Mentoring groups propose in-school 'Boys to Men' and related programs; board pledges support for 2025-26 launch

Three mentoring organizations presented a plan to place trained adult volunteers in Harford County Public Schools during the school day to provide mentoring, character education, tutoring and college/career exposure.

The presenters' Pastor Al Reeves (Boys to Men Mentoring Program), William Howard (Willpower mentoring) and Reverend Dr. Marlon Tillman (Civics and Chess) described in-school mentorship, summer work experiences and a sustainability model that recycles program graduates into volunteer mentor roles. Pastor Reeves said Boys to Men has operated in the county for years and emphasized a mix of academic supports and work-based learning: "We're gonna get these young men jobs even during the school year through Susquehanna Workforce Network," he said.

Why it matters: Presenters told the board the programs are designed to reduce discipline incidents, increase attendance and provide regular one-on-one mentoring during the school day'0 a model the groups said is currently limited by fingerprinting clearance and volunteer onboarding capacity. Board members voiced support and asked staff and the presenters to develop operational details in the coming weeks for a launch at the start of the next school year.

Program details and capacity - Current footprint: presenters named Edgewood, Magnolia and JoppaTown among schools where mentoring is operating in some form; Willpower said it serves Magnolia Elementary, Halls Crossroads Elementary and Edgewood Middle. - Volunteer pool: presenters said they have about 175 potential volunteers prepared to serve in-school and after school; programs emphasized daytime mentoring to be proactive rather than reactive. - Activities: morning arrival character lessons, one-on-one check-ins, tutoring for students who have fallen behind, civics instruction, chess for strategic thinking, summer work programs with Susquehanna Workforce Network for employability and payment to students. - Barriers cited: fingerprinting/onboarding delays and coordination with school schedules and staffing.

Board response and next steps Board members expressed unanimous or near-unanimous support for the concept, asking staff and presenters to build a detailed launch plan. A board member offered to recruit student volunteers (service-hour credit) and several board members volunteered to help with outreach. The board asked staff to work through details including volunteer clearance and how the programs would be integrated into school-day schedules. One board member recommended a full launch at the start of the 2025-26 school year.

Speakers (sources for direct quotes used in this article) - Pastor Al Reeves, Director, Boys to Men Mentoring Program (presenter) - William Howard, Director, Willpower (presenter) - Reverend Dr. Marlon Tillman, Civics and Chess (presenter) - Board president (President Boynton/Pointon) and multiple board members who commented in support

Proper names noted Harford County Public Schools; Boys to Men Mentoring Program; Willpower; Civics and Chess; Susquehanna Workforce Network; Edgewood Elementary; Magnolia Elementary; JoppaTown High School.

Provenance - Presentation start: transcript segment at 5143.44 (introduction of presenters) (topicintro). - Board endorsement and closing: transcript segment at 7276.86'7284.88 (board direction to work on details and target a fall launch) (topicfinish).

Sections:{"lede":"Three community mentoring groups told the Harford County Board of Education on March 24 they have volunteers and program models ready to place mentors in schools during the day to provide character education, tutoring and one-on-one support.","nut_graf":"Presenters described morning arrival lessons, in-class and hallway mentoring, civics and chess enrichment and summer work programs; board members asked staff and the presenters to develop operational details to launch the program next school year.","ending":"Board members and presenters agreed to continue planning and to work on logistical items such as fingerprinting and volunteer clearance with school staff so a countywide launch can be prepared for the 2025-26 school year."}