At the Community College of Philadelphia, two programs aim at low graduation rates among African-American males through the use of support coaches or mentors who help first-time college students inside and outside the classroom.

Through a series of assessments, the college uncovered a disturbing trend that seemed to be echoed at colleges across the country: African-American males were returning to college—and graduating—at a far lower rate than their peers.

The college, which is around 53 percent African-American, applied for and received a $600,000-per-year Predominantly Black Institutions grant, which the school used to create the Center for Male Engagement in 2009.

Building off the success of the program, the college used a $500,000 grant from the Open Society Foundation to fund Project Achieve, an extension of the center that focuses on nontraditional students, veterans and their families.

Dean of students Ronald Jackson describes the center as a “wrap-around program” in which support coaches provide guidance in all areas of a student’s life—whether personal, professional or legal.

“It’s not an academic-based program,” says Jackson. “It’s where a student may be comfortable to have whatever issues they’re facing addressed.”

Kevin Covington, a support coach at the center, says he was drawn to the program because of the city’s low college graduation rate among African-American males, which is below 50 percent.

“Somewhere along the way they either just stop going to school or they are not successful in college,” he says.

“We try to push beyond the old adage of ‘stay in school,’” says Covington. “We say ‘stay in school’ with a purpose. And that purpose is to graduate.”

The mentors try to create a sense of belonging without being excessively preachy, he says. As a model, the coaches try to replicate the atmosphere of a barbershop, which in the African-American community symbolizes an open, supportive environment in which ideas are exchanged and strong friendships are forged.