The questions Melvin Henderson asks can make him sound like an extra parent of the young men he meets with once a week at Burnsville's Metcalf Junior High School: Are you doing your homework? Can you turn that "B" into an "A"? Have you thought about joining the student council?

But Henderson sees himself as more of a cheerleader during these meetings, which he started last year to mentor a small group of African-American students at the school.

"I believe that a lot of the time, our young people aren't being talked to either by teachers or by parents," said Henderson, 64, a licensed social worker and professor emeritus at Metropolitan State University who lives in Burnsville.

Judging from what school administrators and the students have to say, his pep talks and advice aren't falling on deaf ears.

"What we've talked about for the last few weeks is going to be in my head for a long time," said Randy Newell, a ninth-grader who said Henderson, along with his parents, have helped him boost his grades and stay out of detention. "I've just been improving, because last year, I didn't do anything. I would just come home, sit down and watch TV."

Over lunch, Henderson meets with two groups of three boys to talk about expectations, grades, goals and African-American history -- a topic that can be surprisingly fresh to his students. They know about Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, he said, but Henderson talks about lesser-known figures such as the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. One role model discussed last week: Barack Obama.

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“What we’ve talked about for the last few weeks is going to be in my head for a long time,” said Randy Newell, a ninth-grader.

Henderson's career has ranged from teaching classes in human services to working with juvenile offenders -- a group that includes far too many young black men, he said. After retiring two years ago, he pitched the idea of a mentor group to Metcalf as a way to guide more of those men to a brighter future.

The group is meant for students who might be struggling with grades or behavior but have high potential and are open to talking.

"He does worry about them and wants them to do well, and they know that," said Lori Maidment, a guidance counselor at Metcalf who recruited students for Henderson's group.

The school has a somewhat similar, though unrelated, mentorship program for ninth-grade girls, and it welcomes volunteers, she said. "Any time we can get adults in here to show kids that they care, it's beneficial."

Sarah Lemagie • 952-882-9016