MENTORING PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE STUDENTS’ SELF-PERCEPTION

African American males face an uphill battle to success as a result of the negative narratives and images of them portrayed over the years (Appling & Robinson, 2021; Barnett & Flynn, 2014; Fultz& Brown, 2008; Jenkins 2006; Noguera, 2003; Orrock & Clark, 2015; Wyatt, 2009). Mentoring has been one form of intervention put in place to combat the struggles of achievement by these young men. This mixed methods research offers mentoring as a preventive measure with additional components added to the vast research on improving efforts for mentoring youths, specifically, the mentoring of African American males. A purposeful and snowball sampling produced 20 African American males, all from an urban high school who participated in mentoring during their youth. A Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and demographic surveys were administered to all 20 participants and follow-up interviews were conducted with 11 of these young men. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and coding of the qualitative data in which themes emerged to address the research questions posed. The results considered mentees' experiences and determined that RSES scores were indicative of the characteristics participants displayed in connection with their self-perception. The participants who engaged in an interview formulated components of mentoring that promote their positive self-perceptions. Guidance during structured weekly meetings that encouraged open discussions in a safe environment was a prominent mentoring component among the interviewees. Additional elements of mentoring that the participants referenced to support the development of positive self-perceptions were opportunities offered for leadership roles, the encouragement of a cultural Brotherhood among the members, and support from each other and adult role models. Both the participants from school-based mentoring programs and those who received mentorship naturally engaged in conversations about how being recognized for their achievements made them feel celebrated, optimistic, and driven. The template offered by participants for mentoring African American adolescent males consists of utilizing the components compiled to promote their self-perception in a safe place where they can lead, and the mentor facilitates. Implications for practice would include consistency in meeting, promoting individuality and Brotherhood, and celebrating culture and achievements.