Eagle Academy for Young Men of Southeast Queens

The Eagle Academy for Young Men utilizes a house model that is designed to promote the Five Core Values of the Eagle Scholar [Confidence, Leadership, Academic Excellence, and Resilience]. While the essential elements of character development and personal responsibility to one's self and the group is a focus in all classes and school functions; these elements are specifically taught during the scholarship experience.

| House Model 

There are six houses each named after a prominent male that consistently exhibited the Five Eagle Core Values [Confidence, Leadership, Academic Excellence, and Resilience]. Each house will examine the life of the person for which their house is named and develop a detailed knowledge of how they are considered Eagle Scholars. This examination assists in building a level of pride in each house member, while also creating a reference point for scholars to define the elements of Eagle Scholars as they have been applied by these individuals in a real world context. 

Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer and activist.  Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. he is regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of all time. He began boxing at the age of 12 and by 18, he won a gold medal in the 1960 Olympics. In 1964, he converted to Islam and changed his name, one of his many acts of resistance to white supremacy. His message of Black Pride and his refusal to enlist in the army during the Vietnam War caused him to be stripped of his heavyweight titles. After his suspension was overturned, Ali went on to reclaim the titles two more times. Ali was the first and remains the only three - time heavyweight champion, " Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can't hit what the eyes can't see." 

Ernesto "Che" Guevara was a doctor and revolutionary. Born on June 14, 1928 in Rosario, Argentina, he earned a degree in medicine. Che then traveled around Latin America countries. Upset at the conditions of the poor and working class, he turned to Marxism. His desire to help overturn the capitalist exploration of Latin America kept him at odds with the United States government.  In 1955, he met Fidel and Raul Castro of Cuba and helped them overthrow a U.S. backed dictator during the Cuban Revolution. He believed that citizens should work for the good of society and not personal profit. His anti-imperialist beliefs led him to assist in rebellions in countries within Africa as well as Latin America. He remains both a revered and reviled historical figure. "We cannot be sure of having something to live for unless we are willing to die for it." 

William Edward Burghardt DuBois was a sociologist historian and civil rights activist. DuBois  was born on February 23, 1868, in Great Barrington , Massachusetts. DuBois attended Harvard University and in 1895 became the first African American to receive a doctorate degree. DuBois helped found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People [NAACP] in 1909. He strongly protested against lynching, Jim Crow laws and discrimination in education and employment. His cause included people of color everywhere, particularly Africans and Asians in colonies. He is a proponent of Pan-Americanism. W.E.B. Dubois' life long fight for racial equality earned him a lasting and important place in this country's history. "Education and work are the levers to uplift a people." 

James Mercer Langston Hughes is best known as a leader in the Harlem Renaissance. Hughes was born February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. he published the his first poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers in 1921 which became his signature poem. Hi poetry and fiction portrayed the lives of the working - class blacks in America. Lives he portrayed as full of struggle, joy, laughter, and music. Hughes confronted racial stereotypes, protested social conditions and expanded African America's image of itself. Along with his two autobiographies, he published 16 volumes of poetry, three short story collections, two novels, and nine children's books, 20 plays as well as numerous scripts for radio, television and film. "What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? ... Or does it explode?"

Colin Rand Kaepernick is a professional American football quarterback and activist. Kaepernick was born on November 3, 1987 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was drafted in the 2011 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. In his first postseason  start, he rushed for 181 yards and set a new NFL single game record for a quarterback. In 2016, he began kneeling during the playing of the national anthem. He explained that he would continue to protest until he feels like "[the American flag] represents what is supposed to represent." Kaepernick pledged and donated one million dollars to "organizations working in oppressed communities. He was named GQ magazine's "2017 Citizen of the Year" for his efforts. "I'll never take the easy way out."

Barack Hussein Obama served as the 1st African American President of the United States. Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. After graduating from Harvard, he became a civil rights attorney and a professor. In 2004, he became the 3rd African American to serve in the US Senate. In 2008, he was elected as the 44th president. He signed many landmark bills into law including the Affordable Care Act, brought the country out of Great Recession,, ended military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, appointed the first Latina to the Supreme Court, brokered a nuclear deal with Iran, and improved US - Cuban relations. In 2009, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people." We need to internalize this idea of excellence. Not many folks spend a lot of time trying to be excellent.