CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For years, a former florist shop along Beatties Ford Road in West Charlotte stood vacant. That is until a long-time local educator identified the space as the perfect location to open an afterschool program catering to the needs of young Black males in the community.
That's when founder Rochelle V. Gray developed the vision of the Power Elite Male Academy.
“We teach our kids differently," Gray said. "We get to know them first, we pump them up, let them know they're great, and then it’s easy to teach them.”
The program will offer academic help to students reach their appropriate reading level.
“Only 38 out of 100 students are reading on grade level by 8th grade," Gray said. "Again I think the district is doing all that it can, but I think there’s different directions we need to take.”
Students involved in the program will also be exposed to other activities like non-traditional sports, chess, male mentoring opportunities and learning work force skills.
Dalantis Lindell was one of the first students Gray says she took under her wing many years ago, and his progress has paid off as he prepares to attend Livingstone College this fall.
“She gave me options and she put me into a different mindset and she helped my mother make me into a man I thought I could never be, and I’m just so thankful," Lindell said.
But in order to keep these types of student success stories going, we're told grants and financial support from the community are necessary.
“We see people coming to Charlotte and they’re doing well, but the people from Charlotte originally aren’t doing as well so I want those same companies and people to invest in the people who are already here," Power Elite Male Academy financial partner Angela Hames said.
Donations continue to be collected through GoFundMe to help support the building renovations.
Students interested in joining the Power Elite Male Academy can sign up and find more information about the program.
Contact Briana Harper at bharper@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ALSO ON WCNC CHARLOTTE: Local businesses debate bringing employees back to the office