Mentoring

The difference between kids who are motivated – full of hope and dreaming of success – and ones who are not, is simply a matter of putting them face-to-face and shoulder-to-shoulder with mentors, positive influencers and real success stories. In other words, people like you. The 100 Black Men of Chicago, Inc. is comprised of African-American men who were able to successfully navigate the path from adolescence to adulthood to become educated, successful, professional men of color. Our members have both a unique insight into the challenges faced by young African-American males and a desire to make a difference in our community. We serve as a bridge to help African-American teenage males span the canyon between adolescence and young adulthood. We use a “mentor-network” or “mentor-team” verses a “one-to-one” mentoring program. The team approach minimizes mentor/mentee compatibility problems, which could undermine the goals for both parties; also a team approach exposes the mentees to the diverse group of men, opinions, and points of view in our organization. Members begin as volunteers, demonstrating a willingness to roll up their sleeves and work. The volunteer goes through a background check and a series of interviews before becoming a member. Members are trained in “Mentoring The 100 Way®”, a patented training program developed by the National 100 Black Men of America after years of mentoring experiences. The mentoring calendar loosely follows the school year, from September to May, meeting weekly, at multiple locations around the Chicagoland area.