SMYLA
Strong Minds Youth Leadership Academy
Leadership, learning, brotherhood, mentorship, and purpose.
Overview
Structured programs for academic, social, emotional, and personal growth
Strong Minds Youth Leadership Academy provides structured programs that help young people grow academically, socially, emotionally, and personally.
The Academy is designed with the experiences and needs of Black and Brown boys in mind while remaining open to families seeking a structured, affirming, and purpose-driven educational community.
Students participate in
- Leadership development
- Academic enrichment
- Mentorship
- Executive-function coaching
- Entrepreneurship
- Personal reflection
- Brotherhood and belonging
- Collaborative learning
- Community engagement
- Real-world projects
Eligibility
Who the Academy Serves
Primary ages: 8–18
Standard enrollment serves students ages 8 through 18 across the Summer Intensive and the 11-Month Leadership Fellowship.
Alumni through age 20
Eligible Strong Minds alumni may continue through age 20 when they previously participated in Strong Minds, are enrolled in an approved college, university, trade program, apprenticeship, certification program, or other post-secondary education or training program, and receive Founder approval.
Open to families seeking structure
Strong Minds welcomes families looking for a structured, affirming, purpose-driven learning community for their young person.
Program design, placement, and schedules are personalized. Final cohort structure varies by age, developmental level, and program year.
Programs
Choose the Right Pathway
Summer Intensive
A concentrated seasonal leadership and learning experience combining literacy, mathematics, leadership, creativity, relationship-building, executive-function development, and engaging virtual and in-person experiences.
11-Month Leadership Fellowship
Structured virtual after-school engagement Monday through Thursday, weekly mentor meetings, project-based Learning Labs, monthly in-person Saturday experiences, and two Parent Night Off events during the program year.
Short-Term Programs
Shorter entry points into Strong Minds: the 10 Day Sprint, the one-week Winning Week training, a 1-Day Trial inside a live program day, and the Weekend Warrior access pass to in-person weekend experiences.
Cohort Programs
The one-month Minds-Ship, the three-month Enrichment Fellowship, and the semester-long Strong Semester afterschool training program.
Alumni Fellowship
Advanced projects, entrepreneurship, senior mentoring, community service, career development, and postsecondary planning for eligible alumni ages 19–20.
Learning Labs
The major areas of study and applied learning within Strong Minds: PASE, Entrepreneurship, Academic Development, and Differentiated Enrichment.
Mentorship
Every fellow is known by an adult who shows up
Fellows meet with a trained Strong Minds mentor each week. Mentors support goal setting, executive functioning, reflection, problem solving, and the everyday encouragement young people need to keep moving.
Saturday Experiences
- One required in-person Saturday experience each month
- One optional Saturday experience every other month
- Leadership, collaboration, service, and community-building focus
- Showcases and celebrations across the program year
- Strong Minds does not meet every Saturday