Dare to Be King

Dare to Be King is our newest program, now in its second year and finding great success. YMEN has expanded this year to three schools, (Henson, Catalyst, and St. Gregory elementary schools) working with youths at all three junior high levels. This leadership program offers intervention services for about 60 students who are hand-picked by teachers as of the greatest risk for dropping out, delinquency, violence, and possible incarceration. YMEN steps in to change their path by working with them in the areas of conflict management, academic motivation, violence prevention, peer relations, and making positive choices. The 40-session program includes units in:

• Understanding the masculine role in broader society
• Violence in the home, in the hood, and in the world
• Weapons and their detrimental role in conflict management
• Influence of the gangster lifestyle on today’s youth
• How peer pressure influences one’s decisions
• Dealing with inner rage
• Understanding street law and its misconceptions
• The role of rap music within the culture
• Coping with grief and loss

The Program is led by one of our newest staff members, Pastor Milton Hardnett, who has created an environment of mentorship and brotherhood that has impressed the staff at the schools as well as solidified YMEN’s presence as a catalyst of change in these young men’s lives.

For more information about the curriculum, visit the Dare to Be King website.