Participants
Through consistent group mentoring, Boys to Men Mentoring Network of Virginia creates a safe space where boys, ages 10-17, learn to speak their truth and grow into accountable young men.
THE PROGRAM
BTMVA works with elementary, middle and high schools as well as other community organizations that serve youth to build a community of mentorship for young men. The goal is to give young men a variety of positive male role models who show up consistently and tell the truth about their struggles as men. We focus on young men ages 10-17. Mentors help young men figure out what kind of an adult man he wants to be, praise him for his gifts, support him when he makes mistakes, and encourage him to make good choices on his path to manhood. The desire is for this to be learned from a positive role model versus someone on the street corner (e.g. gang member or peer). Young men in the program typically come from a single parent-figure household (e.g. mother, grandmother or aunt). They are referred to the program by parents, mental health professionals, teachers and counselors, the court system, social workers, peers and word of mouth.
Site Based Programs:
Boys To Men Mentoring Network of Virginia (BTMVA ) in-school and after school mentoring program is an exciting new mentoring model focused on elementary, middle and high school boys identified by school administration to be at risk of academic failure. Every week, groups of dedicated Boys to Men mentors show up at middle schools and high schools to give these at-risk boys a community of mentors who listen, encourage and accept them.
This approach is drawing high praise from school principals, administrators and teachers for its documented ability to improve participant’s grades, reduce discipline issues and keep boys from dropping out of high school.
Teenage boys make decisions every day that may affect them for the rest of their lives. BTMVA gives boys a community of mentors who listen, encourage and guide these young men to make better choices. When we invest in our boys, and support them at this critical time, the payback will last a lifetime! The mentors don’t help boys with their homework, lecture them when they are in trouble or tell them to stay in school. Instead of telling teenage boys what to do, BTMVA mentors build a connection and trust by sharing the mistakes they made when they were teenagers and the lessons they learned from those mistakes.
Rites of Passage Weekend (ROPAW):
This 3-day training is led by experienced facilitators and trained staff, and provides a 2:1 ratio of men to boys.
During the weekend, boys are challenged and supported through a series of carefully facilitated activities designed to help boys cope with the ordeals they will face during adolescence. They learn about integrity. They bond with a tribe. They learn about mission and service.
Our boys and Mentors spend more time together on this weekend than a typical mentor program provides in six months.
Each day has a specific intention:
• Friday: WHO I AM NOW?
• Saturday: WHO DO I WANT TO BE?
• Sunday: CHOOSING THE MAN I WILL BECOME
This weekend is a life-changing experience boys never forget.
