Ray Turner, a social worker at Harrison Elementary school in South Bend, developed and proposed the Voyages 1998 program. Acutely aware of a local need to address the issues faced by black boys, aged 9-13, Ray and others designed the Voyages program specifically for this group. Ray is well versed in the day-to-day challenges these boys come in contact with, and the sometimes sparse resources and support available to help them process the struggles of their lives.

Ray tells the story of "Ryan," a 10-year old boy who represents many of the issues a typical Voyages participant brings to the program. Ryan has witnessed the aftermath of seven acts of violence, the closest to him being the shooting of a cousin in connection with a drug deal. He lives with his mother, grandmother, and two younger siblings, who have a different father. His mother has a history of drug use, and has spent a year in jail for writing bad checks. For these reasons and others, the overwhelmed grandmother retains legal guardian status of Ryan. A fan of drawing -- mainly superheroes -- and basketball, Ryan is intelligent and articulate, but nonetheless is having serious difficulty in school. He has been detained after school twice, and was suspended for five days for bringing a weapon to school.

Ray’s story goes on, as does the life of Ryan. It’s not hard to imagine any number of negative outcomes for Ryan and his community, as he grows older, if something doesn’t change soon. Voyages 1998 is all about that change. Founded with an understanding of the systemic historical, social, and cultural challenges that pervade the developing years of young black boys, Voyages uses its perspective to build a specific and thoughtful program for this energetic and hungry audience.

During recent years, a considerable amount of attention has been drawn to issues relating to black men and boys. High rates of special education placement, delinquency and incarceration reveal serious problems for all of our communities. Research regarding black boys and how to best meet their needs provided a theoretical basis for the Voyages program. A phenomenon called "fourth grade failure syndrome" has particular relevance. The syndrome is a withdrawal of interest by children of this age in school-related activities, with resultant academic failure (Kunjufu 1983).

Contributors to "fourth grade failure syndrome" (Kunjufu 1983):

single-parent families, with overwhelmed mothers and a lack of male role models;
teachers who are unfamiliar with black language, values and behavior;
a predominance of female teachers, who see typically "male" behavior (e.g., louder, more physical, less cooperative, shorter attention span) as inappropriate, and;
teachers who cannot communicate high expectations to their students

The result is a school environment which does not understand the black boy, and cannot tailor its presentation of academic material to meet his needs. Feeling marginal to the educational process and falling behind academically, the boy looks to sources outside of school for confirmation and may be lost to educational intervention after that point. This withdrawal from academic pursuits can clearly separate self-worth from academic achievement for the boy, two things more closely linked in the majority of successful students. With the correlation between academic and global self-esteem severed, the likelihood of academic failure increases. Black boys are at higher risk of continued separation from academic success as an integral part of self-esteem (Osborne 1997).

These factors and additional research played a critical role in how the Voyages program developed:

black boys are at particular risk at about 4th grade;
an Afrocentric curriculum can improve the self-esteem of younger black boys;
increasing identification with academic achievement can improve future academic performance;
involving positive black male role models may help meet the needs of boys in single-female households, and;
setting high, but attainable expectations increases sense of capabilities and the bond between teacher/adult and student/child.

With this background in mind, Voyages 1998 was made possible through the collaborative efforts of Memorial Hospital and South Bend Community School Corporation, and championed by Ray, who became the Program Coordinator. Through the Title I program, the South Bend Community School Corporation provided financial support for staff salaries, student mentors, supplies and evaluation. Through the Summer Feeding Program, the Corporation made breakfast and lunch available for program participants, and provided transportation for field trips. Memorial Hospital contributed additional funding for salaries, as well as consultant services (psychiatric and psychological), t-shirts, the writing of the program evaluation narrative and an awards luncheon to celebrate the completion of the program.