BALTIMORE — There's a glow to Quanye Johnson when he talks about his interaction with students at Henderson Hopkins School.
"It feels great every morning, every single morning I feel like when I step in between these doors I feel like I have a purpose and the kids are as eager to see me as I am to see them,” said Quanye Johnson who is a Literacy Lab Senior Fellow.
He's part of the Leading Men Fellowship. The nonprofit, Literacy Lab, started the program that brings diversity to classrooms, giving young men of color ages 18 to 24 the opportunity to become literacy tutors to pre-k students.
The "fellows" teach them to write their names, read stories and learn vocabulary words.
It's where special connections are made, "I think it's important for students to be taught by people that look like them and grew up in the same areas that they grew up in,” said Evan Singleton who is the Leading Men Fellowship Program Manager.
Singleton says the numbers across the country are only at two percent of black men in the classroom and recalls when he was in school. "I'm not sure if I ever had a male teacher of color growing up.”
This is where Literacy Lab is looking to change that.
"So to be able to hear from even students, teachers the importance of it and just the impact it's had on the students not only in the classroom but out of the classroom when they're at recess when they're traveling to specials,” said Singleton.
The "fellows" are paid and can participate in the program for up to two years . They also get a $2500 award toward higher education. Singleton said they are looking for young men who are interested in turning this into a career.
"I always knew that I wanted to pursue further education beyond high school but I never really knew what I wanted to major in but education kind of really spoke to me in these past two years,” said Johnson. “It's kind of made me want to find my position in the whether that's administration or teaching."
Right now the "fellows" work five hours a day, five days a week.
Henderson Hopkins Principal Peter Kannam said, “I see them building great relationships with students, invested and willing to go above and beyond. They show up every day for our students and it's just wonderful to see male role models in our early childhood classrooms.”
Singleton said after the program many go on to work at Baltimore City Public Schools or continue their college education to become a full time teacher.
The Leading Men is looking to fill 10 fellowship positions, to apply head to https://theliteracylab.org/apply/
