About Us
The Brothers Building Bridges Leadership Program is a not-for-profit, tax exempt organization dedicated to the moral, social, educational, and cultural development of youth. It was founded in 2009 by 2 men who shared a vision to help young men in their community.
Brothers Building Bridges is a community based outreach program that is dedicated to improving the quality of life of young men in inner city communities. There is a special emphasis on character development through mentoring of young men between the ages of 9-13 years old. The program was founded in 2009by 2 men interested in helping misguided boys and young men in the community. They felt the best place to implement the program was in an elementary school where the target age group would be. After approaching the principal with the program outline he identified 25 5th graders as at-risk youth who were struggling academically and socially in the school.
Each member of Brothers Building Bridges is an educator, retiree, parent, or entrepreneur thus bringing a unique perspective as a mentor. The concept of building bridges has always been the mantra of the group, with the intent of bridging the gap between boys and young men and young men and men. The goal is to create a fraternal bond as males that belong to a brotherhood. Hopefully if achieved, this lifelong bond will lead to young men becoming leaders within their communities and communities at large. Ultimately they will make a positive impact, socially, culturally, and politically.
To accomplish these broad goals Brothers Building Bridges will solicit the services of volunteers who will serve as mentors to the youth. This will happen afterschool once a week in the afternoon from 3:30-5:00 pm. Each session will follow a specific format in which a program creed will be recited by all mentees followed by a journal entry of a thought provoking question. After writing in the journals the topic of discussion will be introduced to the group. The facilitator will ask 3-4 questions about the topic. Mentees and mentors will separate into small groups to discuss the questions. After several minutes of small group discussion a brief period of sharing out will follow. Each group will choose one member of the group whose task it is to share the opinions and facts to the other members in the other groups. With the use of various resources such as books, video’s, and link’s to websites young men will receive instruction and guidance during each session. Session, at times, will also include guest speakers and field trips. Brothers Building Bridges will strive to support young men in the achievement of high academic standards. We seek to provide extended day learning opportunities , and alternative instructional strategies. The primary objective is to help with the transition through all levels of school leading up to and beyond college. Emphasis will be placed on time management, study habits, and priority balance
Brothers Building Bridges will implement initiatives that encourage and foster positive relationships among diverse groups. These initiatives will include, conflict resolution, tolerance training, and peer mediation. This will be done in collaboration with community based organizations that provide programs in these areas. As a result these young men will develop an increased sense of social responsibility. They’ll be prepared and encouraged to have a global view of society. They’ll develop a heart of compassion for helping others. This will undoubtedly lead to
them becoming solid citizens who will build meaningful relationship that will impact the lives of others.