It’s the 27 year anniversary of Young Men’s Educational Network (YMEN) building the leaders of tomorrow throughout multiple different generations. The North Lawndale community has had its fair share of neighborhood heroes, whose purpose has been to uplift the youth while contributing to their growth development.
Over the course of decades youth have been learning, developing relationships, career building, and a willing to serve the communities they have been apart of. Four decades of youth have been a part of the YMEN family constantly evolving each day. Alumni, mentor, and original member of the starting group Will Chatman, shared his views about the upcoming anniversary and what it means to be a part of it.
YMEN was huge gave the motivation for college, being able to go on visits and serving the community. I became a teacher then later decided it, was time to come home to the family to mentor for the next generation just like Mike Trout once did for me. It’s important for the youth to know that they have a voice in their community.
“Now as an adult I realize that their voices are empowering and should be heard now before the become adults. The growth of the program has really shown me from starting from 20 people per night now able to have more staff, community partnerships, and now able to mentor up to 150 youth per night. Being able to see youth grow into leaders from the last 27 years have been amazing I look forward to seeing more for the next 27,” he added.
Evolving the Community with YMEN Alumni
Some alumni have came back to North Lawndale with the knowledge and will power to help the current youth growing up in the community. YMEN has built its generational influence from the leaders they have lifted, nurtured, and mentored over the last 27 years. Another alumni talked about his time and how the organizations support led him to attend college.
I had no direction my senior year of high school, 2018 was a tough for me as I had my son to start the year and my grandfather had passed. I didn’t know how to handle it but the YMEN family supported me and helped guide me back to the path I always believed I wanted. There were college trips to Michigan State, University of Michigan, and others places I only believed would be a prior dream. The staff really was there for me even though I was in a bad place they reminded me family comes in more than one form. The skills I’ve learned with YMEN helped me thrive in college receive my bachelors and has lead me to getting my Master’s.
Generational Investment, Dream Realizations
Larry Chandler, a YMEN alumni, touched on the community engagement and uplifting that was expressed to him during his time in the program.
“As heavily as we were starting to see the effect of masculine positivity, we knew in order to bring the teachings and serving from other perspective hence the female perspective. When Delta / Pearl debut in 2012 it set the tone for what it meant to bring the community together as brothers and sisters,” stated Chandler.
“North Lawndale was at a different place at the time, and YMEN/ Delta made us feel like more than brotherhood it became more family oriented. The experience became motivating like one trip we took at the 2002 Winter Olympics. After experiencing and learning from YMEN something that I realized that’s important is to push forward and be willing to experience change , strive for greatness, a never set a limit. Life is what you make out of it and how you serve others around you in order to build others up.”
Creating relationships and leadership with others are crucial things needed youth development. Founder and Executive Director Mike Trout shared his thoughts about his 27 year experience of building leaders from the community through YMEN.
Family Now, Tomorrow, and Forever
“27 years of YMEN building the leaders of tomorrow really sits with me now that all these years have passed. Some organizations that have helped us grow as a family over the years. Boxing Out Negativity, LAMP, Celestial Ministries, St. Agatha The News School, Restorative Justice HUB are just a few,” stated Trout.
Then we also have partners from local churches and schools such as Elmhurst CRC, Lawndale Lighthouse CRC, and Naperville Covenant. Blue Cross Blue Shield, Obama Foundation, North Lawndale Fresh and CMT Asset Management are all apart of the YMEN family. The most important thing YMEN offers the youth in the community is for each to have a sense of belonging and worth. One of the most gratifying experiences in the last 27 years is when the former students join the staff to help to reinvest into the next generation of students.
YMEN founded in 1996 to support the leadership growth of boys and young men in North Lawndale. YMEN had a vision of the students becoming global citizens while deeply appreciating their own cultures. Congratulations to the Young Men’s Educational Network for 27 years of changing the narrative and changing the world one youth at a time.
Written by Semetrius Holmes
Sources
Interviewed: Anonymous, Will Chapman, Larry Chandler, and Michael Trout on October 26, 2023
Images Courtesy of Young Men’s Educational Network
