Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 2:21 PM EDT

BELL expands programs into Detroit

Boston Business Journal - Boston Business Journal

BELL -- Building Educated Leaders for Life -- announced Wednesday that it is expanding into Detroit, beginning with its summer program.

The Boston-based nonprofit, which already serves 10,000 students in its Baltimore, Boston and New York City summer programs, will be initiating its summer program in Detroit by serving more than 750 students from six different National Heritage Academies schools.

"The BELL Summer program helps our young scholars to gain, on average, four to six months worth of education during a six week period," said Earl Martin Phalen, BELL co-founder and CEO, in a statement. "The results are amazing and have a profound impact scholars' future academic success."

BELL was founded in 1992 by a group of Black and Latino Harvard Law students. Its kindergarten through age 6 students, which BELL calls "scholars," receive tutoring in reading, writing and math, as well as enrichment activities to help scholars develop higher self-esteem.