ROCHESTER, N.Y. — At a time when many educators and policymakers are sounding the alarm over declining educational outcomes for Black male students, the University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men (UPrep) is answering the call to invest in the future of Black and Latino boys. The Rochester-based public charter school is building a model centered on academic excellence, leadership, and career readiness.
UPrep is working to close the educational gap by tailoring its curriculum to students’ cultural needs. The school’s approach combines rigorous academics with hands-on career experience, mentorship, and social-emotional support designed specifically for young men who are too often overlooked by traditional educational systems.
National data continues to show major racial disparities in education outcomes. According to the U.S. Department of Education and data compiled by World Population Review, poverty, lack of educational resources, and inequitable access to support services remain some of the leading factors impacting graduation rates among Black students. Many Black students also face additional barriers tied to generational poverty and limited access to college and career guidance.
UPrep was created to directly address these challenges.
The school has made it its mission to serve young men through high expectations, accountability, structure, and opportunity. Through support services, mentorship, and a strong culture of brotherhood, students are encouraged to develop leadership skills, confidence, and discipline both inside and outside the classroom.
One of the school’s strengths is its predominantly Black male staff and leadership team. Research has consistently shown that Black students are less likely to be suspended from school, earn higher math and reading test scores, and graduate from high schools with Black teachers in the classroom. According to Kaci Wright, an Intercultural Development Research Association Education Policy Fellow, “Black educators have been the backbone of education equity advocacy and instrumental in teaching Black students for centuries. Yet, Black educators’ value is often not seen.”
UPrep understands the value of the Black teacher in shaping Black student success and thus has a predominantly Black male staff and leadership team. Leading the school is Walter Larkin Jr., CEO of UPrep. Before taking the helm, Larkin served as Principal of Edison Tech and Executive Director of Transitional Programs for the Rochester City School District. His leadership philosophy centers on creating opportunities and pathways for young men to succeed in every aspect of life.
UPrep’s outcomes reflect that mission. The school boasts a graduation rate of approximately 96 percent, with over 75 percent Black male students and nearly 80 percent of graduates advancing to higher education. On the other hand, the Rochester City School District (RCSD) has a 71% graduation rate (2022) with 53% Black enrollment and 95% of students classified as economically disadvantaged.
UPrep aims to address these racial and economic disparities by offering small class sizes and individualized support. The school focuses on ensuring students are prepared for both college and workforce opportunities. Students at UPrep have access to honors classes, AP courses, dual-credit opportunities, and career and technical education programs in the culinary arts, information technology, sports programs, and after-school clubs.
Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline
UPrep is located in the heart of the inner-city of Rochester, New York, where the state prison population is 50% Black, and the inmates are mostly from Rochester. The Prison Policy Initiative states that 37% of the total U.S. prison population is composed of Black Americans who are mostly high school dropouts. Policymakers have long raised the alarm regarding the need to reduce the Black male high school dropout rate as a long-term solution to the reduction of crime in urban cities. The Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys (CSSBMB), a bipartisan commission to address the Black male educational crisis, produces an annual report on the school-to-prison pipeline. The 2026 report stated that “Black boys are significantly overrepresented in suspensions, expulsions, and school-based arrests relative to their share of the pre-K through 12 student population and compared to their peers.”
The report recommends that schools support community service programs that allow students to proactively engage in positive activities, which UPrep offers in its numerous after-school programs and structured learning environment. UPrep takes on the challenge of preventing Black male students from getting caught in the criminal justice system by centering them in its curriculum, educational programming, and school policies.
Preparing Black Men for the Future
The urgency surrounding Black male educational attainment has intensified in recent years as college enrollment among men continues to decline nationwide. According to the U.S. Department of Education, men made up 59 percent of college enrollment in 1970. By 2019, that number had dropped to 43 percent. Recent research from the American Institute for Boys and Men has also highlighted a sharp decline in Black male enrollment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Black men now account for just 26 percent of students at HBCUs, down significantly from previous decades.
At a time when many Black boys are being left behind by traditional education systems, U Prep is trying to build a different pipeline — one that connects students directly to careers, leadership opportunities, and long-term economic mobility.
As the economy rapidly shifts toward technology, automation, and artificial intelligence, schools like UPrep are becoming increasingly important. Preparing students for the future workforce now requires more than a traditional diploma. Young people need technical and critical-thinking skills, entrepreneurship classes, and confidence navigating a changing economy.
University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men stands as an example of what intentional investment in young men can look like when schools prioritize Black male students and set them up for success.
