Since its inception in 1988, a primary aim of the W.E.B. DuBois Scholars Institute has been to develop a cadre of young leaders / scholars with a sense of community purpose, who would be committed to giving back for the betterment of their communities and nation. As they evolve into maturity, these potential leaders are expected to provide hope, direction, and vision for African-Americans and Latino-Americans in the 21st century. The Institute provides training designed to develop such cadres of brilliant minds from these groups who will possess a commitment to eliminating poverty and racism, and will inspire the masses to overcome conditions that impede their prosperity and pursuit of happiness.

Indeed, the need for groups of highly trained scholars, leaders, and entrepreneurs who are committed to mobilizing their talents and other resources to restore troubled urban communities is greater now than ever before. The Institute has been effective in nurturing scholarship in participants. Undoubtedly the Institute is on target in preparing the quality of minds and character that will be needed in the workplace in the new millennium. However, it is important to note that an aim of the Institute also is to produce “activist scholars” with a sense of community purpose who will assume key roles in improving urban areas. The Institute aims to solve some of society’s intractable problems of poverty, urban decay and disintegrating families, not just by attacking the problem but by strengthening the solution. Thus, grooming leaders to solve problems stemming from poverty is a primary aim of the Institute

Mission Statement

The W.E.B. DuBois Scholars Institute was founded is to develop a cadre of leaders / scholars who will possess a commitment to eliminating poverty and racism, and inspire hope in predominantly African-American and Latino-American communities. Since its inception, the Institute has cultivated scholarship, leadership potential and community service among high-achieving African-American and Latino-American adolescents. The goals of the Institute are as follows:

1. To cultivate leadership potential in young people of African and Latin descent to meet the challenges facing the United States in the 21st Century;

2. To equip participants with the skills and confidence to function as effective “change agents” in their schools, communities, and society;

3. To sustain high levels of academic interest, motivation, and performance;

4. To strengthen the pool of high-achieving people of African and Latin descent, especially in urban districts;

5. To increase the quantity and quality of academically talented African-American and Latino-American students in colleges / universities at the state, regional, and national levels;

6. To provide opportunities for participants to engage their interest in activities that contribute to the betterment of their communities and the nation; and

7. To develop and refine networking skills among high-achieving young people of African and Latin descent.

Students interacting with a professor of the DuBois Institute.

Historical Overview Under the auspices of William Paterson University (WPU) in Wayne, NJ, the W.E.B. DuBois Scholars Program was started in 1988. It was established as a residential summer program for high-achieving African-American and Latino-American students attending secondary schools in New Jersey. The program was guided by the following objectives:

1. To foster the development of leadership potential - To sustain high levels of academic interest and performance,
2. To increase the visibility of WPU in communities with relatively large African-American and Latino student populations,
3. To enhance the image of WPU in the surrounding communities,
4. and to increase the enrollment of African American and Latino students in New Jersey’s colleges and universities.

However, as a result of diminishing financial resources in 1991, WPU decided to make changes in its community outreach initiatives to better serve the immediate needs of the institution. Consequently, the university created the Pre-College Academy to improve its recruitment and retention of students of color. Recognizing that the DuBois Program was not founded to serve as a feeder program for WPU, it was moved to Livingston College at Rutgers University in 1992.

The initial support provided by Rutgers allowed the DuBois Scholars Program to make steady progress toward maturity in many areas. However, because of inadequate fiscal support from Rutgers, the regular summer program was not conducted in 1993. Consequently, using a grant provided by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., graduates of the Program as well as participants in the 1992 program were brought together for a weekend retreat. During the retreat, they assessed the long-term effectiveness of the Program and developed strategies for enhancing the program’s effectiveness. The retreat was held on the campus of Rutgers in New Brunswick, NJ, and its theme was “Creating Activist Scholars.”

Data gathered from program graduates at the retreat indicated that they perceived significant improvement in themselves that sustained over the years as a result of having participated in the Scholars Program. During the retreat, several workshops were conducted, which yielded a comprehensive report for strategic planning. Information obtained from the 1993 retreat, along with an analysis of survey data and reports obtained from students, parents, faculty members and observers from 1988 through 1992, clearly indicated that the DuBois Scholars Program was on target to achieve its objectives. Moreover, the data suggested that the program’s mission could be best achieved if the Program operated as a private non-profit organization.



Students interacting with a professor of the DuBois Institute.

In 1994, the Program became the W.E.B. DuBois Scholars Institute and moved to the campus of WPU as a private nonprofit tax-exempt organization. The change of the organization from a program to an institute reflects a more comprehensive organizational structure with new opportunities to expand and to better achieve its mission. The Institute includes a board of directors, which establishes and monitors operating policies. Since the privatization, the Institute has become a multifaceted organization consisting of the following components:

Components and Date Established

1991 DuBois Fellows Mentoring Academy
1994 William M. Phillips Jr., Lecture Series
1995 Walking Together: Partnership with Jewish Youth
1996 DuBois Business Academy
1998 DuBois Prep Plus Academy
1998 DuBois Leadership Academy
2000 DuBois Education Workshop Forum for Parents
2001 Claude C. George Global Education Academy
2002 Science Academy
2007 Pre-Med/Neuroscience Academy
2007 Engineering Academy

Privatization of the W.E.B. DuBois Scholars Institute also allowed for out-of-state students to participate. This development contributed to a steady increase in size and diversity of the student population from 1995 to the present.

While significant changes in course offerings, personnel, student population, and non-academic activities are introduced each year, the centrality of focus in the overall operation of the Institute remains unchanged. Dr. DuBois’ teachings and writings remain central to all aspects of the Institute’s operations. All facets of the Institute – academic, administrative and residence life – are intimately linked, and members of the faculty and staff share ideas and perform as a team.


Students develop life-long friendships.

Faculty members, for example, employ a team approach in selecting W.E.B. DuBois Scholars and refining the curriculum. Members of the board work together to refine the goals and develop new directions for the Institute. Consequently, the growth observed in the Institute has been characterized by stability, continuity and coherence. Back to the topPrint this sectionPhilosophical Underpinnings The philosophical underpinnings for the W.E.B. DuBois Scholars Institute were derived from the teachings and writings of William Edward Burghardt DuBois, and include the following:

As DuBois notes, “It is from the top downward that culture filters. The Talented Tenth rises and pulls all that are worth saving up to their vantage ground. This is the history of human progress.”

African-Americans and Latino-Americans must focus on and educate their more talented members to maximize their potential for political, social and economic success.

By supporting initiatives that accentuate the positive and reinforce the strengths in our communities, we can produce healthy and effective change.

Many problems that have resulted from urban decay can be remedied not only by attacking the problem, but also by strengthening the solution. The leadership required for alleviating these problems will most likely come from the community’s most talented individuals. It is easier to build on strengths than weaknesses; therefore, the development of each child’s leadership and scholarly potential will be achieved by focusing on cognitive and emotional strengths.

The correct answer to a question is of less importance than the process of analysis whereby an individual derives the answer.

The development of a youth’s leadership and scholarly potential can be more effectively attained by a curriculum structured for intellectual acceleration rather than remedial instruction.

Self-knowledge, high motivation, and good skills are important prerequisites for effective leadership and academic success.

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