TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Dozens of young men gathered at Augusta Raa Middle School Saturday for a basketball game, but organizers say the focus went far beyond the court.
The event was part of Troop 300, a Tallahassee-based mentorship program that uses group activities to teach lessons on manhood, discipline and purpose.
Troop 300 was founded by Bishop Quincy Griffin of Family Worship and Praise Center, who said the program was created to address a lack of positive male role models for young men.
“So many young men are looking for attention in all the wrong places,” Griffin said. “We decided to give them a father figure, give them somebody they can look up to or to model themselves after.”
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More than 50 boys are enrolled in the program, which meets every two weeks and connects participants with adult mentors from a range of professions.
Mentors include church members, doctors, professors and entrepreneurs, Griffin said. He added that representation plays a key role in helping mentees see new possibilities for their futures.
For parents like Matletha Bennette, whose 13-year-old son is in the program, the impact is significant. “Being a young Black boy transitioning from middle school to high school, it’s essential that he has positive influences around him,” she said.
Griffin said the mission is simple: invest in young men now to help build strong leaders for the future.
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