Boys To Men Mentoring NZ

WE EMPOWER AND ENCOURAGE NZ BOYS TO FOLLOW THEIR DREAMS and become proud contributing men….

Boys To Men Mentoring New Zealand are honoured to offer male youth with a unique and successful youth group mentoring programme from San Diego. The Boys To Men Mentoring (BTM) programme will change the lives of New Zealand male youth who have no positive male role models in their lives.

Parents have a tough time ensuring that their sons find positive influences outside of the house. BTM help by providing an environment where boys can discover those positive qualities about themselves to help visualize and create a path towards vital and positive manhood.

We offer boys:

• A community of mentors and role models who listen, encourage and believe in them.

• A community where boys are empowered to speak their truth, and encouraged to take responsibility for their choices.

• A community where boys see their peers facing similar challenges, and realise that they are NOT ALONE in their struggles.

The BTM programme gives boys higher self-esteem, empowered sense of self, and a greater capacity for compassion and empathy. These valuable life skills give them the tools they need to become a better man. The desired outcomes of the program are to produce boys who become leaders, productive citizens, successful businessmen, gainfully employed, educated, managing their emotions, and participating actively in their families and communities.

HOW WE ACHIEVE OUR OUTCOME

BTM meetings are facilitated by one or more BTM staff members, and supported by volunteer mentors. Mentors and staff build a connection and trust, by sharing their own experiences that they had as teenagers, and the lessons they learned from those decisions.

Mentors are interviewed to ensure they are a good fit to mentor. Prior to acceptance, mentors will be police checked, and complete the BTM Mentors Induction programme. Mentors are trained not to give advice or attempt to tell teenage boys what to do, they show them.

Our weekly meetings combine fun, leadership opportunities, peer mentoring and self-esteem building exercises also sport and adventure weekends.

The meetings follow a 32-week curriculum designed to help teenage boys cope with typical problems and issues at home and school, and bring awareness and intention to the important choices all boys face in their adolescent development. We combine learning, fun, leadership opportunities, peer mentoring and self-esteem building exercises. Every meeting begins with a mentor sharing his personal story about the weeks’ topic. He talks about the lessons he learned, and the long-term consequences of his actions. The mentor does not teach or lecture, he just tells his story.

The group aspect of the weekly meetings gives boys access to a variety of male role models. These mentors show up consistently, tell the truth about their struggles as men, ask the boys what kind of man they want to be, praise them for their unique gifts, support them when they screw up, and encourage them to become that good man they all want to be.

An example of discussion topics include:

• What is your dream? What are you doing or not doing to achieve that dream?

• What kind of man do you want to be? What will you need to do to become that man?

• What kind of role model is your father?

• What are you afraid of?

• What masks do you wear to hide what is really going on inside you?

• How does peer pressure affect you?

Every fourth week, the whole group participate in a fun, physical activity like touch or basketball. Playing together is an important part of the programme component that deepens the connection between boys and mentors.

As part of staying within the BTM community, boys are able to continue within the programme to continue been part of the BTM community. Some of the San Diego boys have been part of their BTM community for many years, with some becoming a BTM mentor themselves.

Additional programme elements include bi-monthly weekend activities, including community service projects, campouts, outdoor games and leadership development weekends. We encourage families to be part of these activities.

This approach builds a connection and trust that allows boys and men to talk openly about the challenges in their lives, and support each other in our journey to become better men.

BTM is in the process of creating a partnership with local schools and youth organisations. We are extremely fortunate to be able to collaborate with other like-minded organisations to provide greater support for male youth.

One of our points of difference is our mentoring occurs within a group session. If further support is required outside of our weekly meetings, phone calls, texts, Skype, or meeting in person is available.

The long-term outcome for the BTM New Zealand programme is boys in the community who have met their educational goals, developed the ability to make good decisions, and who understand the consequences of their actions. This results in a huge benefit to our community with new role models for others.