TOLEDO, Ohio — The Frederick Douglas Community Center hosts The Impact Program. Its founder Tyrone Cleveland, better known as Mr. Ty, created this program for high school and college awareness preparation for students in grades 6-8.
He argued against others who've said that middle school is too early to begin thinking about college or post-secondary opportunities.
Cleveland said it's never too late to begin preparing, adding how the program offers students tools through academic assistance, social and emotional development and college awareness.
"Middle schoolers tend to be forgotten," Cleveland said. "Middle school is that last chance to really get them before they go off to high school. We get them for three straight years and we are with you every step of the way."
The program's mission is to create young leaders of the future. It's been going on for 13 years, welcoming young students into the conversation about higher education. Students like Zion Coleman-Mckinstry were challenged to think beyond middle school.
"I'm going to college," Coleman-Mckinstry said. "The staff was pretty fun to be around. They were laid back mostly. We had fun, they knew how to joke around and everything."
Cleveland said it's about giving kids space to be themselves while letting them know their whole future is an open book. Since this project has had annual success, Cleveland said it speaks for itself.
"We've serviced 350+ kids. We've done six college tours," Cleveland said. "We've been to Spelman, Atlanta Clark, Morehouse, Central State, Wilbur Force, Kentucky State, Tenessee State and Howard University."
The kids are part of leadership trainings, mentorship programs, community service projects and more. He said this all doesn't stop just because they graduate middle school. Zion is attending Central Catholic High School in the fall and still has plans to return. There's not one specific thing or person he's coming for as a high schooler.
"I don't know, everything, to be perfectly honest with you," Coleman-Mckinstry said.
"To me, that's like the biggest and hits close to my heart because we have created this culture that we're a family," Cleveland said.
Zion's mother, Sheena Pasker, beams with pride and is overjoyed at how Impact has grown her eldest son. She said she was originally just looking for a mentorship program for her son two years ago. Nothing too specific, just somewhere to provide growth for her son.
"It's a major come-up for him, just seeing him come out of his shell and growing and maturing," Pasker said. "Even academically he has excelled so it's been an amazing experience."
For more information about The Impact Program or to submit an application to this program, click here.