Established in 1922 by then General President S.S. Booker, the program focuses on the importance of completing secondary and collegiate education as a road to personal advancement. Through the “Go-to-High-School, Go-to-College” educational initiative, young men receive the information and learn strategies that facilitate success. Alpha men serve as excellent role models for youth participants to emulate.
Project Alpha
In 1980 the Fraternity began a collaborative effort with the March of Dimes, to implement Project Alpha. This project is designed to provide education, motivation, and skill-building on issues of responsibility, relationships, teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases for young males ages 12 – 15 years. The initiation of Project Alpha began in the late 1970s in Chicago by the Brothers of Iota Delta Lambda. The relationship with the March of Dimes came in 1982 and led to the program becoming a national program designed to provide young men with current and accurate information about teen pregnancy prevention. Project Alpha consists of a series of workshops and informational sessions conducted by Fraternity members. The three goals of Project Alpha programs are to:
Share Knowledge by combating ignorance and fear with factual information
Change Attitudes by providing motivation toward positive changes in sexual behavior
Provide Skills by creating a sense of empowerment and self-esteem
A Voteless People Is A Hopeless People
Initiated as a national program of Alpha during the 1930s when many African Americans had the right to vote but were prevented from voting because of poll taxes, threats of reprisal, and lack of education about the voting process. Voter education and registration has remained a dominant focus of this outreach activity for over 65 years. Throughout the 1990’s and into the new century, the focus has shifted to include political awareness and empowerment, delivered most frequently through to
Charles Haston Brother’s Keeper Program
Brother’s Keeper is a service program developed with the mission of advocating for and improving the quality of life for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. brothers, their spouses, and widows who are retired, are elders, have disabilities and are ailing. Upon identification of need, the Brother’s Keeper Program also provides assistance to mature and ailing members of its communities. Limitations caused by advanced age place demands on family members, caregivers, and the larger community to ensure that elders remain independently functional. The goal of the Brother’s Keeper Program is to promote dignity and independence among Alpha family and community members who need help in keeping their lives and homes functional. There are seven objectives to the program:Objective 1: Assist in maintaining living environments that are compatible with participants’ levels of functioning;Objective 2:Assist in maintaining the upkeep of participants’ properties;Objective 3: Assist with health care decision making;Objective 4: Provide companionship;Objective 5: Provide legal services;Objective 6: Provide transportation; andObjective 7: Ensure adequate supplies of food, water, and clothing, with special emphasis on disaster management and recovery.
