The Romulus Community Schools Board of Education approved an historic agreement Monday night to bring DBG’s award-winning youth mentorship program to Romulus. The DBG leadership team, including our founder and CEO, Khali Sweeney, and executive director, Jessica Hauser, have been collaborating with leaders in Romulus to bring a new DBG youth development space to life there.
With the board’s approval, DBG is expected to launch programming in Romulus as early as this fall. This partnership marks DBG’s first expansion from our flagship operation in Detroit.
“It has always been our goal to expand our reach and serve as many students as possible across our region and beyond. We are excited to do that by bringing our approach to the students and families of Romulus,” said Khali. “Independent research shows that DBG’s unique mentoring style helps students gain self-control, build confidence, and develop a sense of who they really are. We consistently see students’ grades improve and they are more likely to see themselves as leaders, something our communities desperately need. We look forward to a successful partnership and launching DBG: Romulus this fall.”
DBG currently works with more than 200 Detroit-area students, ages 8-25, each year, and has an alumni network that now spans the United States. With a focus on academics, athletics, mentoring, social emotional skills building, college and career readiness, and more, we offer a safe space for students to discover their true passions and provide the role models and resources to help them succeed. Our students have achieved a 100 percent high school graduation rate for 15 straight years.
Romulus Community Schools made a series of major changes this year, following years of academic and extracurricular decline and student loss. Educators in the district have been working hard to meet kids where they are. DBG will provide the support that helps students engage and feel supported to keep coming back and working hard in school and in life.
“We are honored to welcome DBG to Romulus Community Schools,” said RCS Board of Education President Judy Kennard. “We’ve gotten to know DBG’s leaders over the past several months, and their philosophy and focus is well-matched to our community needs. They have done great things in Detroit, and we are confident this partnership will flourish and grow here in Romulus.”
“We’ve taken a hard look at what our students and families need, and we are working to provide support and alternative learning models as well as extracurricular and sports programs that help our kids learn and grow,” added Interim Superintendent Donald B. Weatherspoon. “I am very excited Romulus was able to attract and secure this partnership with DBG. It will be an asset to our community, and a major benefit to our kids.”