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YEAR IN REVIEW

We are very pleased to share our 2021 Annual Review, highlighting some of the accomplishments of the year. None of our work happens without your generous support, and we thank you wholeheartedly.

Youth Mentoring is an important part of our society’s development process. To that end, it is our desire to reduce the dropout rate at schools we currently serve in Atlanta by 70 percent over the next three years and increase academic achievement levels.

We are counting on your help in making it possible to increase the number of mentees we serve as there are nearly 18 million young Americans who are in need of or desire mentoring.

Sincerely,
Horace Dukes
Founder & Chief Executive Officer

PROGRAMS PURPOSE

Each program is in alignment with the purpose of the Dukes Foundation, which is to provide a vehicle for at-risk, low-income, unmotivated young men to drive past adverse circumstances to excellence; to provide mentorship for those students who are in need of guidance; to introduce young men to the fact that they are in control of their lives, their internal state of mind, and of what they give and accomplish in life; to grow and transform the resulting culture of excellence into a culture of outward altruism and internal growth; to resolve, find and develop leaders today to problems of tomorrow; and to instill mindful living SELF (Serenity, Exercise, Love and Food).

By conducting these programs, the Dukes Foundation will meet its purpose of serving underprivileged, low-income, at-risk young men by providing a vehicle to drive past adverse circumstances to excellence. These programs will be market through our future website, email campaigns, community leaders, and mail solicitation. The Dukes Foundation will fund these programs through individual and corporate contributions.

Areas of Mentoring Concentration

  • Enhancing Academic Attitude & Performance
  • Providing Peer & Social Skills
  • Developing & Mentoring Lifelong Learners
  • Cultivating Personal Growth & Creativity
  • Providing Opportunities for Leadership & Community Services
  • Nourishing Psychological and Physical Wellness

Academic Attitude and Performance
The purpose of this program is to provide each young man with the nurturing, support, and guidance to reinforce their needs and mental attitude in regards to academic performance, achievement, and success. A keen interest shall be placed on the importance of a quality education, along with the results of such. The program will include providing the young men with positive interaction and exposure to successful noted figures from around the city of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and the nation from all walks of life. Be they professional and semi – professional athletes, artist, political figures, etc. These encounters will serve as a mechanism for whatever destination each young man shall select for himself in life. The inspiration from these encounters should foster a since of pride, self-respect, and self-determination for each young man as he journeys forth and selects a career.

We will present each young man with modern note-taking techniques that will enable him to retain more from text readings, oral reports, classroom lectures or presentations, and individual research. These techniques of clear, organized, and comprehensive notes will assist these young men during the time of study for a test, reports, and presentations. This should also foster a sense of confidence and reassurance of their academic ability.

In an effort to help students entering grades 9 through 12 prepare for college with new learning and life skills that are critical for success at the next level, we will provide each young man with comprehensive 90-minute academic sessions devoted to ACT prep, SAT prep, CRCT prep, ITBS prep, and test-taking preview and skills. In this session, our facilitators compare and show the differences between the various standardized tests, giving an overview of each and discussing how each is scored. We also go “behind the scenes” by sharing ACT, SAT, CRCT, and ITBS test strategies, techniques and tips. In addition, sample test questions will be administered to each student as a way to introduce the thought processes to use when taking either test.

We will further provide them with the college application process as well as campus tours to various college campuses throughout the south. The tours will not be limited to just the south, but to those colleges and universities that the young men may find themselves interested in attending as well.

Social Skills
The Dukes Foundation program, Peer and Adult and Social Skills, is a program designed to teach social skills, anger management skills, problem solving skills, decision-making skills, and other various life skills. Students will also have the opportunity to express themselves in writing by keeping a daily journal.

The goal is to focus on interpersonal and social problem-solving interventions; thereby, inspiring the young men to positively solve problems related to social interactions with peers. In addition, cognitive mediation strategies would also be taught. These strategies will assist the young men in recognizing and understanding the importance of responsibility of self. The young men will engage in activities centered on self- instruction, self-monitoring, self- evaluation and self-reinforcement.

By conducting this program, the Dukes Foundation would promote the much-needed social skills, which is in alignment with its mission statement to “provide the tools, opportunities, and support to help at-risk young men dream, achieve and become healthy, successful adults.” This program will be market through our future website, email campaigns, community leaders, and mail solicitation. The Dukes Foundation will fund this program through individual and corporate contributions.

Life Long learner
The Dukes Foundation program, Development of Life Long Learners, objective is to help facilitate the young men’s academic and career choices by making each of them aware that there must be a degree of devotion to the pursuit of learning. Participation in this program will afford each young man the opportunity to be surrounded by interesting, like-minded individuals interested in pursuing learning. To assist with this effort, each young man will be given the opportunity to develop a unique relationship with a mentor. Each mentor will be a career oriented individual, dedicated and knowledgeable in his/her work, which is willing to take the time to share his/her professional experiences. The vision of the young men’s academic and career paths would be clarified by demystifying any false projections they have. The role of the mentor would be to pass on knowledge, experience, and judgment, and/or to provide guidance and support.

Our mentors will provide support in academic and social development. They will serve as role models, offering friendship, guidance, and stability. We see our mentors as ones who will represent a commitment to values, as well as promote a sense of personal growth, foster self-realization, help broaden opportunities, and assist in making intelligent choices. Our overall goal of this program is to improve at-risk young men chances for achieving both academic and career related goals by linking them to resources and support not otherwise available.

The Lifelong Learner program embraces each program of the Dukes Foundation, for each program seeks to ensure that each young man continues to learn academic and social skills that are necessary for success in life. As a lifelong learner, the young men would understand that there must be a degree of devotion to the pursuit of learning.

Benefits: Protégés gain a role model, knowledge, broaden their experiences, receive academic and career guidance, and help in planning for the future. Moreover, the mentors also benefit. They gain a sense of personal satisfaction, a feeling of accomplishment, enhanced self-esteem, and a sense of usefulness.

By conducting this program, the Dukes Foundation would adhere to its belief that education is a lifelong endeavor, which is in alignment with its mission statement to “provide the tools, opportunities and support to help at-risk young men dream, achieve and become healthy, successful adults.” This program will be market through our future website, email campaigns, community leaders, and mail solicitation. The Dukes Foundation will fund this program through individual and corporate contributions.

Personal Growth and Creativity
The purpose of this program is to provide each young man with a mentor to assist, motivate and encourage each young man toward personal growth and the development of creativity. It is further designed to explore their individual human potential, to experience personal positive stages in life, and to determine a career or careers path for their lives.

Providing mentors for each young man will serve as a vehicle to teach the principles and ideas that these men of success have discovered in their journey in life. The interaction will not be limited to one on one conversations and interactions and social outings, but and in numerous personal development and personal growth books, courses, seminars, and lectures. We will enlist the support of Morehouse School of Medicine, Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University, Emory University, Georgia State University, Grady Hospital Systems and Piedmont Physician Group.

The lecture and courses will consist of, but will not be limited to:

  • Personal Growth and Personal Development Pays Huge Dividends
  • How to Stop Criticizing Yourself
  • Stress Management
  • Personal Tragedy: How to Manage
  • Time Management

As a direct result of this program, students will be able to be productive taxpaying citizens and establish or determine their place in society. One of the major results of this program will be the removal of low self-esteem, no self-confidence, poor self-image, and the terror of speaking in public. Through the introduction, instruction, support, and experience of public speaking, this portion of the program will assist with the demonstration of the young men’s creativity.

This program will not be limited to public speaking, spoken word, and self-expression. It will also encompass the arts, the performing arts, technology, spirituality, the sciences, business, culture, and design. We will utilize programs and activities provided by the Center for Puppetry Arts, The Fernbank Museum, The High Museum of Arts, Georgia Institute of Technology, and The Atlanta Cultural Center.

These activities will be designed to balance competition, cooperation, and fun with other experiences with family, friends, and school. This will result in well-rounded, self-assured productive young men.

By conducting this program, the Dukes Foundation would promote personal growth and creativity, which is in alignment with its mission statement to “provide the tools, opportunities and support to help at-risk young men dream, achieve and become healthy, successful adults.” This program will be market through our future website, email campaigns, community leaders, and mail solicitation. The Dukes Foundation will fund these programs through individual and corporate contributions.

Leadership and Community Service
The purpose of this program is to provide each young man with leadership training in the rules, regulations, and guidelines of Roberts Rules of Order, Parliamentary Procedure, the Political Process, and Campaigning. Workshops will be held to expose the young men to traits, standards and profiles of a good leader. We will utilize local elected officials (i.e., the Georgia general assembly, office of the mayor, etc.) to secure internships and terms as general assembly page to provide first- hand experience in the political process. We will offer our assistance (as volunteers: community service), to various candidates for public office to further provide first-hand, on the job training of the political process.

We will provide other opportunities for students to develop their leadership skills through participation in clubs, organizations, and community resources that are in need of volunteers and other means of assistance.

This program (The Community Service Program) is designed for the young men to make intricate decisions to help others, give back to the community and learn more about their community, and the needs of the community as well. We are committed to providing an atmosphere, which is conducive to inquiry and intellectual growth, both inside and outside the classroom. Therefore, we will provide the young men with a series of monthly community service projects that will be established with local non – profit organizations, to afford the young men an opportunity to participate in performing services to their community in which they live.

The end results should foster the young men to demonstrate character, self-respect, and reverence for others who may be less fortunate than them and encouraged by their actions.

By conducting this program, the Dukes Foundation would promote leadership and community service, which is in alignment with its mission statement to “provide the tools, opportunities, and support to help at-risk young men dream, achieve and become healthy, successful adults.” This program will be market through our future website, email campaigns, community leaders, and mail solicitation. The Dukes Foundation will fund these programs through individual and corporate contributions.

Psychological and Physical Wellness

The Dukes Foundation remains committed to its mission “…to develop the whole young man for academic performance and for life through excellent education.” In educating young men to be whole, it is the belief of the Dukes Foundation that each young man must be taught about health and wellness, reinforcing these values as foundations for good living. While teaching about health and wellness is not new to the Foundation, we are focusing our efforts and heightening community awareness by implementing a Health and Wellness Initiative.

This Wellness program will be beneficial to these young men because we are offering our students a variety of age-appropriate discussions and speakers. Our aim is to equip students so that they may make positive, educated choices that will allow them a healthy emotional and physical lifestyle.

Stress Management

  • Managing stress
  • Serving the needs of the “whole person”
  • Addressing all dimensions of health
  • Building on the inherent strengths of students
  • Identifying protective factors and risk factors
  • Promoting a partnership between the school and the family
  • Emphasizing the importance of balance and individuality