The crowd of middle and high school boys sat around lunch tables decorated with flowers in north Minneapolis on Tuesday, reciting what has become their mantra over the past school year.
"I am important," they shouted in unison. "I am powerful."
The words are a rallying point for a mentorship program called Boys of Hope, which celebrated its first full year of programming not disrupted by the pandemic.
Developed by Twin Cities community leaders Verna and Shane Price, the program aims to help boys and teens see a path toward college through relationships with professional men of color. They aim to promote confidence and personal development through an understanding adult, as well as community stewardship.
More than 150 students — most in junior high — completed the program this school year, meeting with their mentors weekly.
"Our boys are amazing," Verna Price said. "Every last boy in that group is incredible."
The majority of participants are students of color from eight participating public, private and charter schools, said Price, an author and professor who also runs a similar program for young women called Girls Taking Action.
School staff members sometimes reach out to the program, referring students who are struggling inside and outside of school. They also recruit others who simply want mentorship.
