MENTORS
MAINTAINING EXCELLENCE
Since the start of the pandemic, the 5000 Role Models of Excellence have not missed a beat. The program offered online training in etiquette and financial stability, and virtual field trips. The Mentors practiced social distancing with appearances at Dolphin Stadium and learned how to apply for college and financial aid. The 5000 held its annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., breakfast virtually and distributed food to those in need.
THE 5000 ROLE MODELS OF EXCELLENCE STILL STRONG 28 YEARS LATER
W
hile serving on the School Board of Miami-Dade County, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson noticed a pattern of young minority boys either being incarcerated, entering the drug trade, or dropping out of school. Not willing to sit back and allow society and poverty to destroy the lives of our children, Wilson began to challenge the men of Miami-Dade County to intervene in the lives of “at-risk” youth. Thus, in March 1993, initiated by the School Board of Miami-Dade County, the 500 African American Male Role Models of Excellence was born. Wilson’s vision gained immediate response from the community and continues to serve as a major force in the transition of raising young boys to become men. In 1994, the name was changed to the 500 Role Models of Excellence Project. Given the increased enrollment of mentors and students it is now recognized as the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project. Adult Role Model men are trained to salvage “at-risk” youth, who are considered candidates for society’s endangered species list. Young males ages 9-19 are paired with successful professional adult volunteers, who provide advice, guidance and educational assistance. The 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project is a dropout prevention, mentoring program committed to closing the minority male achievement (access) gap by guiding minority male students along a carefully charted path through grades K-12 and college or ensuring the attainment of other post-secondary credentials, and increasing their employability in higher wage, high skills jobs within high demand industries. 40 ONYX MAGAZINE
VISION Each minority male student will graduate from high school, go to college, vocational school or the military and be positioned to become a contributing and self-sustaining member of society.
GOALS Our goals are designed to ensure that the youth of Miami-Dade County are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and experiences that will able them to thrive in mainstream America, while instilling in them self-confidence and self-respect. Goal #1: Place at-risk boys in supportive relationships with positive and successful men in the community who they can emulate. Goal #2: Systematically educate program participants about the consequences of succumbing to societal pitfalls and expose them to positive alternatives to self-destructive behaviors. Goal #3: Provide a program infrastructure that will empower adult community Role Models to assume responsibility for preparing young men to effectively deal with the challenges and struggles that threaten their success.
PHILOSOPHY "It takes an entire village to 'educate' one child”. – adapted from an African Proverb We believe the entire community must be involved in the process of changing the direction of our youth. Report from the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Program
