young men's association
Who We Are
Who We Are | Brother 2 Brother Mentoring | Staring at Our Futures
The Urban Assembly School for Law (SLJ) and Justice Young Men's Association works with males in grades 9-12 to strengthen academic and leadership skills and, more broadly, provides strategies and tools for success in school and life. The Association 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. The weekly meetings are complemented by a mentoring program, through which our young men are engaged in bi-weekly, one-on-one mentoring with a male university student or professional. In addition, young men are encouraged to participate in a community service program entitled "Guys Read" through which our young men read to elementary school boys. Later this year, we plan to partner with a local college to provide tutoring for our Young Men who are struggling academically.
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. These statistics are alarmingly reflected among the student body at SLJ. While 90% of our female students are on track to graduate, only 70% of our male students are on that same track. Last spring, close to 50% of our male students failed at least one class, compared with only 13% of females. In raw numbers, 66 students failed at least one class, and half of those students were male. 56% of students who are failing more than one class are male. While our daily attendance rate is 94%, the majority of chronic absenteeism problems are among our young men. These young men spend considerably more time in detention, and are suspended at higher rates. This is particularly striking given that at SLJ, less than 30% of our students are male.
As Pedro Noguera discusses in his essay, "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 is obvious that we need to offer even more academic and social support services that counter the pressures our male students face both at home and in school to violate rules, cut class, and ignore their academics. The Young Men's Association is just one of the forums through which we are tackling these issues. Through the Young Men's Association, we are building active citizens who will become leaders in their communities and the world at large.
Brother 2 Brother: Young Men's Mentoring at SLJ
Who We Are | Brother 2 Brother Mentoring | Staring at Our Futures
The Value of Mentoring
In their article, "Are Black Boys Failing," 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, 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
Discouraged by 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 whose goals are 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 mentee twice monthly; once per month on a Monday evening @ NYU with the entire Young Men's Association Mentoring Program and once per month outside of the regular 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
Questions, Comments or Ideas?
Please feel free to contact Travis Bristol ( tbristol@sljhs.org ) or Nicole Simon ( nsimon@sljhs.org – 718-858-1160 x 3153 ). We're always looking for guest lecturers, field trip ideas and of course, mentors!
For Students Interested in Brother 2 Brother
Who We Are | Brother 2 Brother Mentoring | Staring at Our Futures
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 3:15-4:15 in Room 304. To sign up, you should see either Mr. Bristol or Ms. Simon.
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 from Room 304.
Where & when are the mentoring meetings being held?
Most of the meetings will be at NYU Law School, 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. A calendar of dates is attached. We will generally leave SLJ at 3:15 and go on a field trip before heading to NYU.
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!).
To top it all off, young men who successfully complete the program will receive a $100 Savings Bond that can be put towards college.
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 Mr. Bristol or Ms. Simon to get started.
Staring at Our Futures: Conversations with Successful Men of Color
Volunteer to be a guest speaker.
Please contact:
Travis J. Bristol, Young Men's Association Club Advisor - tbristol@sljhs.org
Nicole S. Simon, Director of Early College Awareness Programs - nsimon@sljhs.org
Young Men's Student Leaders - youngmensassocaition@gmail.com