will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 27 to July 1 at the Morgantown Academies, located at 101 Cottage Home Drive An evening public program where the students display what they learned will be Friday, July 1.

Topics covered at the ABC will be the fraternity’s signature programs, Project Alpha, providing education, motivation and skill-building to middle school males on issues of responsibility, relationships, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, and Go to High School, Go to College, concentrating on the importance of completing secondary and collegiate education as a road to advancement. Additional offerings will be sessions for current third graders to help prepare them for the state third-grade test, career planning, dressing for success for upper grades, fitness, knowing your rights and the expectations when youth encounter law enforcement for upper grades, and English essay and research paper writing, while covering grammar, punctuation and mechanics, for upper grades.

Registration is open now, and registration forms are available at the Armstrong Library in Natchez, Vidalia Fitness, the U.S. Post Office in Tracetown, several churches and other locations as the word spreads. If you cannot locate a form or need more information, contact the chapter at 601-334-8722 or b y email at rhoepsilonlambda@gmail.com. You also may register on location at the Morgantown Academies. Space is not limited.

A curriculum has been written for the ABC that includes the aforementioned topics and even more.

We look forward to varying the topics throughout future camps.

If any organization or business would like to donate supplies such as notebooks and pencils or funds for any camp costs, or any individual would like to volunteer, such entity or volunteer can contact the chapter at 601-334-8722. Funds can be mailed to the Rho Epsilon Foundation at P.O. Box 921, Natchez, MS 39121.

In holding the ABC, we continue the fraternity’s mission since its founding on Dec. 4, 1906 of developing leaders, promoting brotherhood and academic excellence and providing service and advocacy to communities. We know that schools are challenged with meeting every need of every child and are in need of partnerships for mentoring, etc. We as a fraternity want to do our part to reach as many children as possible to impart skills and knowledge that will be everlasting.

 

Steven Richardson is the president of the Rho Epsilon Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.