GATEWAY PROGRAM

(Gateway 2 Manhood & Gateway 2 Womanhood)

 

 

Gateway to Manhood, also known as The Boys Group will ensure that all participants have the opportunity to gain access to valuable resources provided by its facilitator, Karim Grant. Its focus will be primarily directed towards civic engagement, behavioural modification through various evidence based approaches. It is the goal of Gateway to Manhood to allow underserved male youth to actualize and realize their potential through peer mentoring, workshop delivery, guest speakers and outings that relate to their educational and recreational needs.

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Throughout the last 6-7 years, Karim Grant has worked extensively with the population of the Greater Toronto Area, therefore during this time it has become evident that this work is immensely important to not only the students of the school but also the faculty and the overall culture of the TDSB. It is also important for these young males to have positive male role models that they can identify with that are not faculty or administration; they gravitate towards to the engaging topics and relaxing atmosphere of learning that is provided. It should be noted that when young males are engaged they less likely to find themselves doing less than positive and socially destructive things in their schools and communities.

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EVIDENCE AND RESEARCH

Boys tend to model social behavior, so they need male role models. The presence of a male role model improves the relationship a boy has with his siblings and custodial parent. Boys with male role models reported fewer problems with anger than boys who have no male role model, according to a survey conducted by the mentoring group Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Read more: The Impact of Male Role Models on Young Boys | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_7651469_impact-role-models-young-boys.html#ixzz2BHZLRUOZ

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Here’s an evidence-based practice that will be used in the G2M (Boys Group), it is called ART, which stands for Aggression Replacement Training. This is an innovative program created to help reduce aggressive tendencies in children; ART provides youth with instruction to enhance the social skills necessary for positive and healthy interpersonal communication, anger control and decision making.

 

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

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The Gateway to Manhood is simply a structure program initiative developed for young males ages 14-18 who have been identified as underserved or “at-risk”. The program is designed to further enhance pro-social behavior among high school-aged boys. It will involve a series of workshops and activities geared towards various positively-influenced topics from civic engagement, violence intervention and anger management.

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The youth selected will be treated to engaging guest speakers, educational and interactive discussions while being fed nutritional snacks during every session. The group will run weekly and will be 2 hours in length. At the end of all the sessions, all participants who have successfully completed the program will get the opportunity to participate in the graduation ceremony and receive a certificate of completion. The program is primarily run and facilitated by Karim Grant.

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Karim Grant brings a unique perspective due to his tireless history of work within youth engagement, coaching and life skill development. His vast experience and remarkable past, allows him to engage with the youth he works with on very real, unadulterated and captivating fashion. Having been brought up in a single-parent home in various neighborhoods throughout the Greater Toronto Area, his perspective on the challenges and obstacles that the youth of today face are at the forefront of his educational curriculum that he has developed from a lived and learned experience.

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Grant brings a refreshing voice of honesty that comes from all of his experiences as a teenaged father, university grad, former professional athlete, multi-sport coach, journalist, youth advocate and mentor and business entrepreneur. Students will be able to be engaged by adult ally that speaks their language, provides a safe space for them to vent their frustrations and successes as well as the provision of a positive African Canadian Male role model.

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PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

• To provide an open, honest and confidential environment for young males to engage, interact and be mentored while enhancing pro-social behaviour.

• To provide life skill development through evidence-based practices through Aggression Replacement Training (A.R.T.)

• To foster, nurture and develop a physically active lifestyle through educational workshops and recreational activities.
   

KEY ACTIVITIES:

ART: Aggression Replacement Training – A 50 skilled-curriculum based basic life skills to further decrease acts of aggression and violence.

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These life skills include but are not limited to:

• Making a complaint

• Understanding the feelings of others

• Dealing with someone else's anger

• Getting ready for a difficult conversation

• Keeping out of fights

• Dealing with group pressure

• Dealing with an accusation

• Helping Others

• Expressing affection to others

• Responding to failure

• Media Literacy: participants will view various forms of media and discuss its relevance and importance to their community.

• Peer/Group mentoring: participants will engage in open, candid and confidential discussions to further implement life plans and set goals and objectives.
   

An example of a set 10-week program schedule, would go as follows:

• Week one: Introduction, Check-In, Rules and Expectations

• Week two: Know Thy Self – workshop on knowing yourself through social and historical discoveries

• Week three: Aggression Replacement Training – learn skills, Listening, Asking for Help and Keeping out of Fights

• Week four: Goal setting and Goal attainment

• Week five: Guest Speaker- What motivates you?

• Week six: Healthy Relationships

• Week seven: Career Day – guest panelists include: African Canadian Pilot, Correctional Officer, Female CEO of Entertainment Company, and a Realtor/Investor

• Week eight: Stress Management

• Week nine: Media literacy: Uncovering the hidden messages in the programs, music and applications that you spend time on.

• Week ten: Graduation – guest speaker, certificate delivery

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TARGET AUDIENCE:

• Racialized, underserved or at-risk young male students, ages 13 – 18 years old

EXPECTED RESULTS:

Short term:

• Increased attendance in school, as attendance at school is mandatory to be involved in group

• Ameliorated relationship amongst young men involved and school faculty

• Completion of community service hours

• Less incidents of behavioral classroom issues

• Provision of academic support

• More involvement in extra-curricular and school-related activities

 

Long term:

• Lowered rates of suspension · Lowered rates of expulsion

• Decrease criminal and gang involvement

• Increase in civic engagement

• Academic achievement

• Reduction in recidivism

• Increased graduation rates
  
   

RESULTS AND FOLLOW-UP:

The project results will reach my target population through regular weekly meetings where the young men will be engaged in workshops, listen to guest speakers, taking educational and recreational trips and take part in group mentoring. As a result of their relationship they will have built with Karim Grant and other staff involved, they will have the opportunity to individually meet with Mr. Grant and staff to further access resources and seek advice. Before the termination of the program, the boys will have an exit meeting to assess progress and further individual needs.