Next Gen Social Workers: A pipeline for African American Men

Introduction
Everybody needs to feel like they can talk to someone. This is especially true for teenagers who are

going through a really rough time. Next Gen Social Workers aims to make sure every young person

has a social worker they feel comfortable with. Currently, only 11% of social workers are black males.

Next Gen social workers is the only pipeline to help change that. Next Gen Social Work helps high

school students get into, and succeed, in the field social work so African American young men don’t

have to feel alone.

Need & opportunity

The problem Next Gen Social Workers is solving is that with there are not enough African Americans

males who are in the social work business. In fact, only 11% of social workers are black males.

According​ to Black males are more likely to suffer from depression and other physical and mental

health problems. This problem will still continue through their lives with depression high blood

pressure etc. Black boys can experience difficulty in school and are more likely not to gradute than

any other race. This matters because having social workers who can really relate to these kids will

make a difference in how well they can support them. It's Important to have somebody who

understands your struggle”, especially coming from the same struggle.S Studies have found that

these kids are suffering from not having role models and will experience difficulty in school and are

less likely to graduate and have a high risk at being arrested.

My service
Exposing young African American males to the social work field is necessary because it’s important

for kids to see others who have had the same struggle as they do. They may have a deeper

relationship with their social worker because they may be able to relate better to someone who is the
same race and who has more understanding of their experiences. Next Gen Social Workers has

several parts:

1) Mentorship: I hope to do a mentor match between current Social Workers and students in my

program. The mentors will support the students in my program and help them better

understand what it means to be a social worker.

2) College Visits: I hope to have the students in my program visit colleges to see how it is being a

social worker and to get the experience of a social work program.

3) Community Building: We will hold meetings once a month with students in Next Gen to discuss

issues related to social work including: careers, your own experiences and how they will

impact you, and an introduction to ACES & trauma.

Feasibility
I would say My organization is feasible because I have the direct connection of students who would

want to enter the field of social work. n addition, I will have the resources because of my internship at

People’s Emergency Center and my mentors who are in social work field who would open up for

more opportunities for me to connect with other social workers. I also believe that Universities will

believe in what I'm trying to do, to change the social work field. I think Universities would agree that

only having 11% of African American men in this field is a problem and needs to change.

Competition
Currently, I believe my organization does not have any competitors. There are organizations that

support black male social workers, like Black Men at Penn School of Social Work, but none that

specifically target high school students to recruit new social workers. If we want more diverse social

workers, we need to recruit in high school. Next Gen Social Workers will do exactly that. I can say

from my own experience I didn't understand the field of social work. If it weren't for my internship, I
probably wouldn't have known about it. So, Next Gen Social Workers will make sure people from my

community understand how important the career is and what it takes to become a social worker.

Value Proposition
What my organization will bring is more African American young men into the social. There are too

many young men out there who are suffering and do not have someone of the same race and same

struggle and background to talk to who would understand them in that way. But now with my

organization that will help change the experiences of black youth who are dealing with social workers.

Hopefully because of Next Gen Social Workers we will have more than 11% of black men into the

social work.

Target market
My Target Market is young men and High Schools. The story of these high school students could possibly be

that they have been through something, they may have been through therapy with a therapist they felt did not

understand them. I will also target high school students who are interested in making a difference. The

demographic of this project is students that are 16 and up. It will only primarily be Black men in high school

diploma, but it will be open to other students of color who are also not well-represented in social work. My

organization will give these young people the chance to give back and help with a future career.

Marketing plan
The way I would get this organization out is by visiting other high schools and letting them know what

I want to do with my organization. Then I will host classes that will gain students” interest into learning

more about social work. I will have mentors at these events to help teach the young men and to help

them understand how important it is to have more African American men in social work. People will

figure Next Gen out by attending my classes and speaking with me and the mentors. I will also start a

website that people can visit to learn about Next Gen. Finally, I will have a social media strategy with
highlighting the positive we put in to the organizations and have pictures of the students and they

mentors.

Revenue Model
Next Gen Social Workers will not require a lot of money to run. I will need money to provide for the

circle discussions that I will host. I will order pizza as a way to attract more interest. I believe that

once someone attends one session, they will spread the word and continue to attend without the

incentives of food. I will also needs funds for trips to colleges. However, I hope that colleges will pay

for the trips and provide the buses for my organization. In the first few years, I plan to do small

fundraisers to raise the funds I need for my organization. Eventually, I believe I will be eligible for

government grants, such as National Workforce Diversity Pipeline Program

(​https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=2 lvl=65​) which helps make certain careers

more diverse by focusing on high school students.

Sustainability
Over the first three years of Next Gen Social Workers, my organization will grow in several ways.The

first year I will get donations for my organization that will help me provide food and transportation for

students. I will focus also on getting university attention. I would like to have 3 social workers mentor

3 students to help the kids better understand why they should join this organization. The staffing will

only be me for the first year till I find people to help me with my organization. After year 1 on Year 2 I

will still ask for donation to help provide for the organization. By this time I will have secured 1

university partner with 5 students and 5 mentors and just continue to work for more universities to join

the movement to expand my organization. Staffing will only still be me. In year 3 I will have

Government Grant to cover my organization that will help out with food and trips and etc. I will have
university that will support me and I would like to have two mentors and I hope I can have at least 150

high school students by year 3.

Conclusion
Next Gen Social Workers can change the world by impacting a lot of black youth. A lot of youth make

bad choices when they do not have someone to talk to and understand them. I know this from

personal experiences. By bringing more black men into social work, it will help struggling young

people feel comfortable having someone to talk to. If only 11 percent of social workers are African

American men, there are a lot of young men who may not feel as comfortable and there may not be a

lot of understanding from the social workers, as well. If we want more diverse social workers, we

need to recruit in high school. Next Gen Social Workers will do exactly that by bringing new African

American men into this career.