100 Mentors in 100 Days 2014
Local Movement Calls for 100 Mentors in 100 Days to Aid Bham City Male Youth
Growing Kings Launches Aggressive City-Wide Mentorship Campaign Following Organizational Expansion
Growing Kings, Inc. has launched a city-wide campaign to recruit 100 male mentors from Birmingham and surrounding areas over the course of 100 days. From June 2nd to September 9th, the 100 Mentors in 100 Days campaign answers the call in support of Growing Kings’ recently expanded mentorship programs, and rising need for solutions addressing crime, behavioral, and life issues that plague Birmingham’s at-risk male youth.
The aggressive call to action will highlight the importance of taking a systemic approach to a national crisis, while positioning
Birmingham as a pioneer model for change. “We believe every citizen should participate in mentoring our city’s youth, and City Hall looks forward to playing a role in these efforts,” says Mayor William A. Bell, Sr.
Through this campaign, Growing Kings has established partnerships with local organizations to help facilitate sustainable mentor
recruitment pipelines. “Mentoring provides a chance for young people to explore a lot of different professions. We’re eager to show
Birmingham’s students the many career opportunities available within our organization,” says Tony Spoke, Vice President of Marketing, Alabama Power.
“We’re always working to teach Birmingham’s young men the proper steps to become the trailblazers our communities need to overcome poverty and disparity,” said Marcus Carson, Executive Director of Growing Kings, Inc. “Every young man in our program has a specific set of gifts, along with a unique potential for growth and improvement. 100 Mentors in 100 Days ensures that we have the human capital in place to effectively connect with the leader that exists within each of them.”
In the next 100 days, Growing Kings will announce additional partnerships with corporations and civic organizations that join in
establishing annual pipelines for recruiting high-quality mentors. Once enlisted, mentors will be required to complete four hours of
training over a two-day period before they can begin their mentorship service. The first training session will begin on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at 5:30pm.
“Mentoring can have a positive and enduring impact on a young person’s life. We are excited to be able to partner in this valuable
effort,” says Dr. Will Ferniany, CEO, UAB Health Services.
For questions or interest in the 100 Mentors in 100 Days program, please contact Growing Kings at (205) 417-2478 or info@growingkings.org. For more information about Growing Kings and its mentor programs, please visit www.growingkings.org.
Growing Kings was founded in 2009, as a response to the alarming number of adolescent males failing in various areas of life. Through partnerships with corporations, foundations, and community organizations and leaders, Growing Kings is able to enhance students’ life skills and help ensure high school graduation. The public schools Growing Kings works with are chosen based on the percentage of students who receive reduced and free lunch, the students’ in-school behavioral data, and standardized test scores.