Introduction
Portsmouth, Virginia is a predominantly African-American community. The community faces numerous problems, including gun violence, extreme poverty, high crime rates, and juvenile delinquency. An unmet need is the lack of African American male mentors for young African American men in Portsmouth. According to Mathew lynch, "black males have fewer role models and accountable adults than their white and even other minority peers"(Lynch, 2017). Due to a lack of African American mentors, young Africans Americans have been negatively affected. These effects include an increase in crime rates and a delay in graduation. Neighborhood Scout reports that Portsmouth has a high crime rate compared to communities of all sizes, from the smallest towns to the largest cities. In fact, most of the communities in Virginia have a lower crime rate than Portsmouth (Schiller, 2023). providing evidence of graduation delay"Less than half of black males graduate high school on time"(Lynch, 2017). Through this proposal, awareness of the lack thereof will be brought to light and a solution will be offered. The Hypothesis is Due to the lack of African American male mentors for young African American men it has led to criminal activity among youths between the ages of 13 and 18.
This video explains why black mentors are essential:
Below is a video discussing the violence in Portsmouth:
Task
Starting a mentoring program is the most effective way to address the need. Mentorship has a significant impact on youth. According to studies, “connecting youth to mentoring programs is an effective strategy for preventing and reducing delinquent behavior. in agreement with this research, Crime Solutions, a National Institute of Justice initiative that evaluates the effectiveness of justice-related practices and programs, has rated mentoring as "effective" for "reducing delinquency outcomes” (Mentoring Programs for Youth: A Promising Intervention for Delinquency Prevention | National Institute of Justice, n.d.).
The funding for the mentoring program will come from federal and local grants. In addition to Donations and Sponsorships. The program will apply for the youth mentoring grant program managed by the office of juvenile justice and delinquency prevention. It is funded by the United States Congress and provides” over 107 million for mentoring organizations” (Hsg, 2022). the program will also have Fund raising activities such as a local car wash, bake sale, and sports tournament.
The program will have volunteers but will also have paid employees to do training and administration. The program will not have to have its own facility. Instead, several methods will be used, including renting space or borrowing it from a local organization. For example, it is possible to collaborate with local schools, community centers, and churches to utilize their facilities.
https://youth.gov/youth-topics/mentoring/benefits-mentoring-young-people
Process
The program will be able to have all the resources needed to have run an effective operation by submitting a grant application to the Department of Social Services and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. These government organizations support any efforts that aim to improve the wellness of young people and prevent them from engaging in potentially harmful behavior. Additionally, the program will raise funds by hosting local activities such as car washes, bake sale, and sports tournaments. Working with local organizations that support initiatives to improve the safety and well-being of children is another potential source of funding. Although this program is designed primarily for African American male children in Portsmouth, the impacts will benefit Portsmouth. The program is going to lower the level of violence in the area and improve the wellbeing of African Americans youth.
https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2015/1/SB800/Introduced/MR/405/1s/
https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/o-ojjdp-2023-171618
Evaluation
The Youth Promise Act
the term "promise" refers to "prison reduction through opportunities, mentoring, intervention, support, and education." The Act’s purpose is to give communities funding to "engage in community-based prevention and intervention strategies to decrease violence, gang crimes, illegal drug activity, and other crimes" (Youth PROMISE Act | Congressman Bobby Scott, 2022). The law was prompted by "high incarceration rates in the United States, tough on crime approaches, and incarceration disproportionately affecting minorities" (Youth PROMISE Act | Congressman Bobby Scott, 2022).Cities receiving funding under the Youth promise Act will be expected to monitor cost savings to the government that come along with a reduction in crime and recoup some of those savings to continue the promise programs after the federal grant term has ended.
https://bobbyscott.house.gov/issues/youth-promise-act
Conclusion
In closing, a mentorship program will be created to address the unmet need for mentorship for young African American men in Portsmouth. The program will provide the youth with an African-American male mentor who will influence their behavior and keep them out of trouble. This program will assist the community of Portsmouth, Virginia, by lowering criminal activity in the area.Taking action early to prevent crime is the most effective way to improve society. As an African-American male and aspiring social worker, I see this as a problem that has to be fixed.
Credits
Benefits of Mentoring for Young People | Youth.gov. (n.d.). https://youth.gov/youth-topics/mentoring/benefits-mentoring-young-people
Blog, M. (2022). 12 Volunteer Recruitment Ideas for Year-Round Support. MemberClicks. https://memberclicks.com/blog/volunteer-recruitment-ideas/
How to Start a Mentoring Program in 6 Steps. (n.d.). PushFar. https://www.pushfar.com/article/how-to-start-a-mentoring-program-in-6-steps/
Hsg. (2022, December 22). FY23 Government Funding Bill Increases Investment in Mentoring - MENTOR. MENTOR. https://www.mentoring.org/blog/advocacy/fy23-government-funding-bill-increases-investment-in-mentoring/
Lynch, M. (2017, September 26). Black Boys in Crisis: The Lack of Positive Role Models (Opinion). Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/education/opinion-black-boys-in-crisis-the-lack-of-positive-role-models/2016/11
Murphy, R. (n.d.). Harvard fellows identify youth crime trends in Hampton, Portsmouth. WHRO.org. https://whro.org/news/local-news/31445-harvard-fellows-say-youth-crime-isn-t-the-same-in-hampton-and-portsmouth
Portsmouth, Virginia Population 2023. (n.d.). https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/portsmouth-va-population
Ray, A. (2022, April 17). Black Male Mentors | Top 4 Reasons Why They Are Essential - The Blue Heart Foundation. The Blue Heart Foundation. https://theblueheartfoundation.org/black-male-mentors-top-4-reasons-why-they-are-essential/#:~:text=Black%20mentors%20act%20as%20positive,impacts%20their%20personality%20and%20actions.
Schiller, A. (2023). Portsmouth, VA Real Estate Market & Demographic Data. NeighborhoodScout. https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/va/portsmouth
Youth PROMISE Act | Congressman Bobby Scott. (2022, October 24). Congressman Bobby Scott. https://bobbyscott.house.gov/issues/youth-promise-act