Senior faculty member at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Kenny Irby, will be featured on PBS after winning the American Graduate Champion award for his work mentoring minority middle school boys through a program called The Write Field.

"It’s still surreal because we didn’t set out to get national attention," Irby said. "What we wanted to do was to have an impact in our own community."

Irby said the Poynter program was 1 of 150 organizations that were evaluated in their efforts to overcome the graduation dropout rates in America. In the end, 14 finalists were chosen and only two were honored in New York City last Monday during the PBS videotaping of American Graduate Day that will air on WEDU on Saturday.

"It has been a wonderful validation of a simple program that can be scaled and duplicated in other communities where there’s great need," Irby said.

The Write Field Program was founded after Nicholas Lindsey, 16, shot and killed St. Petersburg Police Officer David Crawford back in 2011, according to Irby.

"We just wanted to be a part of a solution," he said. "The Write Field program is an academic enrichment program focused on keeping middle school boys, minority boys, in school and growing them through the craft of storytelling and character development."

The young men involved in the program said it has already made a big difference in their lives.

"Mr. Kenny Irby and the mentors... (have) gotten me to be a better person," said Jahlay Kelly, 13. "To be responsible, respectful and just to believe in myself, ‘cause sometimes I don’t."

"He helped make me the person I am today, loud and proud," said associate mentor Dominic Rosado. "He made me excited to learn."

"He’s given time to talk to me and my mother about whether I’m faulting somewhere or I’m excelling somewhere," said Keyont' Howard, 15. "He gives praise, he gives feedback."

The Poynter Institute Vice President, Dr. Roy Clark, said in three short years they've seen tremendous progress in supporting young men in middle school and watching them grow in character, in academics and in literacy.

"Of all the programs that I’ve been involved in in over 35 years, to me, this is the most inspiring," Dr. Clark said. "His care and nurturing for these young men is absolutely exemplary."

“For me, it’s a labor of love," Irby said. "I went through a similar struggle and challenge to the young men that are in our program. I grew up in a single parent home."

American Graduate Day is scheduled to air from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on PBS WEDU. Bright House customers can find WEDU on channel 3 and channel 1003 for the HD tier.