At-risk youth find 'strength through leadership'

SHEBOYGAN - A former pizza parlor turned mentorship space is helping at-risk youth find the knowledge and skills necessary to make the transition from youth to adulthood.

The brainchild of Lakeland University graduate Courtney Gatlin, the Strength Through Leadership program creates a foundation for growth in teen boys by encouraging confidence and building life skills.

"We try to push toward life skills and give them an expectation of what it is going to cost to live,” Gatlin said.

Gatlin, and two other life-skill coaches, Antonio Humphrey and Andrew Jakus, meet with boys ranging in age from 12 to 16 in after-school programs aimed at building skills and providing structured activities.

“We go to baseball games, hockey games and, on a day-to-day basis, we cook, play video and board games, and go to the YMCA,” Gatlin said. “We talk to them about their problems every day. We let them express themselves the way they know best and, in this space, it’s a lot easier.”

The mentors reward positive choices and try to make the teens more aware of the consequence of negative or destructive decisions. Kids in the program, referred by county social workers, meet four times a week with Gatlin and the other mentors both one-on-one and in group sessions.

The meeting space, housed in an old pizzeria on Superior Avenue, has plenty of options to keep idle hands at play. The group has received donations of fishing poles, bikes, gaming consoles,  ping pong table and a weight set.

“We also do a thing called leadership hour where we sit down and do something that’s culturally enriching," Gatlin said. "We talk about current events, or watch TED talks or other videos to get them engaged.”

Gatlin, originally from St. Louis, relocated to Sheboygan to attend college at Lakeland University. He played football in college and got involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sheboygan County, where he found his affinity for working with kids.

He officially started the program in 2006 with Humphry, and the program has grown ever since.

“We started with one kid, then someone said, ‘Did you ever think about doing group sessions?’” Gatlin said. “The rest of it is history.”

Gatlin said the mentors act as positive male role models and work closely with each teen on an individual basis to enrich their character and find their passions.

“Whatever the kids are into, we try to tap into,” he said. “We like to push them toward something extra, like sports or something that interests them. The main thing is to try and tap into something that interests them and to push them in that direction. If not, we help them find friends they can consider friends.”

The program currently operates through contract with the Sheboygan County Department of Health and Human Services. For more information on Strength Through Leadership, visit stlmentoring.com.

Reach reporter Phillip Bock at 920-453-5121, pbock@sheboyganpress.com, or @bockling on Twitter