COBRA
(Community of Brothers in Revolutionary Alliance)

COBRA, a mentoring program for high school boys, was started in Fall 2006 on the campus of LBJ High School in Austin Independent School District (AISD) by school principal Patrick Patterson and ICUSP Director, Dr. Kevin Foster. The partnership began as an outgrowth of the highly successful African American Men and Boys conferences. Students, teachers and administrators reported favorably on the existence of the group, disciplinary referrals among the group's members went down, the students were exposed to university and business settings, and the students' TAKS pass rate surpassed those of schoolmates by a dramatic margin.

The past success of COBRA led to an expanded and formalized partnership between ICUSP and AISD. COBRA now has chapters on several campuses in multiple districts, including Austin Independent School District (AISD) and Manor Independent School District (MISD). In addition to in-school meetings, the young men participate in field trips to The University of Texas campus, professional sites and leadership events in their communities. They also serve as peer-mentors to younger students and engage in community service projects.

Coils

COBRA facilitates academic and leadership development among boys on several high school campuses that are predominantly comprised of African-American and Latino/a students. Its mission is accomplished through the promotion of COBRA coils, which are aligned to facilitate optimal student growth:

• Academic Engagement
• Brothers Supporting Brothers
• Inter-Ethnic Solidarity
  
• Conflict Resolution
• Critical Consciousness
• Defining Yourself for Yourself