Across some urban areas of the United States, as many as 50% of Black males do not graduate from high school. An Ocean Hill public school is fixing this, one student at a time.
The six Eagle Academy for Young Men public schools are often celebrated for the incredible and inspiring results the young men display socially, emotionally, and academically. Through their powerful and engaging work, young men across the Eagle network, past, and present, rave about the importance of the teachers they had during their pivotal middle and high school years. This Teacher Appreciation week, we want to give a huge thanks to the incredible educators that foster and educate the young men of the Eagle Academies daily.
“One of the greatest lessons I learned was from my Dean, Aaron Barnette, and one of my favorite teachers, Philip Magli,” Hector Bonilla said. “[Mr. Magli] passed away earlier this year. God rest his soul. He taught me to be grateful for the gift of life. We are in a unique position to breathe, and [they taught me] to always have a smile on my face and put my best foot forward. Every day I’m always being the kindest I can be to people because of what I learned from my former teacher Mr. Magli and Dean Aaron Barnette.”
During his time as an educator, hundreds of young men were influenced by Philip Magli, a star teacher at the Eagle Academy for Young Men of the Bronx. Without teachers such as Magli, who devote their time, energy, and resources to the young men, this work wouldn’t be possible.
Our hero educators have played a critical role in our network-wide 89% high school graduation rate versus the 59% national average for young men of color and helping 99% of our scholars to be accepted to college in 2021. Eagle Teachers guide our young men to realize their potential. The unique collaboration in our classrooms has led to an abundance of success stories. One is that of Brenton James, the 2014 Eagle Academy for Young Men of the Bronx valedictorian who went viral for being accepted to 21 colleges before ultimately deciding to attend the University of Pennsylvania, becoming the network’s first student to enroll in an Ivy League college. Eagle Academy educators’ impact on James helped pave the way for future Eagles to reach impressive heights.
We thank each of the Eagle Academy teachers for their hard work, heartfelt dedication, and steadfast support for the young men we serve. Happy Teachers’ Appreciation Week!
As you’ve all heard, I’ve been appointed as the next NYC Schools Chancellor by Mayor-elect Eric Adams. It’s with a full heart that I share with you all that, after 17 unforgettable years, my time as President & CEO of The Eagle Academy Foundation is coming to an end.
Robert F. Smith tops the list of Black billionaires in America, but it’s his philanthropic work that’s grabbed the most headlines, including a commencement speech where he promised to pay off the student loans of the 2019 graduating class of Morehouse College. Now Smith’s latest gift is designed to teach young people how to handle money, through an app called Goalsetter. TODAY’s Craig Melvin reports.
The Eagle Academy Foundation Announces Major Gift from Robert F. Smith, Powered by Goalsetter App Technology
Smith to donate stock shares in five portfolio companies to students, teachers, and staff members of Eagle Academy schools, in partnership with Goalsetter app technology.
New York, NY – October 25, 2021 – The Eagle Academy Foundation, a network of public all-male college preparatory schools serving young men of color throughout New York City and Newark, N.J., today announced a major gift from Robert F. Smith, donated in partnership with the Morehouse College Class of 2019. Together, Smith and Morehouse’s Class of 2019 are giving nearly 15,000 shares of stock in Vista Equity Partners’ publicly traded portfolio companies to each of the approximately 2,900 students, teachers, and staff members of the Eagle Academies for Young Men. Through this gift, these young men and educators will receive stock shares in Jamf (NASDAQ: JAMF), Datto (NYSE: MSP), Ping (NYSE: PING), Integral Ad Science Holding Corp (NASDAQ: IAS), and PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC) five software companies in the Vista family, with the hope that this gift will arm them with the knowledge and resources to become lifelong investors, owning their financial futures.
This gift will be powered by Goalsetter app technology, the Black female-owned family investing and saving app that provides parents with tools to teach their children financial literacy. Goalsetter’s platform will both host the shares of stock gifted to members of The Eagle Academy Foundation as well as provide every young man who receives stock with game-based, culturally relevant financial education, rooted in memes and gifs from popular culture. Through this continuing education, these young men will not only enjoy the benefits of owning stock but will also receive the education needed to become lifelong investors.
“For far too long, Black Americans have been prevented from accessing resources to build lasting, generational wealth. With this history in mind, the Morehouse Class of 2019 and I are proud to gift these stock shares to the young men of Eagle Academy. From a young age, my parents and community instilled in me the value of saving, and throughout my life I’ve learned that your financial success is not determined by what you buy, but by what you own. I hope this opportunity not only inspires these young students to explore the world of investments, but that it also serves as a catalyst for other companies to join this initiative to arm our youth with the power to control their futures,” said Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners.
“By providing Black and Brown students with financial education and resources, we let them dictate their futures and allow them to embrace the many possibilities of who they can be, free from unnecessary financial burdens,” said David C. Banks, President and CEO of The Eagle Academy Foundation. “We must see further investment and partnerships between the private sector and our schools to prepare our students for their futures. This initiative should set the precedent for companies looking to invest in Black and Brown youth and eradicate the racial wealth gap in this country. “
“We are proud to partner with The Eagle Academy Foundation and to provide a platform that will scale and achieve Robert F. Smith’s vision of financial literacy among young students of color,” said Goalsetter CEO Tanya Van Court. “By creating this scalable infrastructure to teach and support students as they learn and grow their financial portfolios, we look forward to continuing this partnership and seeing others join this cause. Together, we can change the course of history for all communities that have been marginalized due to their lack of access to financial education and opportunities.”
About The Eagle Academy Foundation
The Eagle Academy Foundation is a non-profit organization that developed and supports the Eagle Academy schools—an innovative network of six all-male, college-preparatory schools serving 3,000 students in challenged urban communities in all five boroughs of New York City and Newark, New Jersey. The Foundation is led by its President and CEO, David C. Banks, who was the Founding Principal of The Eagle Academy for Young Men, the first school in the Foundation’s network. For more information, visit eafny.org and follow The Eagle Academy Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Goalsetter
Founded in 2016 by Tanya Van Court, a former Nickelodeon and ESPN executive, Goalsetter is a family saving, investing, financial education, and smart spending app that makes it easy for the whole family to go cashless while teaching them how to be money smart. Goalsetter’s smart money app for families provides users with an FDIC-Insured Savings Account; an investment platform powered by Goalsetter Advisors, LLC (an SEC-registered investment advisor); the Mastercard Cashola Teen and Tween Debit Card with parental controls, Game-based financial education quizzes; the “Learn before you Burn” parental control feature on the debit card and the “Learn to Earn” financial reward program; as well as the latest cybersecurity features to protect user privacy. For more about Goalsetter visit www.goalsetter.co.
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