Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success marks 35 years with April 18 celebration

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success this month is celebrating 35 years of empowering Black and biracial kids in Cedar Rapids.

Attendees will experience the culture of New Orleans at the academy’s gala from 5:30-8:30 p.m. April 18 at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, 7725 Kirkwood Blvd. SW in Cedar Rapids. Tickets can be purchased online at theacademysps.com.

The gala will be a “really joyful learning experience” about the contributions, trials and triumphs of Black Americans in Louisiana, said Ruth White, founder of the academy.

The academy provides high school students an education they can’t find in a public school classroom. It teaches students about Black history, literature, math, science and a holds a postsecondary seminar to help students prepare for college and be successful once they get there.

White was a teacher at Washington High School and academic adviser to minority students when she founded the academy 35 years ago. The work she did with those students showed her that a lot of students of color weren't making a connection that if they did well in high school, they could go on to college and a career of their choosing.

White said the need for the program today is “more urgent than it has ever been.” She said she continues to see lower expectations for Black students academically and a lack of encouragement.

White has seen students at the academy help gain the confidence they need to dream bigger and map out a plan for how to achieve those dreams. At the end of the rigorous six-week summer program, students have the opportunity to travel and learn more about Black history outside of Iowa.

There are also programs for adult learners and after-school programs for elementary and middle school students in Cedar Rapids schools through the academy.

The gala’s New Orleans-theme was inspired by academy students’ trip to Louisiana last summer. While in New Orleans, students toured Le Musee de FPC, a historical house museum dedicated to the legacy of free people of color, and the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Food served at the gala is inspired by the food at the famous Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in New Orleans, which opened in 1941 and became a meeting place for music and entertainment, civil rights and culture.

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The gala is the academy’s largest fundraising event each year, making up about half of the annual budget. Students in the program also pay tuition.

Allahna Brathwaite, president of the academy’s board, said she believes investment in the organization will make Cedar Rapids better by creating “citizens who care about the community.” Brathwaite — an information technology engineer — also was a student of the academy. “It helped me feel a level of confidence in myself I didn’t know I was missing at the time,” Brathwaite said.

Ahmed Elsheikh, 18, a senior at Kennedy High School, is the youngest of his siblings to graduate from the academy. It’s an opportunity for Black students that “shouldn’t be overlooked,” he said.

Throughout his four years of high school, Elsheikh said he was “pushed and championed” by his teachers and peers at the academy. At the gala, he will be speaking about the importance of the academy and how “vital” it is for the Black community in Cedar Rapids, Elsheikh said.

Wilsee Kollie, who graduated from Kennedy High in 2022, also was a student of the academy. She attributes it for helping her become a leader and advocate — especially for Black youth and for mental health.

Braja Servin, who graduated from Washington High School in 2021, said the academy helped her create a plan for life beyond high school. Now she’s a first-generation college student at the University of Iowa.

“Oftentimes, I’m the only Black person I see throughout the day. The academy taught me to seek out community and understand what it means to be a Black person in the world,” she said.

Programs for kids, adults of all ages

The Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success also offers a free learning opportunity for adults called Critical Conversations. It’s a place for people to learn about Black history, ask questions and have discussions with experts in a safe environment.

Past topics include redlining, reparations, Black cooking, the history of Black music, Black athletes, Black representation in film, critical race theory and the 1619 Project.

The current series — “How Did We Get Here?” — ends April 8. It meets virtually and in person at the Beems Auditorium at the Cedar Rapids Public Library, 450 Fifth Aves SE. The final session of the series addresses diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Black middle school students also learn more about their culture and improve their academics at the African American Awareness Program for sixth, seventh and eighth-graders. The program is an after-school program students can opt into at Cedar Rapids middle schools. To participate, students are required to have the equivalent of a 2.5 grade-point average, good attendance and good behavior.

Elementary school students in grades three, four and five can learn more about their culture and gain academic and leadership skills in The Academy Expansion Program after school Mondays at Johnson STEAM Academy, 355 18th St. SE, Cedar Rapids.

To learn more or register for these programs, visit theacademysps.com/what-we-do.

Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com