Kids & Family
Mentoring Program Offers Young Men Leadership Skills
Program at United Way offers leadership skills to high school boys in Montclair.
A program that helps high school boys develop leadership, goal-setting, decision-making and social skills will be offered to Montclair boys starting in September.
The Kappa League, is a national program, offered by the Montclair Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and supported by the United Way of Northern New Jersey.
Last year was the inaugural year for the program. Participants were provided eight months of one-on-one mentoring. The young men were guided on everything from proper table etiquette and public speaking to self-defense and college preparation. A dozen Alpha Kappa Psi alumni participated as mentors, including lawyers, teachers, doctors, accountants, consultants, and financial advisors.
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Program participants take part in activities to inspire friendship, improve self-image, and increase their exposure to education and career opportunities, organizers said.
“We know how critical a mentor can be in the life of a teen,” said Durelle McPherson, United Way Family Success Center Director. “We saw this partnership as an ideal opportunity to provide additional support to our local youth and it’s obvious that together we are making a difference.”
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After participating in the program, Montclair High School senior Anthony Roberson was named the Kappa Leaguer of the Year and Student of the Year. He earned a college scholarship from the fraternity’s Northeastern Province Council. He beat out 300 other students representing chapters from states along the east coast from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts.
This year, the mentoring series will begin with an orientation on September 15. It will be held at the United Way building, at 60 South Fullerton Ave. in Montclair. The program will run from September 2012 through May 2013.
The program is free.
To register, contact Durelle McPherson at 973.746.4040, x210 or Durelle.McPherson@UnitedWayNNJ.org.
To learn more about the United Way Family Success Center, its programs, and future events, visit www.UnitedWayNNJ.org
