Breaking Barriers: Innovative Mentoring Approaches for Black Male Students at Community Colleges

Abstract

This chapter will explore how mentorship and leadership can be elevated to effectively reach Black male students. I developed a model for building new, student-led programs and initiatives designed to provide an outlet and safe space for Black students. This model not only fostered a sense of community, but also empowered students to develop life skills, practice authority, and gain autonomy—skills transferable to their future careers. Using Blake McCoskie’s Start Something That Matters as a guide, I created a student-led leadership program that offered one-on-one mentoring and leadership training, while allowing students to take the lead in creating programming, advising peers, and networking both on campus and within the broader community college network across the state. Through the implementation of this model, I have observed significant growth in student leadership and engagement. Throughout this chapter, we will explore the use of this model and its impact on Black male students at my community college.