The Columbus chapter of 100 Black Men of America Inc. is planning its annual Protégé Banquet, scheduled to take place later this month on the Mississippi University for Women campus.
The event will be held April 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the Hogarth Center. The guest speaker will be state Rep. Tyrone Ellis, along with musical guests the Rev. James Covington and the Men of Praise.
Proceeds from the event will go toward funding a mentoring program. Currently, there are 14 students from seventh to 12th grades enrolled in the program.
Membership provides participants with academic support, counseling, opportunities to examine various professions and participation in character-building exercises designed to create a well-rounded, civic-minded citizen. The group hopes this early intervention will assist in preparing the students for college.
The mentoring program formally began in 1997 when the chapter”s members adopted 15 sixth-grade students with the assistance of area school counselors.
This year, in collaboration with the Mississippi School of Math and Science, members will continue the summer enrichment program in which 20-25 youths from the Golden Triangle will spend a week in a college environment in math and science classes.
In addition to the summer enrichment program, the chapters has implemented a new project aimed at educating pre-kindergarten students, 3 to 4 years old. This year, with help from the Waterford Research Institute, The Colom Foundation, James Parkinson and the United Christian Baptist Church, the 100 Black Men of Columbus and Golden Triangle Inc. established a computer-based literacy program at the United Christian Child Development Center.
This is a pilot program that provides each child with individualized learning opportunities designed to help them succeed academically two grade levels ahead of their counterparts upon entry into kindergarten.
The Protégé Banquet is the organization”s major fundraising event for the year.
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