Student ready for ICI’s “Man to Man” and “Women to Women” Summits on cultural diversity and respecting the opposite sex

Male students participate in focus group lead by Youth Mentor, Donminic Ellis

Embarking on the 5th Year with Celebration and Fundraising

Leading into it’s 5th year, Inner City Industry through a series of student achievement and outreach programs has surpassed its most important milestone: They have succeeded in establishing themselves as a believable and lasting presence in the South Los Angeles community. The fickle and often short-lived nature of newly introduced programs to the inner city has helped to fuel high levels of suspicion and resistance amongst students and residents to the new initiatives. As ICI embarks on its 5th year anniversary its mandate on Education Reform, Economic Development, Cultural Diversity and Tolerance can now evolve into actual program implementation.

Based on continued positive results during the 2005-06 school year, ICI is planning a major gifts campaign to support program expansion and initiatives. On October 13, 2005, ICI along with FOX Entertainment will host a celebratory reception honoring the past five years of commitment to Compton’s youth. The festivities will take place from 6pm to 8pm at FOX Studios.  The Inner Circle Reception will recognize students who have been positively affected by ICI’s Academic Achievement Initiative. ICI will continually focus its efforts on the emotional development of teen students by attempting to de-stigmatize mental health and wellness services offered to the community.

With the successful execution of ICI’s Academic Achievement Initiative at Centennial High School, ICI anticipates expanding into Compton Unified’s Compton and Dominguez High Schools by fall 2007. ICI’s efforts will be spurred to counteract significant unemployment in Compton by launching an in-depth vocational training internship program which includes an entrepreneurship syllabus to encourage young people to establish their own businesses. With a mission of inspiring and enabling high school students to reach their full human potential through emotional, social and professional development while encouraging academic excellence, ICI is establishing itself as one of the proactive solutions for today’s urban youth.