The Project MALES Mentoring Program kicked off the new mentoring year at our 12 schools! The Program is partnered with different school districts in Austin, including our long partnership with Austin ISD and our return to Del Valle ISD. This year also marks new partnerships with Dailey Middle School and Del Valle High School which we are very honored to serve their young men. We are excited for what is in store this semester with our 35 Student Mentors yet who serve as mentors for close to 200 young men of color in Central Texas!
The first week of mentoring started off on the off October 3rd, with Project MALES Mentors celebrating kick-off with food and snacks to welcome the mentees and to introduce themselves through team-building energizers. Throughout the last month, our mentors have been setting the foundation for a year of mentorship and critical conversations under our pillars of Brotherhood, Leadership, College and Career Readiness, Health and Wellness, and Identity. Our team of Undergraduate Student Mentors were excited and ready to bond with the mentees and to facilitate our curriculum through the frameworks of Critical Mentoring, Social-Emotional Learning, and Restorative Practices.
We would like to highlight all of our new Mentors who joined the Project MALES familia and our returning mentors for their continuous commitment to supporting the next generation of Austin scholars. We would also like to thank our returning graduate students Clint Lafuente, Gabriel Martinez, Julio J Mena Bernal, Celine Norman, and Lesley Rivas for their hard work and leadership and also welcome Raul Maldonado to our team of Graduate Site Coordinators!
This semester we returned to Del Valle ISD and began servicing one middle school and one high school. We hope to continue to mentor the young men of Del Valle and are thankful for the supportive staff at Del Valle ISD! We look forward to a fruitful rest of the year! We look forward to a great semester filled with community and empowerment. We would like to thank all of the school teachers, school administrators, and district administrations who participate in the Project MALES Mentoring Program and all their continuous support.
