BALTIMORE — The Agoge Project is a nonprofit that has a free after school program that’s helping kids with life skills and academics, organizers say the program is ultimately aimed to help shape kids into the best version of themselves.
"So in our mission statement, we say that we use boxing and jiu-jitsu and martial arts is the vehicle to cultivate the child," Michael John said, President of the Agoge Project.
Jiu-jitsu is a Japanese marital arts technique that organizers of the Agoge Project say is one of the main lessons for students who attend their after school program.
"All the skills that you learn to become good at martial arts is the same equation that you would use to become good at anything else," John said. "Perseverance, being consistent, finding a good coach, being coachable, finding a good mentor, listening to your mentor, putting in the work."
John is the founder of the nonprofit the Agoge Project, that was originally created in 2017 and the after school program started in his basement.
He’s been teaching in Baltimore City Schools for nine years and says he realized a void in after school programs offered to kids. And in August of 2022, his nonprofit opened a building for his after school program.
"Early on, I realized that there was not enough here for our kids. There was a lot of after school time where they didn't have access to extracurriculars, that was a big part of my life after school, getting coached getting mentored," John said.
That’s what fueled his passion to create the Agoge Project that focuses not just on martial arts, but using a holistic youth development approach by holding them accountable and pushing them toward success.
"Although it's a free program, there's a big standard, and they have to maintain certain level of attendance, which is three out of the five sessions a week here, they have to maintain a 90% or better attendance rate at school. We track their academics," John said.
Mentorship and tracking academic growth weekly are requirements to stay in the program.
"How to be a good team player, how to be coachable. The importance of practice, being a leader, being a follower to a good leader, being disciplined, being consistent," John explained.
All attributes they’re training students to embody, Mervo senior Jamal Alexander is one of them who’s been growing with the program since its creation.
"You have to have self control. If you're not disciplined, you can hurt somebody," Alexander said.
In addition to maintaining a 3.0 GPA and participating in sports, this program helps in other areas.
Alexander says it's this program that has helped him develop life skills needed to pursue his dreams.
"I want to be a canine operator. The job excites me," Alexander said.
And he says it’s the extra support he feels from leaders at the Agoge Project who help push him toward success.
"It's not mainly about just the physical part is really academic. And then a coach has helped mentor you. In the gym and outside the gym, you know, you got coaches talking to you leading you in the right direction," Alexander explained.
Helping him to develop character.
"Me as an older person in the gym, I have to set like example for like the younger kids here. So like, I have to do the right thing," Alexander added.
It's something John dreams of for all 50 of the students in their program.
"To be good at life, you have to be good at focusing in preparing," John said. "We live in a generation of a lot of downtime, a lot of tablet time, a lot of fun time for our kids. And this needs to replace that needs to go back to the way it was where after school time you were still being pushed, you were still being challenged, you were still working on crafting different skill sets, getting to put your energy and positive places."
