At Pride Academy, we offer teen programming that will provide exponential growth opportunities for our teens to become properly prepared for higher learning, corporate world and the next phase of their lives.

Our program supports positive growth, nurtures and empowers self-expression, and brings our youth together for the common good of our society. We are paving the way for future leaders in our community.

Upward Bound provides fundamental support to participants in their preparation for college entrance. The program provides opportunities for participants to succeed in their precollege performance and ultimately in their higher education pursuits. Upward Bound serves: high school students from low-income families; and high school students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education.

Upward Bound projects provide academic instruction in mathematics, laboratory sciences, composition, literature, and foreign languages. Tutoring, counseling, mentoring, cultural enrichment, work-study programs, education or counseling services designed to improve the financial and economic literacy of students; and programs and activities previously mentioned that are specially designed for students who are limited English proficient, students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education, students with disabilities, students who are homeless children and youths, students who are in foster care or are aging out of foster care system or other disconnected students.

Most experts agree that the earlier children learn about money, the better. That’s why Fifth Third Bank created the Young Bankers Club. The club is a financial literacy program that teaches children about the importance of good education, finances, and personal responsibility. The Young Bankers Club is for fifth-grade elementary school students and provides a customized curriculum that meets national educational standards for fifth-grade mathematics.

Young Bankers Club is taught inside school classrooms, often by a Fifth Third Bank employee/mentor, as a 5- or-10-week program. It can also be tailored to be taught by the teacher, or adapted to meet a teacher’s own lesson plans. After completing the program, students earn a certificate of completion and are able to:

In conjunction with the American Heart Association, we’ve developed a School Garden Curriculum! The curriculum contains 35 lesson plans with activities to engage your students in a fun and educational exploration of fruits, vegetables and healthy eating. The lessons are cross-curricular and support curriculum for Pre-K-5th grade. A variety of activities are included so you can pick and choose the learning objectives that are appropriate for your students. A garden is a great resource to use when teaching students about healthy eating and agriculture. Even if you don’t have an in ground garden, you can still complete the activities in this guide with your students. If this is your first time gardening with students, we recommend that you start small. Be sure to establish clear guidelines and safety procedures with your students so that everyone can have a positive learning experience.

This six-week summer reading program improves literacy and nurtures an appreciation for the written word. Participants in grades 4th-12th break out into age-appropriate classes, engage in written and oral activities, create presentations, journal, participate in debates and holistically build successful reading strategies from start to finish. Books are hand-selected annually by the Center for Leadership Development’s program coordinator and are relevant and engaging

The SAT is one of the most important entrance requirements for students to achieve higher education goals and an essential key to successful college admission. Taking the CLD SAT Prep program provides students with the motivation and instruction to understand the test, develop test-taking techniques, learn how to interpret test questions and increase overall ability to perform well on the SAT.

During this six-week preparatory course, students benefit from intensive instruction on each of the three challenging SAT subject areas: evidence-based reading, writing and math. Students take practice tests which ultimately help improve test-taking abilities by using the tools provided before the annual SAT testing dates. Each student receives an official SAT review book.

With a rich 40-year history, the Self-Discovery/Career Exploration Project (SD/CE) offers a program experience that continues to equip high school students in 10th through 12th grades with timeless principles, knowledge, and life skills needed to achieve academic and career success. The program curriculum is designed to challenge participants to look introspectively and provides greater insight into personal, educational and career goals. Since inception, over 10, 000 participants have participated in the program. Learn more about CLD Alumni.

Students continue to be faced with a myriad of images that adversely affect their ability to clearly understand their destiny and create a plan to execute their goals of achievement. The Self-Discovery/Career Exploration Project encourages and compels participants to make a very critical self-evaluation in the following areas: