Supporting Young Men of Color at Lane Tech High School

Dean of Students Dom Martin and some of his colleagues at Lane Tech College Prep High School noticed a trend involving many of the school’s young men of color. Their grades and attendance were quite where they should have been. Students expressed that they didn’t have trusted connections with either the adults in the building or their peers. 

So, the school responded by creating a mentorship program called My Brother’s Keeper. Students meet during the school day to ensure that they have the resources and support needed to succeed. We connected with Dean Martin to learn more about how the program is going. Read what he had to say below.

How has the program been going so far this year? 

It’s been going really well. We’ve decided that each month will deal with a different topic. The first month was about building community, and from there we focused on character development. We realized that some of our students didn’t even know what integrity meant, so we worked with them to see how integrity and strong character can be beneficial to them. 

Attendance continues to grow each time we get together. The students actually just voted on the logo they wanted to use for the program. We also have exciting mentorship opportunities and trips still to come. 

What are your goals for the program this year? 

I have three main goals. First, I want the students to get the easy things right. What I mean by this is being kind, being on time, becoming more dependable, and other qualities that are in their control that will pay dividends as they grow older. Second, I want them to become pillars here at Lane Tech. I believe this can happen by helping them learn how to speak well so people will listen to their ideas and determine how they can help create solutions to the problems they see at school. 

We know if we achieve those first two goals, everything else will follow. So, my last goal is for them to grow holistically. I want to see their grades, attendance, and relationships with staff members to continue moving in a positive direction. 

How has student voice shaped the program? 

Our guys have been pouring in their ideas of what to do and how to do them, which has been really cool to see. They are taking more ownership of their experiences in the program, and that has made it a great space for them to express how they are doing and what they are feeling, while learning to be vulnerable, humble, and empathetic. 

What advice would you give to another school that wants to create a similar program? 

I would recommend laying out what you want a graduate of the program to look like. You should think about the skills and values you want them to take with them. From there, you can create ways to model those qualities every step of the way. In other words, when you start with the end in mind, you can figure out exactly how to get there. 

What is your message to the young men who are currently in the program? 

I know that they have lofty goals, and I want them to remember that reaching those goals is the result of a lot of super small decisions that build up over time. By working on those smaller steps first, they can discover their purpose and reach their goals.