BOSS January - May 2023 : Tentative Curriculum

January : Financial Literacy / Academic Success

Academic success starts with motivation.

When people are clear on the Why, then they tend to be more motivated for the
What.
Similarly with nancial literacy, when people are clear on their Why, they invest
their money in ways that aligns with their greatest ambitions.

This month is for mentees to get clear on their Why’s. Continuing o of the
vision board activity we did in the beginning of the year, we’ll have two sessions
this month to engage mentees in clarifying their visions for themselves.

1/23 - Discover what they really care about and what is most important to them.

During dinner, watch Michael Jr. -What and why video

6:20-6:30 : Mantra and talk about the Why of Boss.

6:30-7pm
Mentee Check-in: Questions to clarify your Why.
- What is your personal mission statement for life?
- What is your greatest gift to o er to the world?
- What do you hope people will say about you at your funeral?
7-8pm
Create a Who am I Poster
⁃ One cool thing that I have accomplished is…
⁃ One of my greatest strengths is….
⁃ Something that I want to improve on is….
⁃ Before I die, I want to…
⁃ I want to become a master of…
⁃ If I had 1 million dollars, I would…
⁃ If I was president of the USA, I would….

Encourage mentees to add drawings and to bring in photos for next week.

1/30 - Finish and present posters.

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6:30-7pm
Finish working on Who Am I posters. Add photos.

7-7:45pm
Mentees set up posters around the room. Mentors, mentees, and parents can
walk around the room and view the posters.

February : African American History month

Look back on where you’ve been to understand where you’re going.

Building on the visioning we did in January, this month we will engage mentees
in better understanding their identity as black boys and young men through
learning about their history.

2/6 - What do mentees already know about African American History?

2/13 - Prepare for talent show - a skit, video, presentation, drawings.

Present content drawn from a famous African American gure.

2/27 - Talent show / Historical gure pro le presentation.

March - Life Skills

These are the keys to a rich and ful lling life. From relationships &
communication to domestic responsibilities & civic engagement to creative self-
expression & lifelong learning.
This month is focused on the skills needed to: enjoy loving relationships with
friends and family; work harmoniously with other team members; maintain a
comfortable home; participate in and contribute to their community; stay playful
and curious as long as they live.

3/6 - Sex ed / dating / relationships.

3/13 - Family. Being a parent / care-giver. Being a sibling.

3/20 - Plan the banquet

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 3/27 - Mentees host a banquet. Setting tables, decorating, preparing a meal,
serving the meal, cleaning up, entertainment.

April - Physical / Mental Health Awareness

Physical health is mental health.

This month is about supporting mentees in learning how to care for their bodies
and minds.

4/3
⁃ Setting exercise / mindfulness goals
⁃ Meditation

[April 8-9] - camping trip?

4/17 - Plan eld day

4/24 - Collaborate with YMCA (safe places to play) - eld day - events, relay
races, competitions, color war…

[April 29-30] camping trip?

May - Cultural Competency

Mentoring helps to expand mentees' perspectives of what's possible. From

visiting foreign lands to hiking in the woods, this month, we’ll be supporting
mentees in learning to be adaptive and resilient as they interact with ever-
changing settings and circumstances.

5/1 - Ecuador / Central America educational experience. Museum, video,

speaker?

5/8 - Plan for culture expo. Research. Comparing / Contrasting di erent

cultures.

5/15 - Culture expo - foods, music, traditions from di erent cultures

[May 20-21] - camping trip for kids not going to Ecuador?

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Notes for Mentors:

This curriculum is completely adaptable. It’s meant to be a conversation starter

for us and to be a way for us all to be on the same page each week.

Gather questions that you would like to have as conversation-starters for

mentee check-in’s - questions that align with the purpose of the month.

Consider experiential forms of learning that go beyond sitting and talking (arts,
games, activities)

View the last session of each month (My Why presentation, Talent show,
Banquet, Field Day, Culture Expo) as opportunities for mentees to demonstrate
what they’ve learned.

Consider breaking boys out into smaller groups and then returning to the big
group at the end (as a way for boys to have more intimate interactions with each
other and get to know boys they might not usually spend time with).