Man-Up - Young Men of Pine Ridge

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 20

The grant by W.I.N.G.S. was a huge help to the Man-Up Club I ran at Pine Ridge Middle School this year. Because of the funds that I received, I was able to do the following:

• Take the young gentlemen out for a lunch at Sweet Tomatoes and to let them pick out a shirt and tie from Marshall's

• Hold a pizza party celebrating their success when all of them learned how to tie a necktie by themself

• Order Bow Ties & shirts for each of the young gentlemen, as well as two belts for 2 young men who couldn't afford it on their own.

• Purchase awards and a gift card for them to use to buy more clothing on Amazon

• Have an End-Of-The Year Virtual Banquet from Noodles Cafe of Naples

At each club meeting, I always taught them many things that will help them to become a true gentleman. I taught them the following lessons:

• How to be a true gentleman: Manners and How to Treat Other People With Respect - with this lesson which I broke into 3 weeks we had discussions on things such as opening doors for people, how to hold respectful conversations, looking for ways to help others, how to greet people, and the importance of respecting their peers and elders.
• How to tie Neckties and Bow Ties - a skill that many of them said they were happy to learn because they would need to know how to do that the rest of their life. I taught them the importance of dressing for success and that what you wear, leaves an impression with people and you want to make a good impression.
• How to iron clothing - Many of the young men did not know how to do this and they really appreciated learning this because they said that many times they wore wrinkled clothing to school. After this lesson, many of them came to school with freshly ironed clothing. Some young men even ironed their polo shirts, blue jeans, and even some of their T-Shirts.
• Moving from a Fixed Mindset to a Growth Mindset - The Assistant Principal of Discipline came and gave a session on how it can change their life and they way they think if they go through life looking for ways that they can grow. Many of the young men told me this was one of their favorite meetings of the year.
• Table and Dinner Etiquette - The young men learned about proper table manners, what each piece of silverware and flatwear on the table was at a fancy restaurant and the order in which to use them, and how they should treat servers and how to behave while eating at a restaurant.
• How to master job interviews - I used my experience as a former Human Resources Specialist to teach them how to make a good resume and how they can go into a job interview and master it! This was a fun lesson that I broke into two sessions.

At the few other meetings we had, I would give them some time to discuss school concerns or ask me questions that they may have on how to approach certain things in their own lives. It was a great opportunity for the boys to build a bond with me and each other.

This was my third year running this club, my first with a Champions for Learning Classroom Grant, and I can say that this was my best year yet. The young gentlemen I had really bought into the program and they learned a lot. Although Covid-19 put a wrench in my 4th quarter plans for the club, I was still able to get half of the gentlemen back online and meeting with me virtually twice a week. I can say that the boys and I made a true bond this year and they formed some great bonds together. I am truly blessed to have been a mentor for them and help make a difference in their lives and I am grateful for my classroom grant that helped me to achieve this.