Weeknights
JAM
Each Tuesday night, 40 students meet for guidance, accountability, and spiritual nurturing. JAM provides team building activities, crazy games, great food, insightful teachings and a whole lot of love. In addition to JAM, YMEN mentors track each student’s grades and visit their respective school counselors; home visits are made periodically in order to build rapport and credibility with parents. Developing healthly, life-long relationships with our students will offset the negative external pressures the face at school and on the streets.
Mind Over Matters
Wednesday nights are for academic enrichment and entrepreneurship. Some of our young men are preparing for ACT & SAT tests while others are learning how to start and operate their own businesses. Growing leaders starts with helping our young men identify and capitalize upon their strengths.
Arts Alive
On Thursday nights, we provide innovatitve programs that fill the creative gaps of public education. Due to funding cutbacks, Chicago Public Schools are often unable to offer physical or artistic education. To fill that void, we offer classes in drama, culinary arts, and soap-box car creation. Through helping make the arts come alive for our young men, we are helping them develop a love for learning.
Recent Updates
- YMEN Africa Trip, Spring 2013
- “This is the greatest trip of my life…..” Four YMEN High School senior leaders spent 13 days this Spring traveling to Uganda to work with Partners in Mission. During this trip, we had the opportunity to spend time at the Kamwenge Secondary and Vocational School (KSVS) where YMEN has roofed buildings, sponsored students, and brought [...] Read More
- Building lifelong networks of support
- Sammie has been in the YMEN program for 4 years. He is one of the program’s most dedicated participants. YMEN has offered Sammie many opportunities through business and education programs. Sammie has been on about 90% of the YMEN trips and his favorite was South Dakota. The trips have been beneficial for Sammie because he [...] Read More
- The Gimp
- Our students have had a chance to learn about image manipulation. Seeing as how we are always in the mood to save money, we use the GNU Image Manipulation Program — otherwise known as the Gimp. For those who aren’t completely up on the Gimp, it’s a free version of Adobe Photoshop-like software. Not Photoshop, [...] Read More
