Race and Ethnicity Commons^™

Mentoring Black Teens During National Pandemics: Mutually Beneficial Service, Temitope F. Adeoye, Myson Burch, Terrell Glenn, Rachel Scarlett, De'shovon M. Shenault

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Black youth face systemic educational and social barriers that impede their development and achievement. Research shows that mentoring equips youth to tackle these barriers and use their racial background as an asset. Additionally, college students have limited opportunities to engage in long-term service to local communities. The Heads Up Teen Mentoring Program was begun in September 2019 to provide local Black teens access to Black role models committed to helping them achieve their goals. We currently serve five local Black teens and pair them with five Black graduate student mentors. We engage in monthly group and one-on-one sessions with our …