top of page

​

M.E.N. Program Overview
 

​

The Males Empowering our Neighborhoods (M.E.N.) program offers 14-17 year old young men a comprehensive mentoring program that engages them in one-on-one and group interaction with male mentors.  These mentors provide participants with guidance, counsel, and affirmation to assist in their development of critical life skills and important decision-making.  M.E.N. Program participants are provided academic tutoring, career advisement, character building, and life-skills training. The expected outcome is improving their life skills and increasing opportunities that lead to becoming outstanding and contributing members of society.  In addition to the direct mentoring aspect of the program, M.E.N. participants hear from guest speakers who reinforce positive messages about matters such as academic achievement, career aspirations, and community involvement.  The young men are inspired by the speakers’ accomplishments, while being cautioned to consider the importance of hard work, education, and character building.  To round out the experiences offered to M.E.N. Program participants, partnerships were developed in 2012 with three community agencies in Newark: Central High School, Teens Step Up, Inc., and Chiba School of Martial Arts.  As a result of these partnerships, M.E.N. Program participants enjoy extracurricular activities while also learning the disciplines associated with martial arts and the creative expression realized through step and dance lessons.  M.E.N. participants are also involved in cultural and educational field trips to expand their learning opportunities and reinforce classroom lessons.  Beginning in 2014, the M.E.N. Program will include chess instruction and competition to further develop participants’ critical thinking and problem solving skills.

 

 

M.E.N. Program Activities
 

Young men who participate in the M.E.N. Program take advantage of engaging and fresh activities that build their self-confidence, develop their social skills, and expose them to a variety of cultural experiences.

  • Martial arts

  • Step dance

  • Chess

  • Academic, Cultural, and Volunteer Opportunity field trips

  • Academic tutoring

 

 

​​

Under a fiscal agent, PCDC received its first operating support grant from the

NJ Office of Faith Based Initiatives, a Division of Programs in the Department of State.

 

 

bottom of page