Program Description

Young men of color generally face some of the worst social, academic and economic outcomes across the country.

The GSYO Brothers Bout Business Mentoring Program is a progressive and comprehensive mentoring program designed specifically for young men of color, that offers guidance in each student’s journey thru social, emotional, physical, and scholastic maturity.

This program will provide supplemental academic support, leadership & character development skills, cultural awareness, entrepreneurship/career coaching, and life skills training.

This proposed 7 year progressive programming model will provide consistent and viable opportunities for each male participant starting in 6th grade throughout high school graduation.

Each year, students will progress to the next tier of programming and embark on a different experience while learning to utilize the skills developed the previous year.

Goals & Objectives

Our goal is to promote community leadership, educational focus, pro-social networking, and encourage positive character development. Upon completion of the program youth will be equipped with the basic tools to help them continue to set and achieve their personal goals, have a renewed focus on the benefits of education, and clearly understand what it means to be a Leader/Role Model within their school, community, and home. Some specific program goals aim to:

  • Dramatically improve the graduation rates among African American youth
  • Dramatically reduce the minority achievement gap in Washington’s Public Education System
  • Dramatically reduce the drop-out rate among African American youth
  • Improve attendance rates and establish an increased level of engagement in the schools among African American youth
  • Dramatically reduce the rate of recidivism among young men of color

Throughout the program we expect to help students maintain high expectations for themselves by providing dynamic programming that will encourage imagination, build social capital, and convey the conviction & passion that all students need to achieve overall success. Primary objectives for the program include:

  • To create life changing and impactful experiences that each student can use as motivation to pursue positive change;
  • To provide a strong circle of support around each student to encourage excellence & designate a clear path to personal success;
  • To successfully inspire each student to strive for the highest level of personal achievement that they can in everything they do;
  • To emphasize the importance of personal development and encourage better decision making skills
Our Mentoring Model

Effective mentoring requires a balanced and integrated framework to support the evolving social-emotional development of mentees along the course of their transformational journey.

Five Steps To Success

  • Build Mutual Trusting Relationship
  • Coaching & Guidance
  • Recovery & Rehabilitation
  • Transition & Advancement
  • Sustainment & Continuity
Why Group Mentoring is More Effective

Group mentoring can be a more effective format to engaging youth and promoting positive social-emotional development when compared to 1:1 mentoring

Five Key Benefits to Group Mentoring

  • Mentee participants are able to build strong bonds with peers within the same age frame and development level.
  • Mentee participants are exposed to an increased body of knowledge and learning experiences to improve reflection and critical thinking aptitude
  • Group mentoring creates a learning community which promotes diversity of thinking, practice, and understanding.
  • Small group settings build individual confidence of mentees to share ideas, feedback, and opinions in front of others
  • Group mentoring improves mentee capacity to receive and apply constructive feedback from peers