• ICAAM, in partnership with OAR, YMCA Mission branch, and Martindale-Brightwood Community Development Corporation sponsored its first annual, regional "rights of passage" conference which featured the national expert, Ron Johnson from Los Angeles, CA., local presenters including Clete Ladd of the Wheeler's Boy's Club, and Baba Kamau Jywanza of the Uumaja Institute for Cultural Development. This conference presented national and local strategies related to development and implementation of rights of passage and mentoring programs to over 130 youth and 30 adults.
  
  
• ICAAM convened a group of Marion County judges, prosecutors, and criminal defense attorneys to determine the major issues facing African-American males in the criminal justice system. These legal experts will continue to serve in an advisory capacity to ICAAM on ways to impact issues in the criminal justice area.
  
  
• ICAAM has developed this Web site ( www.icaam.org ) that includes the following features:
  
  
  • Overview of ICAAM
    
    
  • Calendar of community events focusing on African-American males
    
    
  • Current statistics and research on African-American males
    
    
  • Bulletin board for discussion on topics related to African-American males
    
    
• In August, in cooperation with Indiana Black Expo, the Commission supported the IPS Office of Multicultural Education and its Infusion Conference by bringing Dr. Harold Davis, author of "Talks My Father Never Had With Me". Dr. Davis presented curriculum on male mentoring programs.
  
  
• ICAAM also sponsored a workshop for public school personnel in Marion County who were interested in developing an in-school mentoring program. ICAAM is currently implementing this mentoring program in 30 middle and elementary schools in Indianapolis.
  
  
• ICAAM is a represented organization on the Marion County Superintendents Council that addresses issues affecting Marion County African-American youth in education.
  
  
• ICAAM has worked with the Consortium Foundation, a local foundation, in developing a scholarship program for African-American Males who will major in education and return to Marion County to teach. ICAAM has raised funds for this scholarship program through the sponsorship of its annual golf outing and volunteer recognition program. To date we have raised over ten thousand dollars.
  
  
• ICAAM has worked with the Indiana Department of Correction and the Offender Aid and Restoration project to develop a new and improved Offender Assistance Manual and database. This resource guide provides information to all ex-offenders on the availability of job-search programs and other social and/or supportive services designed to help them find employment and re-adjust after incarceration. Over, 5,000 booklets were distributed to individuals, libraries, and organizations.
  
  
• The Indianapolis Citizens Police Complaint ordinance has been revised and includes six recommendations that were made in the ICAAM "Report to the City.
  
  
• The Commission has made presentations to the cities of South Bend, Anderson, Evansville, and Muncie to assist local organizations in developing local commissions and school-based mentoring programs.
  
  
• Extensive publicity, including numerous TV and radio appearances, took place during 1997&98 to publicize ICAAM programs and recruit volunteers.
  
  
• Through many community partnerships, IPS and the Marion County Commission On Youth, we have been successful in developing the Community Academy now located at the new Martin Luther King Multi-service center. The Academy was born from the increasing frequency of expulsions of students from the Indianapolis Public School System. Community organizations and public school systems have collectively developed an educational program that provides the life skills, job readiness training, and academic skills to facilitate reentry into school, GED accomplishment and job readiness skills.
  
  
• We continue to partner with Vision Indianapolis Tomorrow to support the implementation of community based policing and expansion of the Crime Watch Program. Thus far we have identified what community policing is and studied existing research to determine the impact of community policing in Indianapolis: Our recommendations have been presented to the Chief of Police.
  
  
• ICAAM also with Vision Indianapolis Tomorrow, has completed a parent survey of over 300 parents to learn how to make it easier for parents, schools and community to work together for the betterment of our children.
  
  
• In collaboration with the United Way Volunteer Action Center, ICAAM is participating in a series of "brown bag lunch" presentations to recruit employees to mentor or volunteer in youth-based programs and encourage employers to allow employees time to visit their children's school without loss of income.
  
  
• ICAAM has worked with over 30 agencies including the Indianapolis urban League, Marion County Public Health Department, Indianapolis Police Department and Department of Metropolitan Development to establish the Partners for Peace Youth Council that brings together youth representatives from IPS high schools to address crime and violence issues.

ICAAM continues a long time partnership with 100 Black Men of Indianapolis whose mission is to contribute time, wisdom, intellect, political, economic and social issues affecting the African-American community. We participate in and support the following programs: Summer Academy, Beautillion Militare, Conflict Resolution, Health Forums, Scholastic Basketball Programs, Jerry Harkness Award, Douglas Little League Baseball, and The African-American History Challenge. For additional information on these programs or membership please contact 100 Black Men Of Indianapolis, Inc. at 317-921-1276 or e-mail Vernice Williams at the office of the 100 Black Men of Indianapolis.