CORE values

BOYS TO MEN - FIVE CORE VALUES

• INTEGRITY – Foundational to the Boys to Men program is that boys come to understand that being a man means being honest, reliable, self-aware, responsible, and accountable. Mentees discover themselves through exploring who they are, what they good at and what values are important to them. In becoming a man, a mentee will realize the value in doing what he says he will do, and begin to see that how he shows up in his community affects how his community responds to him. 

• SELF- AWARENESS / SELF CONTROL – This is one of the most important concepts of the program as without it, it is nearly impossible to take responsibility for ones actions. Mentees learn to assess how they are feeling and find words that describe how they feel. This is the first step in becoming emotionally intelligent. Becoming aware of and being able to name how you feel is a key component in being able to control your outward expression of emotion. Once mentees have developed self-awareness they see that it is their personal responsiblity to have control of thier emotions. Controlling emotions helps them consciously respond to life rather than unconsciously react. Controlling anger is of particular value in diminishing negative consequences and having healthy relationships. Engaging in this personal work does not mean they will always succeed in controlling how they act in a situation, however it does help them must accept the consequences of their actions as well as give them tools to continue to better themseves.

• RESPONSIBILITY – Mentees discover that they alone are responsible for their actions and choices, right or wrong, and the responsibility for who they are and the man they will become falls on their shoulders. Each mentee learns that they get to choose how they are viewed in thier community by how they show up and that what they say. They begin to see the correlation between their honesty, reliabilty and how well they keep their word and who they are in their commuity.

• ACCOUNTABILITY – Mentees learn the power of self-accountability and that to maintain integrity they must take ownership of how they think, what they say, what they do, and how they feel. A man can feel anger or joy, fear or confidence; how he acts in each situation is his own responsibility. Each mentee learns that he alone is responsible for his emotions, his word and his actions. Mentees learn to understand the value in admitting mistakes and shortcomings and taking the time and care to make amends. When integrity is complromised, through acknowledgement and making amends, a man who makes mistakes can still be trusted. 

• THE MAN YOU MOST WANT TO BE – Mentees consciously think about their future and how to get there. Knowing the core values that make you who you are is the foundation of who the Man You Most Want To Be is. Once a young man knows who he wants to be, mentors can help him get from here to there. Through examining the behavior of healthy male role models, boys begin to develop a sense of what values are necessary for a man to have integrity. At the end of 8th Grade, the boys are give a graduation placque that says who the Man They Most Want To Be is. What is on the pacque is a reflection of what the boy himself determined in the course of self-discovery while in the Boys To Men Program.