At-Risk Mentoring 

Project:  They Can't Have Us!

"Project: They Can’t Have Us!" is a mentoring program designed to change the course of the lives of high-risk youth/teens (mentee) who are headed for a life of incarceration or surrounded by negative activity that puts them at risk of incarceration. 

The goal of this project is to successfully establish a personal relationship between the mentor and mentee; to help the mentee establish life skills that will redirect his/her life; to help the mentee understand community resources regarding substance abuse or other threatening activities.  Mentors will be challenged to better understand multi-cultural issues currently affecting youth.

What Makes This Mentoring Program Different from Others?

OUR MENTORS!  Each mentor has mentorship certification and has been extensively trained to deal with youth involved in "critical" high-risk activity.  Our mentors are totally committed to changing lives.  Our approach to mentoring is not based on receiving extra credit for a course, collecting a paycheck or extra community service. Mentoring is an intricate part of each mentor's life!

These mentors are made up of diverse high-risk experiences.  As teens (some as young as 10 years old), one or more of these individuals sold drugs, used drugs, dated drug dealers, were in gangs or dated gang members and/or leaders, sold guns, used guns, have been shot or stabbed, lived in crack houses with their parents, have been homeless as teens or young adults, have been teenage mothers, have dealt with feelings of depression and suicide, have experienced domestic abuse and have spent time in juvenile institutions.  ALL are now reformed, some are married, raising families and are either employed, in college or both. 

These young adults mentor from experience and that is what is needed to meet the challenges of high-risk youth in today's society.

ARISE Life-Skills Management Training

Our mentoring project has two certified Master ARISE Life-Skills trainers and over 15 certified ARISE Life-Skills Management instructors.  The ARISE program has been used successfully in after-school programs, alternative school settings, youth groups, churches and juvenile delinquent facilities and community programs worldwide.  Visit www.ariselife-skills.org for complete information on this foundation.

Contact us if you are interested in professional staff ARISE training at your facility or if you want our mentors to implement this unique program to your youth.

This mentoring group is listed at www.mentoring.org.

 At-Risk Mentoring Staff:

General email

Davonne Barlow, Iesha Cotton, Ian Herron, Rev. Tevin Gardner, TyAisha Gardner, Kiahnna "KiKi" Key, Nikko Mapson, Rev. Sean Riddle, Rev. Lawrence Suggs, Tomesha Suggs