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PRESS ROOM: Actors Danny Glover and Delroy Lindo Join Inaugural “From the Fire Summer Leadership Academy” for Young Black Males at Princeton University

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NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.—Personal development, empowerment, and accountability are the focuses of the new “From the Fire: Leadership Academy for Young Men” operated by At the Well Conferences, Inc.; a provider of events for teens since 2009. The inaugural two-week boarding program is located on the campus of Princeton University and tailored to minority male students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds that are currently in the ninth, tenth or eleventh grades of high school. From the Fire seeks to cultivate scholars through the elements of Leadership Development, Mentorship, and an exceptional Rites of Passage program.

The Program Chair is the actor and director Delroy Lindo. He has provided memorable performances in films such as “The Cider House Rules,” “Heist,” “Clockers,” “Crooklyn,” “Malcolm X,” and “Ransom.” Lindo’s passion for the plight of minority boys is leading the actor to take an active role in the program’s development. Lindo states, “My hope is that the experience of From the Fire will give students a boost to take the next steps in whatever goals they have planned for their lives. I want this program to stand as a profoundly encouraging dynamic for our young people.” The keynote speaker is actor, producer, and humanitarian Danny Glover. Glover has been a commanding presence on screen, stage, and television for more than 25 years. Additional speakers include former NBA stars Charlie Ward and Jason Richardson, Ras J. Baraka, Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, artist Hank Willis Thomas, attorney Kevin Harden, and music educator Aaron Dworkin.

From the Fire’s curriculum and programming is research-based and designed by a team of educators and leaders with decades of experience in adult and young adult education, social change activism and community development. It is rooted in the spiritual and intellectual traditions forged in the justice struggles of African American and other global minorities. The program’s core beliefs and practices are guided by an indomitable faith in the courage, creativity, and potential of the students. The Leadership Development component will provide transformative education in the form of small group projects, critical reading and writing sessions, a financial aid and scholarship boot camp, dynamic speakers, and interactive leadership workshops.

Mentorship is offered as a form of “deep caring” in order to overcome widespread indifference to these most vulnerable young men. The program will welcome successful male leaders from across the country to serve as mentors for the students. Each participant will be paired with a mentor who receives training and the opportunity to attend the event’s Closing Ceremony at Princeton University. The program desires to develop relationships that flourish into a lifelong bond.

The Rites of Passage component will be a journey of self-discovery that unlocks the hidden resilience of the students as fundamental to their manhood. Included are a host of experiential activities that create and hone life skills. The program will end with a memorable Closing Ceremony and surprise guests.

Tuition and fees are $2,995.00 for the two week Academy and include boarding at Princeton University, curriculum, meals, and field trips. Full scholarships are available based upon need. Toby Sanders is the Co-founder and Director of Curriculum of From the Fire and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. He states, “The young men who will attend From the Fire are the key to their own transformation. We are offering guidance and instruction that encourages these students to see the power within them and others.” From the Fire will be held July 22-August 3, 2018 at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.

The eighth year of the At the Well Young Women’s Leadership Academy, will be held simultaneously. The program for 10th and 11th grade minority girls is also a two-week boarding leadership program. Expected speakers are actress Nicole Ari Parker, The D. L. Hughley Show Co-host Jasmine Sanders, scholar Dr. Juliannne Malveaux, 2016 Democratic National Convention Chief Rev. Leah Daughtry, and others. The application deadline for all programs is March 31, 2018. For more information and to apply, go to http://www.atthewellconferences.org.

Media: Linda Peavy, Lpeavy@Lipav.com, 216-262-1029.

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