Southside Young Leaders' Academy (SYLA) is a new initiative to help African and Afro-Caribbean boys aged eight and over in danger of being excluded from school. Boys who are falling behind in their learning, whose behaviour in school and at home is deteriorating or whom parents have lost control.

These are boys who exhibit potential for excellence but who, without realising, are wasting that energy and creativity to lead themselves and others astray, putting themselves in danger of being marginalised.

SYLA's mission is to nurture, develop, maximise and release the leadership potential of these boys, empowering them to become positive active citizens and a new generation of business and community leaders. To achieve this, SYLA will deliver the following five objectives:

•    To nurture each boy to achieve his own leadership 
      potential;
•    To broaden each boy's horizons, to understand the
      opportunities available to them in the world;
•    To support each boy in achieving, and where possible
      exceeding, his projected attainment in 
      school;
•    To build each boy's life skills, particularly their
      communication and team working skills;
•    To help each boy stay in school.

Our programme will focus on three themes: