Youth Mentoring Impact | 100 Black Men of Coastal NC
Six middle schools. More than 180 students. A year of youth mentoring built on one promise: keep showing up.
From August through June, mentors from 100 Black Men of Coastal North Carolina returned to schools across Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender counties.
We listened. Shared our experiences. Came back.
Families paid nothing to participate. Cost should never stand between a young person and someone willing to invest in their future.
What Youth Mentoring Meant to Students
One student put it this way:
"I like this program because the mentors are role models and they tell us about their past experiences to better help us in the future."
Role models. People whose experiences can help a young person think through their own choices.
Another student shared:
"I get to learn more about my culture and how I can succeed in the future and learn from people that became successful."
That answer connects culture, success, and possibility. It speaks to the value of learning from people whose lives offer a view of what could come next.
A third student wrote:
"I would recommend a friend because many of my friends can learn and it could change them."
A program worth sharing with a friend. That is feedback worth hearing.
What Parents Noticed at Home
Parents shared changes they saw beyond the school day:
"My child continues to show a lot of respect, stays more focused, and is getting serious about his grades."
Another parent wrote:
"My child talks about the mentoring program all the time!"
More focus. More talk about school and mentoring. These parents’ words give us a glimpse of what students carried home.
What These Stories Tell Us
These comments describe individual experiences. They help us understand what mattered to the people who shared them.
They do not tell us how every student experienced the program. They also do not prove that mentoring alone caused a change in grades, focus, or behavior.
We want to celebrate progress and be clear about what we can measure. Both matter.
How We’ll Track Youth Mentoring in 2026–27
Our next step is to strengthen end-of-year surveys for students, parents, and mentors.
We plan to tally each response and report how many people answered each question alongside the results. Readers should be able to see where a number came from—and what it means.
The stories matter. So does the count.
Help Us Keep Showing Up
Four hours a month. That is the mentoring commitment we ask you to consider.
Bring your experience. Your patience. Your willingness to listen and return.
You do not need a perfect life to offer a useful lesson. You do need to keep your word.
What They See Is What They'll Be®
Help make that promise visible. Become a mentor, explore chapter membership, or give to support mentoring at no cost to families.
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