As part of our impact spotlight series, we’ll be highlighting organizations #dointhework throughout Atlanta who have adjusted their work to accommodate the communities they serve during COVID-19.

This week, we are spotlighting Next Generation Men & Women

Organization Name: Next Generation Men & Women

Leadership: Executive Director Phil Olaleye

Industry: Education

Social Media Handle: @nextgenatl - Facebook/Twitter/Instagram

Mission Statement: Next Gen closes the opportunity gap for under-resourced high school students in Atlanta through exposure and support to graduate prepared for college and career.

COVID Situation: Pivot

In 2014, a group of Atlanta teachers came together looking to create new ways to provide exposure opportunities and support structures for under-resourced high school students throughout our city. And like so many doing this work, they started small with just 12 students and a handful of ideas. The mission - close the opportunity gap and ensure that all students can graduate prepared for college and a career.

Over the last 6 years, this initiative has grown into Next Generation Men & Women, an education non-profit organization serving ~250 students. The program works directly with teachers and college students to support young men and women for all four years of high school. Through weekly after school sessions, monthly trips to various Atlanta-based companies and organizations, and an annual competition called the Next Gen Games, they have become a staple of the education non-profit landscape here in our city.

“They miss the social fabric of school the most — their friends, teachers, mentors and regular routines. They’re looking for a place to connect, talk, laugh, confide, etc. An interesting unintentional benefit is that students are connecting with other members of our program that they haven’t been able to connect with before (across schools or grade levels).”

— Phil Olaleye

Next Gen Men & Women host Instagram Live meetups twice a week with their students

But like many organizations, the COVID-19 crisis has forced Next Gen to pivot. How do you continue to provide support and exposure opportunities for high school students who must shelter-in-place?

According to Executive Director Phil Olaleye, the key is to focus on connection and availability. His team’s focus is primarily on “...addressing social-emotional wellness during this period of heightened stress, anxiety, and uncertainty, especially since many parents don't have the luxury to work at home and provide supervision and support.”

Using a combination of Google Classroom and Instagram Live meetups twice a week - dubbed “Village Voices” - the Next Gen team is “providing resources for students to find ways to cope with all the stresses they are facing right now — fun activities they can do (music, movies, games), exercises they can do in their home without any equipment, etc.”

Efforts like these recently led to Phil and Next Gen being featured on Channel 2’s “People 2 People.”

The Next Generation Men & Women staff is also working to support the efforts of so many teachers and schools who are still providing instruction during the crisis. Outside of the one-on-one support, Next Gen is supporting “students who request help managing classwork in a remote setting (time management, scheduling) and we pull in instructional help from educators, mentors and staff.”

Most of all though, Phil and his team have learned that the students they support value still having a way to connect with others through all of this.

“They miss the social fabric of school the most — their friends, teachers, mentors and regular routines. They're looking for a place to connect, talk, laugh, confide, etc. An interesting unintentional benefit is that students are connecting with other members of our program that they haven't been able to connect with before (across schools or grade levels).”

Needless to say, the lengths that Next Gen - and so many other organizations who continue doing the work during this public health crisis - is a remarkable testament to the dedication they have for their mission. And not surprisingly, this level of commitment and adaptability likely plays a large part in the organization’s >95% graduation rate.

Want to learn more about Next Gen or support their work? Visit them at www.nextgenatl.org and follow them @nextgenatl on all major social media platforms.

#DointheWork Impact Spotlight: Next Generation Men & Women