By Gail Joyner-White, Principal

Giggles, smiles and hugs from young protégés keep Gorton High School’s MBK brothers tutoring elementary school students week after week.

They have a sobering goal in mind when they help with reading lessons, however. MBK brothers want to keep a future generation of young men of color out of jail.

Research reveals a clear connection between literacy skills and incarceration rates.

“We don’t want them building more jail cells,” said 11^th grader Heriberto Ortiz at a Gorton MBK Empowerment Assembly in May.

In the fall, upon learning the connection between early reading proficiency and life opportunities, students indicated that they wanted to identify a way to interrupt the “school to prison pipeline.”  Under the guidance of Gorton’s administrators and advisors, Gorton’s MBK designed a Cross-Age Tutoring Initiative that allows high school students to improve literacy skills by reading to students at William Boyce Thompson School and School 9. Gorton tutors (grades 9-12) are assigned to students (grades 1-3) and engage them with literacy activity using culturally relevant books for 45 minutes once a week.

Gorton High School launched the Cross -Age Tutoring Program in February. Donning t-shirts labeled S.W.A.G. – Strong With Amazing Gifts -- 28 MBK brothers and sisters from the school’s My Sister’s Keeper showed up ready to teach. Every week, before visiting their young students – about 200 in all -- MBK tutors spend time training and planning their lessons with school advisors.  For example, they learn how to communicate effective reading strategies to their students.

The literacy program is designed to support YonkersMBK’s Milestone Two: To ensure that children are reading at grade level by third grade and Milestone Three: Ensure all youth graduate from high school ready for college and career.

Older students benefit as much as the younger ones, gaining a strong sense of personal responsibility and impact.  

“I go home feeling like I actually helped someone,” said Deisha Santiago, grade 10.  “It makes me feel like a better person.”

Tenth grader Mahari Wills takes the long view. “As we teach our children we are actually bettering our future,” he said.

Gorton MBK Advisors: Assistant Principal Ryan James, Teachers Rafael Martinez, Tyrone Glover and Daniel Wilson.