To help students develop a mindset of excellence, they receive critical guidance from both adult and peer mentors. Adult mentors are typically members of the school faculty, working in a 1:8 (mentor:mentee) ratio. Adult mentors are always men of color, but, when necessary, community-based mentors are engaged. All mentors receive training from The Gentlemen’s League staff with the opportunity to customize their approach. 

By design, mentoring helps students build connections to their mentor and to other students in the program. This fellowship often evolves into brotherhood and a sense of community that helps students succeed in school. Students can rely on their mentors for support, ranging from advice on how to handle social–emotional issues to resources that open doors to postsecondary opportunities to academic tutoring. Tutoring is one of the mainstays at schools that partner with The Gentlemen’s League and typically happens after school to support student goal setting, monitor progress, and provide feedback based on observations from teachers and parents.

Mentoring occurs in a few different formats—one-on-one, small group, and peer—to ensure that mentees receive personalized attention and support while also cultivating camaraderie and collective growth among groups.

• One-on-one mentoring: Mentors consistently check in with students individually to build relationships and provide them with any specific support they may need in pursuit of their goals. These check-ins may happen during homeroom, class time (if the mentor teaches one of their mentees), or at some other time during or after the school day. A part of the value of in-school mentoring is that students know their mentor is in the building.
• Small group mentoring: The majority of all mentoring sessions happen in small groups because most schools do not have enough male mentors of color. These small group meetings often take place at lunch and can also happen after school or during the monthly workshops.
• Peer mentoring: Peer mentoring offers students a chance to be in a community with classmates. Peer mentors receive some basic training for their roles in working with younger students at their school. In elementary school, 5th graders mentor 3rd and 4th graders. In middle school, 8th graders mentor 6th and 7th graders. In high school, older students mentor younger students. These sessions take place during the monthly workshops and are a platform for students to connect with and receive advice from an older student who has recently had some of the same lived experiences.

Once a month, students attend an after-school workshop that is organized by the site coordinator and geared toward a specific grade band. The curriculum for workshops is developed by The Gentlemen’s League and focused on social–emotional learning (SEL) competencies. In these workshops, students learn about topics that will benefit them both personally and professionally. Session topics include etiquette, dressing for success, self-image, conflict resolution, building healthy relationships, financial literacy, and leadership development. Self-Awareness Workshop Curriculum

Each year, students also have the opportunity to participate in Blackout Weekend, a conference for boys of color that school partners plan together and attend. This brings together student leaders and community members in an environment designed to provide thought, insight, discussion, and resources. Students attend workshop sessions about justice, leadership, career pathways, and identity. The weekend concludes with a banquet at which a student is recognized as “Gentleman of the Year.”

Each quarter, students participate in field trips and service learning as a part of The Gentlemen’s League’s efforts to expose them to the larger world. On selected school days or during spring break, students go on field trips to expand their view of the world through direct experiences that are not a part of their day-to-day lives. Field trips may take students to regional cultural institutions or colleges with the goal of positively impacting personal development and motivation in school. 

To learn more about the needs of the community and their capacity for serving others, students in the program participate in service learning during school. Through interactions with people in homeless shelters, food banks, and philanthropic service organizations, students not only gain more social awareness but also develop essential skills for being responsible and empathetic citizens—gentlemen with a sense of civic duty who know the value of actively contributing to the well-being of their community. Both service learning and field trips are cohort experiences across school partners.

The Gentlemen’s League supports a variety of optional engagement opportunities for students to support holistic personal development and community building. Many schools participate in The Gentlemen’s League basketball program, but most offer activities on an à la carte basis. Examples of some of the programming offered by schools include: 

• Step Teams: Students practice the art of stepping for self-expression and teamwork.
• Book Clubs: Students read and discuss books to enhance their literacy skills.
• Ambassador Programs: Students take on leadership roles and represent their school.
• Dress-Up Days: Students wear ties to promote a professional atmosphere at school.