V1N2 - Go to High School - Go to College A Report from Xi Gamma Lambda

Post date: Jul 4, 2017 11:05:32 PM

Go to High School - Go to College

A Report from Xi Gamma Lambda

by Brothers Cicero Upchurch and C. Rodney Small

During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Xi Gamma Lambda Chapter submitted a grant proposal to be a part of the “Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Grant” funded by the U.S. Department of Justice: Office of Juvenile and Delinquency Prevention through Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. This proposal was to request funds and other resources to conduct mentoring activities with its Go-to-High School, Go-to-College (GTHS GTC) educational initiative. The program scope focused on high risk young men in grades eight through 12.

In January 2017, the Xi Gamma Lambda Chapter began the implementation of its GTHS GTC Program. One major key for full engagement from the young men was to get the parents/guardians on board as partners in their young men’s development. The chapter currently has nine mentors and nine mentees in the program. The program is implemented as group sessions and one-on-one sessions. These sessions occur twice per month. Program highlights to date include:

• • WHO ARE YOU: Discussions with the mentees about African-American history (from African royalty to slavery and then to the White House) making sure they understood where African Americans came from, how we as a people persevered through difficult and impossible odds, and how far hard work can take an individual.

  • GYM NIGHT: The mentees attended an activity night at a local school, playing basketball and many other games. During the evening, the mentees participated in rap sessions with their mentors and other male leaders in the community. These rap sessions were designed to share wisdom and impart life skills into the young men.

  • CURRENT EVENTS: The mentors engaged the mentees with discussions of current events. The mentees were taught how to analyze current events and how they affect their communities directly.

  • GRADES: The mentees were taught the important link between test scores, grades, and post high school educational opportunities.

  • PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY: The mentors worked with the mentees to ingrain in them that making babies is not the measure of a man. Discussions also included how to not let peer pressure force them into making bad decisions.

Going forward for the balance of 2017, the Chapter’s planned focus is to engage the young men in the following areas:

• • developing and honing individual leadership styles

  • developing superior study habits

  • preparing seniors for college, including what is college life

  • exposing them to sports/events that they typically would not attend

  • effective money management

  • conflict management and resolution

  • dressing for success and etiquette training