Answering the Call: Young Men in the Pre-K Classroom with Julius Cave

Thank you for joining us on Educating to be Human. Today, I have the great pleasure of speaking with Julius Cave, the Regional Director of the Leading Men Fellowship, a program of the Literacy Lab. The Leading Men Fellowship is dedicated to bringing young men of color into the classroom as pre-K educators, which profoundly reimagines representation in early education and transforms students' experiences in the classroom.

Leading Men Fellows are young men of color; they're 18 to 24, with a high school degree or a GED equivalent, who participate in a year-long residency-style experience in which they are trained to provide literacy support to pre-K students while they receive coaching and professional development.

Now, Julius and his team have created a curriculum that addresses literacy needs through evidence-based instruction, and at the same time, they're reshaping learning pathways that emphasize cultural relevance and community-rooted support for these pre-K students and for the fellows themselves. When I was in Atlanta earlier this year, I had the good fortune to see this work in action. I witnessed firsthand the profound impact these young men are having on pre-K learners.

And as you'll hear from Julius, this program not only supports literacy, but gives these young men an opportunity to further their own education. Many of them continue on to college, some as educators, and almost all continue serving their communities in some way. This program is truly diversifying the teaching pipeline. It's building community resilience. And it's sowing the seeds for change in cities across the country. Welcome, Julius, and thank you for joining us.

The work of the Literacy Lab has been focused since our inception around literacy for young students, how we support that in neighborhoods who have experienced economic and racial inequities. And then the Leading Men Fellowship, we came along to say, how else do we think about who's in front of children and how do we increase and diversify the educator pipeline? And so our focus with the Leading Men Fellowship is a couple of main things.

One is early intervention around literacy and support for the development of literacy skills for students in pre-K classrooms. The other piece is leveraging the opportunity to diversify the educator pipeline with specifically young men of color, ages 18 to 24, who work as literacy tutors in those pre-K classes for a full school year. And it's also an opportunity to provide a professional working opportunity for these young men who don't have a bachelor's degree right now.

So fellows commit to working for a full school year in one classroom at one school with the focus on leveraging the training that our coaches and other folks provide to deliver a curriculum that's aligned to the science of reading. We use this called the SEEDS curriculum that's really designed to see where students are and support them on that literacy journey for that full school year.

So some of our fellows are college students, like I said, they just don't have a bachelor's degree already. We go to community colleges. We connect with other community organizations. We're at events. A number of places, wherever we can go to share about the opportunity. And talk about it not only from the lens of being an educator, but also the opportunity for them to grow in their professional and personal development as well.

And so with that encouragement from family and saying, you know, pursue that calling. And here we are. I've been an educator for a number of years now in a number of different capacities. But for me, supporting young students in this field is always critical and important for me. Also growing up in Allendale, I think, you know, what I witnessed is, you know, perception of a community.

You know, if we were just to look at some of the data and statistics about the community, a lot of folks would see those as negative and completely miss the amazing and incredible people that make up the community. The genius and the amazing young students that are part of the community. And so for me, this work is about that calling.

But it's also how do we work in specific communities and areas and support and help the incredible people and incredible students and folks that make up these communities. And so that's, for me, the through line in my career. So working in Houston, Texas, Memphis, Tennessee, and now Atlanta, Georgia, it's always about how do we put more of a positive light and see the opportunity that we have versus some of the negative information that is promoted a lot of times.

So continue to encourage them to work towards their educational goals. And it's done in a caring and compassionate way. I think that's important, you know, especially we think about human beings. Sometimes, we talk about education in terms of data and outcomes, right? But to your question about how do we get there, it's remembering that we're working with human beings. And so care and compassion, some of our fellows' interventions are done in small groups and one-on-one.

So it's an opportunity to build relationships. That's also why fellows are in that one classroom for a full school year. So we know it. Because we know it takes time to build relationships.

And so when we hear things like, You know, students that at the beginning of the year were no t really speaking at all, but through their work with their fellow where they got some more one-on-one time and small group time, that helped them to, that student open up and communicate more, which is a part of literacy, right? When we hear about students that the first couple weeks are crying pretty much every day in their classroom. And so when a fellow is able to spend time with them, that helps.

That helps in their building relationships. We hear later on that that student is more active in class and they're not crying anymore. And, teachers and others can attribute that directly to that fellow's work. And that's what helps get to that data and that outcomes. So those relationships we know are critical in supporting students. And also as we're preparing educators to say, 'Hey, this is about working with people.' And we have

to do it in a caring and compassionate way. Lisa: Tell me a little bit about how do those students, the young, I guess they're four and five year olds, how do they end up being in this program? And then we're going to talk about the fellows themselves. But tell me a little bit about the students. Yeah. So our work is more relationships with, say, districts or providers. And then we work with them to identify classrooms.

And then, from there, our fellows will spend a couple weeks building relationships with students. And then they'll do an assessment. And I say assessment. Again, it's fine. It doesn't come like, 'Hey, we're testing.' The students don't feel like it's a test. But it's an assessment. They'll do some reading together, look at some letters.

And from there, they'll determine what students will get more focused interventions on a daily basis while also including some others in the class will get some of the interventions. But that caseload will get more focused interventions on a daily basis.

We talk with them more about the logistics and about that commitment piece, like having that eight-to-one available Monday through Friday for that full school year. And why that's important, you know, is understanding more about some of the logistics on there. So that's a discussion up front. We do an interview with fellows more so to get to know them better. What we say is you're the expert in yourself. And so the interview is not a gotcha moment, right?

It's just a chance for us all to kind of learn more about each other. And that's the crux of the process. For us, it's more about, you know, is this for both parties, is this a good fit for a person at this point in time? And sometimes it's not. And we're okay with that because it's also we've had fellows come back at a different point in time because that time was right for them. And so we're open. We also communicate. We say, hey, we want to support you.

Even if you're not a fellow, we're here to, you know, people that want to support you. It's really the approach in saying this is about a community. This is about connection. How do we start that process and showing that from even the beginning of this process. Lisa: I think the first program you had was 2022. Is that right? So relatively recently. Yes, here in Atlanta. That was the first.

So that happens before they even enter the class. And then we layer it on throughout the year. So we know that education, you know, you can give it all the training you want up front. But once you get in there with students, there's some other things. There's some other learnings that have to happen. And so we give them a good base and good foundation.

They start in the classroom and then we spend time each month with training specifically around that curriculum that's delivered by our literacy coaches. And then, in addition to that, some other members of our staff, our program managers, our program associates, they lead trainings more around professional and personal development. So thinking about things like college and career literacy, financial literacy, mental health literacy, civic literacy.

And so really it's we want to say we want to provide a robust menu of training and development and support. And so, fellows are well-positioned when they step into that classroom. I think it's thinking about getting them as human beings and how do we provide a support for them as people so that they in turn can provide that support for those young human beings that they're going to interact with.

I'll say because the classroom affords a lot of learning. A lot of times we think about the students, but the classroom affords a lot of learning for the teachers and educators as well. What I actually said to somebody just recently, it has a way of pointing out the things and areas where we could do a little bit more support and work. And it has a way of doing that. And so for fellows, that's going to happen. They're going to be challenged.

They're going to face some situations that are difficult. And that's just a part of even that. You know, some of those first-year experiences of being in classrooms. First one, we know that and saying that's OK. And then two, providing, you know, a group of people and some other supports that not only continue to tell them that it's OK, but continue to tell them that we believe in them and that we're there to support them.

So I think what happens by the end of this is that fellows are able to take a look back and really see some of their own growth. They're able to see some of their resilience. They're able to see where they've been challenged and able to push forward. And where they've been pushed. And so, you know, a great example is in that visit that we had that you got to meet some of our fellows - a couple of them volunteered and came up and shared about their experience.

And some of them at the beginning of the year absolutely would not have done that. Right. And so it's an environment where I think whether explicit or implicitly, they feel like it's their environment. They have a say in it. And that's what we-that's what we push and encourage and allow that space for growth. And I just I think that's that's key. Right.

Not only for young men of color, but for other folks, we think about developing professionals as being environments where, you know, challenge is welcome. You're pushed to grow. You're encouraged to grow. And you have people that continue and consistently say we're here for you. And I think it just makes a world of difference. So you've had a couple of graduation years, right? You've had a couple of fellowship programs go through the whole year now.

What are some of those fellows doing now as they finish? Are they entering the education field? Are they finding they education environment to be something that seems welcoming to them or inclusive of them?

Some fellows that are serving and working as paraprofessionals in schools. What's striking is how they talk about it now as well. So for some, it's seeing it more as a career. It's hearing them talk about the things that they learned and how they implement in the classrooms that they're working in now. And then, you know, just hearing, I was somewhere recently, one of our fellows is working at a school I met. And someone that works at that school as well.

And they're like, oh, yeah, I was just in his class just the other day. And was saying nothing but great things about him. So that's always good to hear as well. Lisa: I used to work in a school of education for several years. And just being in the field of education, we hear a lot. There aren't enough men who are in teaching, particularly in the primary grades. And then, of course, we hear, oh, and there aren't enough young men of color or young Black men who want to enter teaching.

It's sort of set up by, in some ways, it's like, oh, we have this problem. We don't know how to get them into the pipeline. And it seems that this approach you're taking is sort of turning that on its head in a fabulous way. Because you're growing people. You're growing the interest and the awareness to make it be an environment where they want to enter teaching. I mean, is that, I don't want to put words in your mouth.

But that's kind of what I'm hearing in terms of the impact that you're having. No, you're not. That's accurate. And I'll add this in saying, you know, another component that is huge within this is that the fact that fellows are going through this with other young men of color. And so the relationships that they build, you know, mean so much to them. And that's not me saying it. That's what they tell us.

I talk about it as a brotherhood, not because, not as a marketing term or a term I came up with, but because of the term that they've used and how they talk about it. And so that's a hugely important piece for them. Being in conversations that honestly, quite frankly, they just haven't really been able to have consistently. Even about themselves. Even about what they want to do. Their hopes, their dreams. You know, being vulnerable in spaces. Having some difficult conversations.

And so for them to be in a room regularly with other young men of color, working positively to impact lives in their community plays a huge role. And so we've seen that across not only Atlanta, but in our other regions as well. And a part of it is the work we do up front. We do a week where we're all together and not only training, but doing some other events and things together.

So it's all opportunities to help them build that bond that we know is going to be important for them throughout this experience.

And we have to have conversations in a way that aren't one-sided. They're listening. We're listening to help understand what challenges there may be. We have to think about barriers. Right? For thinking about schools of education. This is, I'm just completely making this up. But, right, like is the timeline it takes from when we apply to when we start, is that a barrier for someone? Right?

If there are some other concerns or think about making money, what are some other opportunities that we could think about and further leverage in this? I think an opportunity is we look at some of the districts and how they're partnering with some colleges and universities where work, you know, credit for work will count towards that degree. I think we have to listen more and better understand what barriers are there, be willing and committed to removing some of those barriers.

And then providing the environment that it takes to support students and folks in getting in and staying in this field. Lisa: Could you talk a little bit more about what some of those barriers are that you find from your listening, your very active listening, especially in recruitment, as well as in the actual year that the fellows spend with you? What are some of those barriers? And how are you addressing them? Or how are you mitigating them? I think it's best for me.

I mean, these are some real life examples. You know, one thing is that our role is part time. So, again, eight to one, eight to two. You know, fellows are paid $17 an hour. One of the things we think about on the listening piece is that we were hearing a couple of years ago where we started at $15 that it wasn't going to work. So we did increase that. Listening and hearing from fellows that it's part. But there's more that they need in terms of income.

And so we've started to build partnerships and relationships with some other organizations that have opportunities in the afternoons or evenings. So that fellows have some some other opportunities to make some money. You know, transportation is a challenge.

Those are just real live examples that we're working through right now and building relationships with other community organizations that will support in addressing those those barriers that fellows have not only when they come to us, but even throughout the program that may pop up. Lisa: You've talked about how literacy and then the teaching of literacy and how we how you support the young men in this way that there's a piece there that's around social justice. Right.

When we when we put literacy and education together in this way, that's something that we know we need to be doing a lot more of in these communities that aren't necessarily even believing that education is a way forward. I would love to just hear your thoughts about that. I think literacy is, you know, just to say it's critical and important doesn't do it in and of itself enough justice.

A colleague I used to work with just, you know, somebody wants to be a rocket scientist like they they still have to know how to read. And so literacy is embedded in so much of what we do. Math, science, all all the different fields and areas. And so for if we're going to encourage students to go into different fields and we have to be honest with ourselves and really make sure we're providing the fundamentals and basics that are going to support them in those fields.

And then when we think about access to knowledge, right, literacy provides so much of an open door to access to knowledge and information. So when we think about not only reading, writing, communicating, literacy is something that provides a lot of a lot of opportunities. Right.

And so when we think about, you know, what are ways that we can support communities, right, education and specifically literacy can play a huge role in how we're setting students up and, you know, for their goals and where they want to go. Lisa: Do you have some examples of this from the fellows that you've been working with? Some of what comes to mind, I think, has impressed me.

One is for fellows who have spoken about how they've increased their own literacy and what they're reading and the amount that they're reading.

It's more of that encouragement to dream, to follow your dreams, to follow your goals, to follow where you want to go. Right. But you're going to need a skill set and some things to help you get there. And for them to kind of analyze and have said, yeah, this is this literacy piece for them that is super important and critical for them. So that's that's what comes to mind in thinking about that. Lisa: You've talked a little bit before about the role of partnerships and community partnerships.

And could you talk a little bit more about how you have set forth to actually create those deeper partnerships and community and what that impact has been? You know, personal belief in is infusing this work. I mean, we we can't do it by ourselves. And even when we think of it, if we can focus on our mission and vision, we can't we can't do it by ourselves. And so partnership and community is necessary.

And my approach is that one, I think it's easy to sometimes look at the other groups and how can we partner with with them? and saying, what can we get from them? But my approach, I think, is for us, we make sure we're being a good partner first. And that's where it starts, being a good partner. And other than thinking about what makes sense in terms of partnerships, is there a need that needs to be filled? More support? Like we said, transportation?

Income? Are there when we think about our personal and professional development what's our actual capacity? We talk about financial literacy. I'm not a financial literacy expert, but we were able to get connected to some great folks with Bank of America who said, absolutely, we'll come in and do not only some sessions with fellows about financial literacy, but we'll also host an event at our offices and give fellows a chance to hear from professionals in this field.

And then on the back end, we've been able to partner with another group who offers some personal financial coaching. And fellows said, after the Bank of America session, said, 'Hey, we need some more; we need some more intent and more support around our individual situations. " And so we were able to partner with someone that provides individualized financial coaching. What's out here is listening, understanding, listening to feedback from fellow.

So looking at the community, seeing where opportunities are. Some great folks that we partnered with around some training opportunities for fellows. Folks like Profound Gentlemen is an organization, national organization that supports male educators of color. And so it only made sense for us to partner. And now fellows that have come back for a second year and are alum that are in education, are part of their organization. And so now they get continued support after they leave us.

This work can't be done alone and it can't be done in isolation. And so it's going to require us to be open to it, creative around it, dream around it, make sure we're being good partners in this work.

You have now, what, about 20 fellows a year there in the Atlanta region. This is a program that I can see in so many parts of the country, or even just in the southern region. I'm imagining there's just a phenomenal opportunity there in that way. What are you thinking?

And what I mean is that, you know, we could, yeah, this sounds great. Let's just go here. But also, you know, what are the resources that we can, will be in place? What's that web of support look like? You know, what's our own organizational capacity look like? And so that's part of, as we look at the south part of this, kind of in my bucket, as we look organizationally about expansion here in the south. So we'll see. We'll see. I'm excited to see what's coming.

Providing these fellows with professional development, building their own resilience, and equipping them with the skills they need to thrive both in and outside the classroom. You're doing such amazing work, and I would love to continue this conversation in the future. Perhaps in a future episode, we could hear firsthand from some of the fellows themselves and learn about the impact this program is having on them and the impact they're making in the classroom.

So thank you again, Julius, for your time, dedication, and your commitment.