A critical objective of the Institute for Responsible Citizenship is to instill within our scholars a commitment to serve others. One effective demonstration of this commitment is through a program devised by an Institute alumnus, Elijah Heyward, III.   While pursuing a master’s degree at Yale Divinity School, Elijah served as a Yale President’s Public Service Fellow.  In that capacity, he created a program for middle school boys in the New Haven, Connecticut School District. The program cultivated a sense of purpose and confidence within the students through educational enrichment activities, cultural awareness, and mentorship by talented African American men.

The boys were invited to visit Washington, D.C. to participate in a four day program designed collaboratively with Institute scholars. In Washington, the boys participated in workshops, visited their senator and congressional representative, toured college campuses, and visited museums and cultural attractions. Most importantly, they spent the entire visit with Institute scholars who inspired them to stay in school, work hard, achieve academic success, and pursue their dreams. This experience is the model on which we are building the Youth Scholar Academy, an important effort to serve the next wave of potential youth leaders.