Each Boys & Girls Club currently provides gender-specific mentoring for hundreds of male youth through BGCA’s Passport to Manhood program. The African American

Male Teen Summit is designed to provide African American teens, as well as staff instructors, the opportunity to develop a nationwide network that promotes productive lifestyles, career paths and goal setting with other adult and young adult African American males. In addition to traveling away from home -- a first for most of the youth -- attendees become acquainted with a college campus and meet other youth from participating cities.

Summit sessions are designed to have a balance between presentations, interactive settings, team building activities and learning through short projects – all facilitated and oriented in age-appropriate ways. Youth sessions, for attendees ages 12-15, provide activities and information promoting productive and healthy lifestyles, career paths and goal setting while learning about the necessary tools, support and qualities needed to deal with issues in their daily lives related to physical, mental, character and self-esteem development and how to deal with emotions.

Peer Leaders, ages 16-18, experience sessions geared to promote graduation and address college and/or career planning. These older youth acquire knowledge on how to develop their own personal network of advisors, mentors and effectively navigate educational systems to reach their academic and career goals. Adult staff and volunteers share knowledge and skills needed to develop a local support system that expands beyond Club walls to include family, church, fraternal organizations, service groups and schools. The Summit helps youth participants foster a sense of solidarity and mutual support by sharing common problems faced every day at school, home and in their respective neighborhoods. The main outcome for youth during the weekend Summit is to develop a personal strategic plan and identify resources to help problem-solve and achieve goals back home. The Summit rewards members for accomplishments achieved in their respective Clubs and facilitates support and camaraderie among this group.

At the conclusion of each Summit, youth participants:

• develop a personal strategic plan and identify resources to help problem-solve and achieve goals back home;
• develop a plan to continue to network with peers by sharing their experiences and efforts in meeting goals established during the Summit;
• develop and/or refine a plan to work with local churches, service groups, schools and others groups to address critical issues facing African American males.

Additionally, teams from each participating organization develop and/or refine a plan to share with colleagues and other local community organizations to impart techniques and practices learned to work effectively with African American males. The long-term impact of the AAMTS is the creation and implementation of a strategic, significant and sustainable model for dramatically improving the well-being of African American male youth from disadvantaged circumstances in urban communities across the BCGA Movement. The Summit provides experiences that build individual character, promote self-discipline, self- awareness and self-sufficiency while exposing African American male youth to a variety of positive role models. The Summit serves as a success model participants can use in working to achieve goals. This model is replicable and utilized annually with the intent to expand into each of the five BCGA regions and, eventually, evolve into a national event focused on African American male youth.

 

African American Male Teen Summit Videos

 

SOAAP AAMTS 2009 from Mr. on Vimeo.