B-CU Students, Faculty And Staff Participate in Florida High-Risk Delinquent and Dependent Youth Educational Research Project

B-CU Receives Grant Funding to Implement Mentoring Services for Elementary Aged Male Youth

Over 125 mentors, site coordinators, and researchers including B-CU students, faculty and staff recently participated in the Florida High-Risk Delinquent and Dependent Youth Educational Research Project training conference in Orlando. B-CU is one of the 10 Florida universities and colleges grant awardees participating in the $1.56 million funded program. Housed in the B-CU College of Liberal Arts (CLA), the mentoring grant project received $115,000 of the award to implement the High-Risk Delinquent and Dependent Child Educational Research Project, which encompasses the Situational Environmental Circumstances Mentoring Model (SEC). The SEC is a conceptual framework designed to address educational attainment, juvenile delinquency and dependency involvement, cost reductions/avoidance and resource allocations relative to high-risk minority male children, specifically Black male youth in the 3^rd and 4^th grade.

B-CU will serve 30 students from Turie T. Small Elementary for this initiative. Overall, the project will serve 300 high-risk delinquency and dependency involved children. Florida State University will serve as the fiscal agent and the University of Florida will serve as the administrative agent with primary oversight of the research and implementation of the SEC Mentoring Model. UF will collaborate with several diverse higher learning institutions representing the North, Central and Southern regions of Florida. “The event was a success and a great way for students to connect with and influence the future generation,” said Jermaine McKinney, Director of Student Leadership and Male Initiatives. The project will consist of conducting cutting edge research and providing documented mentoring services, as well as provisions for training, technical assistance, and monitoring services. These strategies will include non-traditional engagement methods to assist youth with understanding the importance of personal and educational achievement.

SEC Mentoring Model Colleges and Universities List:

Bethune-Cookman University (Volusia County)

Edward Waters College (Duval County)

Florida A & M University (Leon County)

Florida Memorial University (Dade County)

Florida State University (Leon County),

Palm Beach State College (Palm Beach County)

Pasco-Hernando State College (Pasco & Hernando Counties)

St. Petersburg College (Pinellas County)

University of Florida (Alachua County)

For more information about the Florida High-Risk Delinquent and Dependent Youth Educational Research Project, contact: Dr. Randy Nelson, Program Coordinator, 850-567-0536 or nelsonr@cookman.edu. 

For media inquiries, contact: Ursula James, 386-481-2975 or jamesu@cookman.edu