I WILL GRADUATE PROGRAM-Entertainers for Education Alliance– is dedicated to serving and empowering students, families, and their communities by empowering them to achieve educational excellence. We accomplish our mission through youth development programs including: arts-in-education programming, college and career guidance initiatives, mentoring opportunities, parent/family engagement efforts, school and community workshops, social events, and much more. We also enlist the talents and resources of professionals within the music and entertainment industry to further motivate students to achieve academic success and college/ career readiness.

Young people are at the center of all that we do.

We will continue to connect youth and their families to impactful resources and opportunities that will result in their ultimate success.

Our story

In 2005, music industry executive J.P Taylor and former educator, turned celebrity event publicist, Tonya Lewis both learned about the horrifying dropout statistics plaguing students across New York City schools. Moved by this, the two combined their passion for supporting youth, and their entertainment industry relationships and resources to develop I WILL GRADUATE Inc., and Entertainers for Education Alliance "now known as" the I WILL GRADUATE Youth Development Program.

Since, I WILL GRADUATE has been dedicated to serving and empowering students and families in New York City. The I WILL GRADUATE programs are designed to inspire school aged youth to take initiative in bettering their futures thorough: arts-in-education, college/career guidance, life skills development, leadership development, academic support, social emotional support, mentoring and peer mediation programs.

I WILL GRADUATE believes every student deserves a high-quality education and strives to make that mission a reality by maintaining impactful partnerships with schools and educational professionals across the city. Through those partnerships, we are committed to strengthening our communities and identifying the root causes of the inequities working class, BIPOC, and under-resourced communities face.

Meet the Team