Becoming a Man (BAM) is a program under the Youth Guidance umbrella. BAM is a school based counseling program that guides young men in 7-12th grades to learn, internalize and practice social cognitive skills, make responsible decisions for their future and become positive members of their school and community. There are six core values throughout the school year we focus on; integrity, accountability, visionary goal setting, positive anger expression, self-determination, and respect for womanhood. BAM formulates clinical theory and practice, men's rites of passage work, and a dynamic approach to youth engagement. I instruct weekly group sessions that are centered around a core value which assist these young men to develop a specific skill set through stories, role-playing and group cohesion and exercises. Young men who participate in BAM are more likely to stay in school, develop healthy relationships, and stay out of the juvenile justice system.
