Dear Families, 

There is a mentorship program available for male students through a partnership with the National Hook Up of Black Women, Inc., Joliet Chapter. The program’s goal is to educate and empower boys and young men of color to think beyond their current circumstances and to equip them with tools and resources that will help them achieve their dreams and goals. The program, led by Mr. Ade Akisanya, aims to develop each child’s mindset through culturally relevant conversations and interactions that will help them develop the skills and habits necessary to navigate life in a positive and productive way. The mentorship program components include the following: 
●     Restorative practice for families 
●     Chess (and its parallels to life) 
●     Talking circles to discuss conflict, goals, social media, etc. 
●     Supporting parents with healthy ways to engage in difficult conversations with their child 
●     Techniques for re-integration into school after periods of short and long absences. 
●     Healthy ways of coping with stress, school, change and life challenges. 
 
All interested students and families receive an invitation to a mixer and community connector event that includes food, games, music, and prizes. View flyer HERE for more information. 

If you are interested in this program, email the participant’s name, age, grade and contact information to ygarza1312@gmail.com or contact the NHBW office at (815) 862-2140.  

About Mr. Abe Akisanya 
Abe Akisanya is a Social and Emotional Learning Specialist. He served in the United States Marine Corps as a Comm Tech and completed two tours in the Somali conflict. Since then, Ade has worked in the educational field as a Director of School Culture for several charter schools and prior to his current role, he was the Dean of Students at Kelvyn Park High School. A major focal point in Ade’s work has been in developing school staff, teachers’ and students’ capacity to achieve targeted school wide results by implementing restorative and social emotional techniques. He is a certified Trainer of Trainers (TOT) in the restorative practice and received his licensure from the International Institute if Restorative Practice (IIRP).