Spanning 35 years, The Door has approached education holistically, focusing on both academic instruction and character enrichment while exposing youth to recreational activities and lessons involving life skills. The goal of the GenE4 was to provide a unique and collaborative approach to closing the disparity in achievement for low-income and low-performing students.
In 2021, The Door created a partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Metropolian Baltimore to enhance its youth programming.
The Door has partnered with the Boys & Girls Cub of Metropolitan Baltimore to provide increased programming for the youth in the East Baltimore area. This programming will focus on academic success, health & life-skills; and character & leadership. Programs will be delivered by trained, paid, youth-development professionals. As a result of this program, parents should be able to see academic, social and behavioral improvements as a result of their children’s participation. Specifically, parents should see patience, maturity and improved interest in learning as well as fundamental changes that allow their children to be successful in a community environment that isn’t always conducive to it.
Programming will include, but will not be limited to the following:
• Power Hour– helps young people achieve academic success by providing homework help, tutoring, and high-yield learning activities and encouraging young people to become self-directed learners.
• SMART Girls– provides health, fitness, prevention/education, and self-esteem enhancement for girls.
• Passport to Manhood– teaches responsibility to boys with sessions that focus on specific aspects of character and manhood through highly interactive activities.
• Triple Play Healthy Habits– emphasizes good nutrition, regular physical activity, and improved overall well-being.
• SMART Moves– focuses on building key social-emotional skills (e.g. self-regulation, impulse control and stress management) young people need to make healthy choices about substance use, sexual activity, violence and other risky behaviors.
Programming will take place in the form of an afterschool program and summer camp. It will initially be geared towards students in grades K-5 and then increase grade levels from year to year.