A program that allows expelled students to continue their education is now being hosted by The Outlet after many years of being offered by the NAACP.
This is the inaugural school year for The Outlet Academy, replacing NAACP’s Back-to-School/Stay-in-School Academy. There are 22 students, who are not eligible to attend a Springfield District 186 alternative school, enrolled in the community program. It operates under the umbrella of The Outlet, a nonprofit and mentoring program for boys and young men started in 2005 by Michael Phelon.
Four weeks in and 17-year-old Camreyal said she appreciates her surroundings and the time to reflect her thoughts by putting pen to paper. The program is housed on The Outlet’s campus at 3306 S. Sixth St., which is surrounded by 14 acres in the former retirement and nursing home run by the Sisters of St. Francis of the Immaculate Conception.
“It’s a fun place to write at,” she said, of the space called the The Outlet Pen.
The Outlet purchased the building in 2022 and renovations were completed nearly two months ago. Inside, it’s been transformed to serve youth with spaces dedicated for music, design work and games. One room has a set of hand power tools for young people to learn about basic construction and repair skills.
NAACP Springfield Chapter President Austin Randolph said because of the resources available at The Outlet, the organization decided to “transition” its community program, Back to School/ Stay in School, to Phelon’s organization. NAACP ran the program for more than 25 years, Randolph said.
He and Phelon announced the handoff during Springfield District 186 School Board’s June meeting.
“We believe this is the right time and the right partner for the future of this program,” Randolph said. However, he pledged the NAACP will remain engaged with the district.
“We will continue our work with the consent decree, and we’ll monitor, advocate and collaborate with the district on ways to increase the number of minority teachers and administrators,” he said.
District 186 superintendent Dr. Terrance Jordan told Illinois Times the transition from the NAACP to The Outlet was “just a natural progression, because (Phelon) already had all the things that the NAACP felt they needed to improve the program.”
Jordan said a community-led program for expelled students is unusual.
“Typically when a student is expelled, we’re not obligated to provide somewhere for them to go,” he said. “But we don’t want our kids out in the streets.”
“We think it’s a great return on investment for us to make sure that even though we can’t have those students in our schools, they have somewhere they can go and continue to learn and be successful,” Jordan said.
Marshawn,17, said he feels the staff at the Academy cares more about the students than the teachers at his former school.
“They feed into us more,” he said. “They also feed us with a lot of good life skills and not just throwing a book at us.”
The students attending the community program have chosen to carry on with their education despite being expelled. The alternative would be dropping out and adding to the district’s dropout rate of 6.1%, compared to the state’s 2.4% rate.
Marshawn said he owes his motivation for sticking to school to his “OG,” his mom.
“My mom is really just the center of my life, for real,” he said. “She really pushed me to go to school.”
17-year-old Erick said he, too, counts on the support of his mom and family for motivation, but also said he taps into an inner drive and what he owes to himself.
“I see something in myself,” he said. “I know I can be something greater than my surroundings.”
Phelan said he’s afforded flexibility by being a community program that can approach education in a different way.
While traditional support services at a mainstream school may be siloed, “We’re trying to merge all those pieces together, where wellness and mental health is just like a regular part of your day,” he said. “Where you don’t even know that you are receiving help or you are getting those skills that you need to grow and develop.”
Phelon said that happens when the students are greeted in the morning and asked how they are doing later in the afternoon, interactions that are possible because of the program’s small enrollment. He said educators in the district may not be afforded the time with students due to larger class sizes.
The Academy follows district mandates such as giving out grades and midterms and reporting scores to the head office. It teaches the core classes, “but we can do it in a more creative way, and we can do it in a way where we can meet the kids where they’re at,” Phelon said.
For instance, students may receive more time to take a test or receive more one-on-one learning from a teacher or support staff to grasp new material.
Phelon said one of the focuses of the Academy is preparing students to choose a career path. So far, the groups has had a field trip to learn about different career options in the trades. He said the staff also puts emphasis on helping the students lean on their strengths and not a “deficit mindset.”
“Let’s build you up and not tear you down,” Phelon said.
Monica Walls-Butler is the Academy’s program director and a 22-year veteran of District 186 as a family and community engagement liaison.
Walls-Butler said the Academy has had a steady attendance record with one or two students absent a day. She reminds students that whatever issue they are facing, the important thing is to show up to school.
“And once you’re here, we’ll deal with them,” she said.
Walls-Butler said the staff gives the space for students to process what they are feeling, but also help them identify what they need and advocate for themselves.
“They’re starting to learn that,” she said. “They’ll come and say, ‘Hey, I’m feeling this way,’ or ‘I need this today,’ and we can help them with that.”
District 186 helps fund the program. The Outlet hires its own staff, including a clinical director, develops programming and provides the space. The Academy prepares students to either return to their home school or complete their education and graduate through the Academy.
The program is one of six The Outlet hosts in the building, which also includes an after-school youth development program and a violence prevention program.
