Mentoring is an incredibly vague concept to many people, beyond the fact that most would agree that it is beneficial for youth to be in a mentor-protégé partnership. Just look at the latest action movie, there is usually a young hero who was born with some incredible skill or talent, yet has not come to understand how to truly utilize it for the good of those around them. The mentor figure will then appear in the film, offering advice, wisdom, and knowledge of what has worked in the past and what will work in the future. Armed with counsel and a supporter, the protégé figure embarks on the journey to make a positive difference for mankind. Of course, real-life often plays itself out differently than on-screen. The question will often arise among young people, What happens when no mentor seems to appear? This is particularly important in light of the fact that there is a shortage of male mentors in mentoring programs across the country, especially in urban communities where this is compounded for young men with the absence of fathers and a widespread lack of positive male role models.      

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We speak to youth nationally in order to directly address the abstract nature and lack of understanding of mentoring. Young people on the one hand are connected to others more than any other time in history, while on the other they are reaching levels of alienation and hopelessness that are mind-boggling. With this in mind we serves as a tangible positive role models and advocates for a vision of the future that is based around youth empowerment, where mentors work closely with protégés to help them achieve their dreams and make a difference in society. Relying on our experiences in the mentoring arena, we also brings the perspectives of scholars to the table to help provide practical mentoring resources and materials for youth in terms of how to make the most of their mentoring relationships, as well as how to seek out and obtain the next mentor that they need to succeed in life. We have also worked with non-profit organizations & leaders helping to facilitate capacity building and provide technical assistance to develop and improve mentoring programs.



At One Protégé, we are counting on the fact that all it takes to change the world is to work with one protégé at a time.