As district attorney for the 16th Circuit District, Scott Colom said he’s spent the past 10 years watching young men make irreversible and sometimes life-ruining decisions.
Those stories led him to design the Male Mentorship with a Purpose Program as a preventative measure to allow young men to learn through their elders’ mistakes by bringing multiple generations together.
“The instinct to want to act out of anger and now with the sensibility of guns, you’re seeing that have bad consequences,” Colom said. “I mean, it’s just so many of the shootings. Once you get to the root cause of what started this, it’s nothing.”
While having fun is certainly a big part of the program, which is hosted by the district attorney’s office, Colom told The Dispatch he wants the young men to leave understanding the importance of conflict resolution.
“Somewhere we lost it. It’s like, these are just words,” Colom said. “Once you take it beyond words, there is some serious consequences that, if nobody told (them), if anybody ever wants to know, I’m giving them an opportunity.”
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 1, young men from the Golden Triangle, ages 10 to 18, are invited to participate in the free program at the Boys and Girls Club, where they will also learn practical life skills like how to tie a tie and change a tire. There will be activities, Colom said, including a three-point shooting contest, video game truck and tug of war.
Colom said the young men will be split into groups, and each group will have a mentor.
Tina Rogers, victim assistance director for the district attorney’s office, said the mentors will lead the young men through realistic scenarios to teach them anger management and conflict resolution.
“It’s important for them to learn these types of skills because, in everyday life, there are challenges that come up right out of the blue,” Rogers said. “We want to be able to make sure that they’re able to think it through, think it out, before making a decision that could be very much life altering.”
Rogers said 40 young men participated in the inaugural event last year, and staff are hoping to see 70 to 100 this year.
Colom said the program is completely free, including the lunch provided by Connie’s Chicken, and guardians can drop young men off at the event to be registered. They can also register beforehand by calling or emailing Rogers at [email protected].
Rogers said community members can also sign up to be mentors at the event. She said they are still looking for a mentor with a background in counseling.
Greg Strong, with the Psi Gamma Gamma chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., served as a mentor during last year’s program.
“Our role as mentors is to be a conduit for children … and give them the uplift that … some do not get at home,” Strong told The Dispatch on Thursday. “I would hope that they come out of the event knowing that there are people who care.”
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
