East Georgia State College has been chosen as one of five USG institutions to participate in a study funded by the University System to add value to the African American Male Initiative program at the college. AAMI was established in 2013 at EGSC as a concerted initiative to increase the recruitment, retention, progression and graduation of African American Males at East Georgia State College. It is part of a system wide initiative to address the likelihood that African American Males will choose to attend college and graduate.
MDRC, located in Oakland. California is committed to finding solutions to some of the most difficult problems facing the nation — from reducing poverty and bolstering economic self-sufficiency to improving public education and college graduation rates. By designing new interventions, evaluating existing programs, using the highest research standards, and providing technical assistance they are able to build better programs that work.
According to MDRC President Gordon Berlin, “The driving force behind MDRC is a conviction that reliable evidence, well communicated, can make an important difference in social policy.”
There are currently 72 African American men involved in AAMI at EGSC on the Swainsboro, Statesboro and Augusta campuses. There have been documented improvements in grades, retention and graduation over the last three years.
According to AAMI Director, Jonathan McCollar, “Our association with MDRC will serve to provide information that will enrich the program for these young men.”