The First Edition of ACLP's Got News

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Welcome to ACLP,

My name is Marissa Kesse and I am the Program Director of the African Community Learning Program. But, first and foremost, what is the African Community Learning Program? It’s a network of people who love, support, and promote the excellence of the African diaspora, sharing their love of their African origins and appreciation for the African culture. ACLP is based in West Philadelphia as an educational, nonprofit organization; this year, we will be launching a new program known as the Future Scholars Program (FSP). What exactly is FSP you may ask? The Future Scholars Program is a FREE college preparatory mentorship program serving Black high school students of the African diaspora. Our program aims to help students grow culturally and academically.

Read More about Our Future Scholars Program Here

Read More about Our Brand New Leadership Team Here

ACLP is an opportunity of a lifetime for your student to learn both the hard and soft skills needed for success. ACLP is staffed and run by college students who have recently undergone the process that your child will soon be facing. Our student leaders and volunteers offer advice about getting into your dream college, filling out scholarship applications, and even interview tips that they wish they knew before applying to college. Their firsthand experiences are extremely valuable not only when thinking about college and university but also when your student is picking classes freshman year of high school, taking the SAT, or juggling soccer practice with studying for AP Lit. sophomore year. On the other hand, one of the most important parts of FSP is the confidence that we can give your student by empowering him or her to find strength in diversity and culture.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter to see more of our student-focused content and to learn more about being a part of FSP.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter Here

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Raimat Shittu
ACLP student

"Before I joined the program, I used to think that a team is when a group of people work together. But after joining the program, I found out that a team is not just about working together but about loving, caring, motivating, encouraging, supporting, advising, collaborating, connecting, communicating, and learning each other’s background. I appreciate you guys for making me more bold and brave. I hope to be part of the program in the future."

Listen to Raimat Here

Check Out Resources for Students

While a protein shake isn’t necessarily the first thing you need in order to chase your dreams, other resources like ACLP’s Future Scholars Program are. High school is the chance to explore what you’re passionate about and weed out what you definitely do not want to spend the rest of your life doing; the smartest way to chase your dreams is by utilizing the resources around you.

Learn More about Chasing Your Dreams

As a young person, you have the privilege and responsibility to decide what you want your life to mean to this world. We have so many problems that need to be addressed, such as racism, mass incarceration, unequal access to quality education and healthcare. We need you to question why and how problems came to be, hold people in power accountable for those problems, and even offer solutions to improve situations.

Read ACLP’s Founder and President Aminata Sy's full article on knowing your value for ACLP’s Got News.

Read Aminata's Full Article Here

Aminata Sy
Founder & President

Aminata Sy knows what it means to fight for her dreams and to succeed. After dropping out of high school in 10th grade in Senegal, Aminata’s education took a pause until ten years after coming to the United States. She started working towards her educational goals again by obtaining a GED in 2010, and she hasn’t stopped since. Since checking off an associate's degree at the Community College of Philadelphia and a bachelor’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania, Aminata is currently working towards a master's degree at American University.