To the rest of the world, he’s Deon Blake, a high school senior trying to get all of his college applications done in time so he can find a good mechanical engineering program. But when he’s with his peers and mentors at the Bloom Project, he’s King Deon, the young man focused on character development and emotional intelligence.
Blake has seen the value of mentorship. He’s been part of the Bloom Project’s Project King since his freshman year, learning from the perspective of grown men.
“It’s helped me show that I have a unique purpose and a special talent trait that I possess,” he said.
The group has mentors who help students get ready for college and plan a career, along with learning about civics and going through workshops. They participate in community service projects, too, including a Christmas food giveaway.
“They’re mentoring us as if they’re fathers for us,” Blake said.
Arnetta Scruggs, executive director of the Bloom Project, said anyone, even adults, could use a mentor, and mentors aren’t just for people who don’t have enough support at home. Sometimes it’s good to have extra encouragement beyond parents and everyday caregivers.
“Our youth need someone they can talk to,” she said.
Not enough mentors
Many organizations that provide mentoring services are using January, which is National Mentoring Month, to call attention to a shortage of mentors.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana has about 1,200 children waiting for a mentor, and 70% of them are boys. A little more than half identify as Black or African American. At the Bloom Project, where there are consistently about five mentors, Scruggs said the organization would like to have 10 more.
Leading Ladies, which serves girls ages 12-18, is in an especially difficult position because, as Executive Director La Tonya Brown said, girls are often an afterthought when it comes to mentoring. That means Leading Ladies, like other organizations, needs more mentors.
Brown sees a couple of reasons for this. There’s the stigma of the strong Black girl or woman, which makes people believe the girls will eventually be OK on their own. There’s also the fact that Black boys and men are the subject of so much negative attention in media, and Brown sees girls overlooked as a result.
What does it take to be a mentor?
Being a mentor is about leading by example, Brown said. That comes with the good and the bad. In other words, it’s OK to make mistakes.
One of the most important traits for a mentor to have, according to Scruggs, is consistency. Mentors can learn and grow alongside their mentees, and accountability can go both ways.
Rod Ferguson, a match relationship specialist at Big Brothers Big Sisters, said it’s important for a mentor to create a bond, establish trust and demonstrate he or she cares.
“When you have two people involved in a mentoring relationship, you cannot have a one-way relationship,” said Rod Ferguson, a match relationship specialist at Big Brothers Big Sisters. “Both people involved must be open-minded and be willing to make accommodations for the other for the friendship to grow.”
Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853 or email at tylerf@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR MENTORS AND MENTEES
January is National Mentoring Month, and many organizations are using the opportunity to bring attention to a shortage of mentors available for young people.
Bloom Project
Bloom Project provides mentoring that includes college preparation, career exploration and character building.
• Contact: 317-758-8531; bloomprojectinc@gmail.com
• Website: bloomprojectinc.org
Leading Ladies
Leading Ladies serves girls ages 12-18, providing academic support and a bi-weekly discussion group for young ladies.
• Contact: 317-731-2117; leadingladiesindy@gmail.com
• Website: leadingladiesindy.org
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana
Big Brothers Big Sisters matches youth (Littles) with adults (Bigs), who serve in a one-on-one mentoring role.
• Contact: 317-921-2201; bigs@bbsci.org
• Website: bebigforkids.org
100 Black Men of Indianapolis
100 Black Men provides a 20-week team mentoring program for fifth through ninth graders.
• Contact: 317-921-1276; teammentoring@100blackmenindy.org
• Website: 100blackmenindy.org
