Our Programs

Education is the key to unlocking the boundless potential of our students, and A4 proudly leads the charge in advancing academic excellence and equity for Black students through our innovative programs and initiatives.

As a trailblazer in education, A4 delivers impactful literacy, math, and leadership programs that produce measurable outcomes, effectively closing the academic achievement gap for African American and Black students. Our programs cultivate a supportive and empowering environment where students not only thrive academically but also build the confidence and skills necessary for lifelong success within Fresno Unified and beyond.

Below is an overview of our current programs, each designed to enrich the educational experiences and outcomes of African American students.

Academic Advisor Program 

The A4 Academic Advisor program provides more in depth, consistent and rigorous monitoring of academics for African American middle and high school students who would benefit and excel even more with heightened support. Its purpose is to help students remain on track for a successful high school graudation and post-secondary career. Academic advisors are available at participating middle and high schools.

Academic Center for Suspended Students

The A4 Academic Center for Suspended Students offers academic and goal setting support for African American students who are suspended from school for non-mandatory expulsion offenses. It’s designed to prevent the loss of significant instructional time for African American students caused by the disproportionate suspension and expulsion of this student population and assist in accelerating them to grade level. In addition to core curriculum, the Center has an academic focus on African American history and literature.

African American 9th Grade Academy

The A4 African American 9th Grade Academy is an initiative designed to improve graduation and college-going rates among African American students by providing early intervention and tailored support during their critical freshman year. By partnering with counselors, school leaders, and A4 Champions, the program offers weekly support during the instructional day to build strong relationships with students, monitor their academic progress, attendance, and behavior, and help them create actionable plans to stay on track to reach their version of success. With the goal of increasing key educational outcomes by 5% by June 2025, the academy ensures students graduate college- and career-ready, meeting all requirements for a four-year university and beyond.

African American Student Leadership Academy (AASLA)

The African American Student Leadership Academy identifies college-bound 8th grade African American students throughout Fresno Unified and provides them support and mentorship to ensure they are UC ready upon graduation. UC Merced guarantees our students’ acceptance to the university if they meet UC requirements.

Afterschool Reading

The Afterschool Reading Program is a 10-week long extension of our Summer Literacy Program for K through 4th grade African American students. It allows students to receive one-on-one reading mentorship and support during the academic school year.

Black Student Union (BSU)

A4’s Black Student Union offers campus and community leadership, college/career readiness, student empowerment, and mentorship to foster an enviornment where African American students can proudly exemplify the best of their culture. This club empowers students to be leaders both socially and academically on their campus and beyond. Its mission is to provide a positive and productive representation of the African AmeriThe A4 Summer Reading Program in partnership with Springboard Collaborative is a 4-week literacy program for K through 4th grade African American students. It was established to replace the typical 3-month reading loss during summer months and accelerate our students that are below grade level to proficiency and above. It’s comprised of daily independent reading with a teacher, targeted small group lessons, writing, and family workshops to coach parents and guardians how to teach reading at home. can community on and off each Fresno Unified campus. There are 35 BSU clubs throughout the District: 6 elementary, 17 middle school and 12 high school.

Kinder Readiness

A4’s Kinder Readiness Program is a 3-week literacy program designed for pre-K African American students that haven’t had any formal educational experience in preschool or other structured environments. It empowers students with the necessary academic and social-emotional skills to enter kindergarten set up for success.

Figures

A4 Figures, piloted in 2024, is a project-based coding and robotics enrichment program designed to provide academic support and mentoring to African American and black girls in grades 5th through 11th, empowering them to confidently pursue college majors and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM.)

Math Camp

The A4 Math Camp summer program is a 3-week coding boot camp created to support 5th and 6th grade African American students with improving their math skills in a fun, interactive, and hands-on way. Students learn how to code a robot and are taught African American history in S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and beyond through a culturally infused curriculum.

Step Up HBCU

A4’s Step Up HBCU allows African American students to earn college credit while in high school from Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, one of the 100+ Historically Black Colleges and Universites (HBCUs) in the US. Fresno Unified is the first district in California to partner with an HBCU for a dual enrollment program of this kind. Students accepted into this program have the opportunity to earn up to 12 free college units through live, virtual classes with Benedict professors.

Student Voice

A4’s Student Voice is a program that gives African American high school students the opportunity to come together in a safe space as thought parnters and create student-led solutions to the challenges they face as black students inside and outside of their educational setting. Connect with our students and learn from them on Instagram @a4_studentvoice.

Summer Reading

The A4 Summer Reading Program in partnership with Springboard Collaborative is a 4-week literacy program for K through 4th grade African American students. It was established to replace the typical 3-month reading loss during summer months and accelerate our students that are below grade level to proficiency and above. It’s comprised of daily independent reading with a teacher, targeted small group lessons, writing, and family workshops to coach parents and guardians how to teach reading at home.

Waterford Reading Academy

Waterford Reading Academy, an early childhood education nonprofit, collaborates with communities, schools, and families to improve literacy achievement. To enhance literacy support during the instructional day, A4 partnered with Waterford in 2022. This program focuses on helping transitional kindergarten through second-grade students, providing tailored resources and assistance to strengthen their literacy skills during school hours.