BROTHER4BROTHER PROGRAM (B4B)
Beta Omega Social Services’ (BOSS) Brother4Brother Program (B4B) is an initiative designed to steer inner-city youth away from crime and anti-social behaviors and towards academic achievement by providing mentoring, positive role modeling, life skills education and cultural enrichment opportunities. B2B targets elementary school African American males in grades 4 through 6 in Washington, DC. BOSS has an established partnership with Ketcham Elementary School in Ward Eight of the District where it is planning to implement B4B.
Program Need
Dropout rates, crime, teen parenting, unemployment and literacy are significant challenges in the District of Columbia. These issues are even more prevalent in Wards 7 and 8, and among African American males. Many African American males fall prey to most of these issues between middle school and high school. There is an array of programs designed for middle school and high school age African American males that attempt to address these issues. However, most of these African American males began experiences negative influences, challenges and trauma that were the catalysts for the issues they would face in middle and/or high school. Therefore, it is the assertion of BOSS that intervention/prevention activities with this population needs to begin at the elementary school level before they make a firm commitment to taking the wrong path and are more amenable to redirection.
Dropout rates, crime, teen parenting, unemployment and literacy are significant challenges in the District of Columbia. These issues are even more prevalent in Wards 7 and 8, and among African American males. Many African American males fall prey to most of these issues between middle school and high school. There is an array of programs designed for middle school and high school age African American males that attempt to address these issues. However, most of these African American males began experiences negative influences, challenges and trauma that were the catalysts for the issues they would face in middle and/or high school. Therefore, it is the assertion of BOSS that intervention/prevention activities with this population needs to begin at the elementary school level before they make a firm commitment to taking the wrong path and are more amenable to redirection.
School Partnership
BOSS has an established partnership with Ketcham Elementary School that began over nine (9) years ago. Since that time BOSS has adopted the school and focuses a large amount of its charitable work on the students there. BOSS has participated at Ketcham in peer education program, career day events and donates gifts to children and their families during the holiday season. It is with B4B that BOSS intends to develop a longstanding program that will benefit both the students that it serves and the school as a whole.
BOSS has an established partnership with Ketcham Elementary School that began over nine (9) years ago. Since that time BOSS has adopted the school and focuses a large amount of its charitable work on the students there. BOSS has participated at Ketcham in peer education program, career day events and donates gifts to children and their families during the holiday season. It is with B4B that BOSS intends to develop a longstanding program that will benefit both the students that it serves and the school as a whole.