On Education Boys & Bow Ties
WRITTEN BY ANTHONY RAO When you were a child, who did you imitate? It may have been one of your parents, a teacher or another respected adult in the community. For many children, mentors to mirror are hard to come by, or more are necessary to help them see the leadership qualities that can help them set their future on the right path. With that in mind, the administration at the Beverly Shores Elementary School in Leesburg has begun a new program, Boys & Bow Ties Leadership Academy. “What we noticed is there were several students who needed extra support for grades, behavior and attitude. We found that in our different roles, as administrators and guidance counselors, we were frequently discussing the same students. As a result, we identified the top 50 students and decided to put a plan in place for them. They have abilities but are not realizing their potential. We are going to help them meet their academic potential from a leadership standpoint,” said Principal Monica Gordon. Local churches and non-profit organizations have heeded the call and will be providing male mentors for the students. The Citadel of Hope’s Apostle Dannie Williams, the group Men of Distinction’s Pastor John Christian, also a Leesburg City Commissioner, the Frontier Church’s Pastor Steve Yates, Faith Community Church’s Pastor Jason Kelley, the Genesis Center’s Pastor Ken Scrubbs and Pernell Mitchell with Drug Free, Inc. are amongst the people who will be helping with these efforts. “We have tutoring and we are in contact with parents, but concentrating efforts on leadership training to help connect these boys to their future is the goal of this program. We can make a difference. With a focus on leader-
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ship, we can not only impact their outer appearance, but also the inside of how they feel. Male mentors are the mirror for their future,” continues Gordon.
Just like the mentors who will be guiding the boys, the students will be required to wear black bottoms, white shirts, a belt, nice shoes, and of course, a bow tie (which can be any color.) Before the induction ceremony in January, mentors will have a chance to assist the boys and their families in choosing suitable attire. Helping them take pride in how they look is one of the ways that the program is trying to bolster the confidence the children need to be successful. Four times a month the mentors and students will gather on Wednesday afternoons to have meetings covering character development and community involvement. These meetings will also include a chance for the mentors and other community leaders to speak with the children about how they can make the right choices now to put themselves on a path to a successful future. Yolanda Presley and Calvin Brown, the school’s Potential Specialists, are going to provide liaison services between the parents, children and mentors. Helping bridge the gap from the campus to the home in hopes of affecting the outlook of the entire family and the future of their children.
to make sure that we offset issues that could stifle these boys. We want to raise their grades and help them academically, but also we will monitor more than scores. Their behavior in and out of the classroom will help invoke character development for all of their activities,” says Presley. Eventually, as students become more invested in the program, Principal Gordon wants the boys to adopt a community project or event to take them off campus to see what they can do to make a difference. The goal is to have that set up by the school year’s end. Not to worry, the girls aren’t being left out. The reason the Boys & Bow Ties program is begininning first, is that upon examination of student circumstances, 95% of the students they needed to target were boys. Plans are in place to start a girls’ Leadership Academy once the boys’ program is underway. If you or your organization are interested in getting involved, whether to mentor, contribute financially, or possibly to offer your services as a speaker for one of the program’s meetings, you can contact Presley or Brown at Beverly Shores by calling 352.787.4175.
“We need to be intention- Mentors from the Boys & Bow Ties program are preparing to kickoff the proal and impact- gram January 20, with an induction ceremony taking place on January 14. Photo by Bonnie Whicher ful in order
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January 2016