EXP’s Young Fellows Program: A Mentorship Program for Boys of Color

Boys of color continue to face numerous obstacles to succeed in American society and tend to suffer greater economic and social disadvantages compared with other demographic groups. In fact, data shows that boys and young men of color, regardless of socio-economic background, are disproportionately at-risk throughout the journey from their youngest years to college and career. To help improve these outcomes, in January 2021, EXP launched its Young Fellows Program, a mentorship program for boys of color. We are now expanding the reach of this program so more students can benefit.

In support of LAUSD’s Black Student Achievement Plan, Young Fellows Program demystifies what it means to be a successful professional by connecting high school-age boys of color to mentors representative of their own experiences, communities, and backgrounds. It is designed to engage and empower young boys of color through a series of meaningful and impactful mentorship sessions virtually, through a social justice lens.

The goals are that students will emerge from our program with a heightened sense of self-worth and confidence, a game plan for post-high school success, and a new group of mentors who can help guide them.

2022-2023 Participating Schools

2022-2023 Workshops and Speakers

• Workshop #1: Race, Privilege, and the Color of Me: Artnelson Concordia, Santa Barbara Unified Ethnic Studies Coordinator

• Workshop #2: Discovering Your Masculinity: Raymond San Diego, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Asian American Studies Program, Northwestern University

• Workshop #3: Mental Health: Robert Altamirano, Patient Care Manager, APLA Health

• Workshop #4: Passion, Purpose, and Resiliency: JC Lugo, MA, Adjunct Instructor, CSU Dominguez Hills

• Culmination: Anthony D. Mays, Speaker, Career Coach, Software Engineer, and Founder of Morgan Latimer Consulting

2022-2023 Industry Mentors

Highlighted Mentor Partner: Alpha Phi Alpha - Iota Zeta Lambda Chapter

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American Men. Founded on December 4, 1906, at Cornell University, the fraternity was established by seven college men who recognized the need for a strong bond of brotherhood among African descendants in the United States.

With chapters on four continents, the fraternity engages communities throughout the world in the areas of mentoring, education, voter engagement, and elder care through its signature programming.

Alpha Phi Alpha has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community’s fight for civil rights through leaders such as W.E.B. DuBois, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Edward Brooke, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Andrew Young, William Gray, Paul Robeson, and many others. 

Since its founding, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has supplied voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world. 

The Iota Zeta Lambda Chapter of the Fraternity was chartered on May 15, 1968, and has served Compton, Long Beach, and the surrounding South Bay communities for the past 53 years. Mentorship and youth leadership development are key priorities for the chapter’s members.