Looking to give back? Here is an amazing opportunity I just love from the O.K. Program who since 1990, has aimed to reduce the high rates of incarceration and homicide of young black boys by guiding them away from prison and towards college, military service, vocational training, and a life of responsible citizenship. The O.K. program does so through a unique mentoring model, which places an African American law enforcement officer at the head locally and coordinates with schools, businesses and community leaders to mentor African American boys throughout the school year.
The program has recently launched a new initiative and are looking to spread awareness. In June of 2013, the O.K. Program held their first national conference, the National African American Male Mentor Conference (NAAMMC, pronounce NAAM-C) in Oakland, California and launched the National African American Male Mentor Initiative which set to recruit 100,000 African American men mentors over the next 10 years. This initiative will recruit, train and organize 100,000 African American men to mentor African American boys. Once a man is recruited to be one of “One Hundred Thousand Strong,” he receives training designed specifically for this national mentoring model. Then he joins an organized team of mentors to work with an African American police officer to mentor young men.
The O.K. Program is currently actively seeking African American men mentors in the following cities:
Oakland, CA
Little Rock, AR
Monroe, LA
Kansas City, KS
Omaha, NE
Indianapolis, IN
Mentors are able to sign up directly at http://100k.okprogram.org/contact/signup.html
For more information visit 100k.okprogram.org!
