young men's initiative
Young Men's Association | Brother 2 Brother Mentoring | Staring at Our Futures
Welcome to Our World | Vertical Mentoring | Contact Us
Mission
The Young Men’s Initiative is a component of SLJ’s Early College Awareness Program.
The three-pronged mission for the Young Men's Initiative at the Urban Assembly School for Law & Justice is to create and foster a positive sense of self, increase school engagement and improve academic performance among our young men.
To accomplish our mission, we have created a series of programs. Some include The Young Men’s Association, a young men’s empowerment group; Staring at our Futures: Conversations with Successful Men of Color, a brown bag speaker series; Brother2Brother, a mentoring program which pairs students with professional males of color; Welcome to Our World, a program that allows SLJ males to guide their teachers through their neighborhoods; and Vertical Mentoring, a program through which upperclassmen mentor freshmen. YMI also sponsors intramural athletic competitions and a tutoring program.
We believe that the YMI's programs will provide our young men with the tools to succeed in high school, graduate from college and, most importantly, successfully transition into manhood.
Why We Started
It is widely documented that Black and Latino boys in our society graduate at significantly lower rates than their female counterparts and Asian and White males. We started the Young Men’s Initiative at SLJ in 2007, when it became clear that young men at SLJ were lagging behind SLJ female students on virtually every measure. Fewer males were on track to graduate on time, and more males were failing classes. Young men were absent more and were spending more time in detention than young women. Young men were participating in fewer extracurricular programs and were not applying for prestigious pre-college opportunities.
As Pedro Noguera discusses in “The Trouble with Black Boys”, school is not seen as a source of hope and opportunity for many low-income Black males. While we work hard to provide socio-emotional and academic support for all of our students through our daily advisory program, our school social worker, and our progressive discipline system, it became obvious that we needed to offer even more academic and social support services that counter the specific pressures our male students face both at home and in school to violate rules, cut class, and ignore their academics. SLJ must be a place that feels supportive to young men. Through YMI, we are building a community of empowered young men, who have become active citizens at SLJ and will, no doubt, become leaders in their communities and the world at large.
programs
The Young Men’s Association
The Young Men's Association (YMA) is an after school empowerment group. Its goal is to strengthen academic and leadership skills and provide a forum for strong male community in our school. YMA meets weekly for discussions, guest lectures, workshops, and trips. Hill Harper's nationally acclaimed Letters to a Young Brother: Manifest Your Destiny serves as a discussion guide. The book, a compilation of letters to urban male youth, focuses on a broad range of issues, from school achievement to college planning, relationships and money management.
Brother 2 Brother: Young Men's Mentoring at SLJ
The Value of Mentoring
In their article, "Are Schools Failing Black Boys?," Fremon and Hamilton suggest that interactions with Black [and Latino] men are critical to the development of Black [and Latino] boys. Boys involved in a mentoring program benefit from an improved self concept, and are considerably less likely to use alcohol and drugs. Positive interactions with Black male role models are correlated with success in high school and boys involved in mentoring programs are far more likely to go to college than their counterparts.
Brother 2 Brother: Program Goals & Commitment
In light of the staggering statistics about the struggles faced by Black and Latino males in New York City, the Young Men's Association seeks to create a mentoring program which aims to:
- facilitate self-awareness
- provide male mentorship relationships with positive role models
- enhance student self-esteem
- enhance student goal-setting skills
- foster cooperative learning and teamwork
- assist with development of effective problem-solving & conflict resolution skills
- provide academic support
Mentors are asked to commit to:
- meeting with their mentee twice monthly; once per month on a Monday evening at Cravath, Swaine & Moore with the entire Young Men's Association Mentoring Program and once per month outside of the whole group meeting time
- submitting monthly Mentoring Activity Logs due at the monthly evening meeting
- participating in the program for a minimum of one year, and missing no more than 2 mentoring days over the course of a year
How to become a mentor:
- attend an info session
- complete a program application and attend a preliminary 20-minute interview with an SLJ staff member
- attend a 2-hour training prior to beginning the mentoring program
- complete a fingerprinting, screening and reference check
For Students Interested in Brother 2 Brother
Who is eligible to participate in the Brother 2 Brother Mentoring Program?
To participate in the program, you must be a member of the Young Men's Association (YMA). The YMA meets every Monday from 3:40-4:30 in Room 547. To sign up, you should see either Ms. Bossier or Mr. Shelby.
I'm a YMA member. What does the B2B Commitment Entail?
If you would like to participate in the program, you must commit to meeting with your mentor twice per month. Once a month, all of the mentors and mentees will meet in Manhattan over dinner, and once a month you will meet with your mentor at a time you arrange with your mentor. You will also be expected to e-mail your mentor once a week right after YMA meetings.
Where & when are the mentoring meetings being held?
Most of the meetings will be at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, but sometimes we'll meet at alternate locations. The meetings will almost always be in Manhattan. The meetings will be held from 6-7:15 on Mondays. We will generally leave SLJ at 3:40 and go on a field trip before heading to Cravath.
Who are the mentors?
The mentors are a diverse range of inspiring professionals who are very excited about working with SLJ's young men. Most of the mentors are in their 20s and 30s. They work in a wide range of fields, including law, medicine, college admissions, and finance. They also have a lot of different hobbies, including screen writing, listening to hip hop, playing video games, debating, hiking, singing, and martial arts. Trust us – the mentors are pretty great.
What are the benefits of participating in the program?
Where do we start?! You will form a bond with a man who is interested in YOU and your success. You will network with all the other mentors in the program and become part of an exclusive group of men who are succeeding professionally and socially. In addition to 1-1 meetings with your mentor, you will get to plan at least one fun trip (like paintball) that will be for B2B participants ONLY. You will also be eligible for several FUN college trips (like college sports games!).
How do I sign up?
Once you sign up for the YMA, you must complete a short application, get some permission slips signed, and sign a contract. See Ms. Bossier or Mr. Shelby to get started.
Staring at Our Futures: Conversations with Successful Men of Color
In response to John Diamond’s assertion that “most of the new crop of teachers will continue to be white females” and the sobering statistic that, according to Kay Hymowitz, 70% of Black children are born to single mothers, we have created a monthly speaker series through which successful men of color share their professional and personal journey with our young men. Guest speakers have included a diverse array of notable professionals, from sociologists to lawyers, financial consultants, social workers and athletic coaches.
To volunteer to be a guest speaker, contact us.
Welcome to Our World
Linda Darling-Hammond says, “teaching well was substantially based on understanding my students' lives, their amazing resilience, daily challenges…” In order to provide SLJ teachers with a solid understanding of the contexts in which SLJ young men grow up, YMA members design and lead tours of their neighborhoods. These tours are offered to teachers as professional development.
Vertical Mentoring
The Vertical Mentoring program is designed to offer first and second year students the opportunity to learn tricks of the high school trade from upperclassmen who serve as their mentors. Many of the mentors overcame significant challenges during their first years at SLJ, and are eager to impart lessons they have learned to the newest members of the SLJ community. The Vertical Mentoring program provides an important leadership forum for upperclassmen and allows them to reflect on their experiences – and the benefits of being an SLJ student.
Contact Us
Questions, Comments or Ideas?
Please feel free to contact Sharhonda Bossier or Aaron Shelby.