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School board to review $9,999 donation for male mentoring program

By James Cullum
Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt talks about a proposed policy change on student publications at the May 8, 2025, School Board meeting (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria School Board will consider Thursday whether to accept a $9,999 donation from McLean-based Proxyware to support a male mentoring initiative at two city schools.

Alexandria City Public Schools received the $9,999 donation on Sept. 2 for programs at Patrick Henry K-8 School and Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 School. The board must approve any donations over $5,000.

The funds will be used for an initiative that will focus on “building positive relationships, strengthening social emotional skills, and providing students with experiences outside of Alexandria,” according to Alexandria City Public Schools.

The mentoring initiative is led by Patrick Henry’s Assistant Principal Jerome Graham and School Counselor Brian Nelson, as well as Jefferson-Houston’s Dean of Students Andre Keys.

“This donation will be used to cultivate a caring environment for students by advancing the male mentoring initiatives at Patrick Henry and Jefferson-Houston schools,” ACPS said in a staff report.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.