Project X-Men
In many ways, male adolescence is a virtual obstacle course. The hurdles are many, from raging hormones, possible experimentation with drugs, bad grades and even the weight of teenage fatherhood.
In an attempt to combat some of the negative aspects of adolescence for males, RCHF’s
Project X-Men offers young adolescent men continued support through education and mentorship. It provides them with the necessary skills to make the most of both their current and future opportunities. The program gives male youth a sense of purpose, competence, and importance in the lives of their families.
Project X-Men’s deep impact is very real: Joseph, age 16, speaks for many when he says:
"I am glad I was in class today for the discussion on healthy relationships. I think that when you find yourself, you are able to have a greater trust in another." For many, this is the only setting where they can safely discuss the realities of becoming an adult. At age 15, Jesse’s gratitude points precisely to the gap that Project X-Men seeks to fill:
"Thank you for showing me all those things I never knew about being a good parent. I learn something different at every class."
Keeping it Real Young Men’s Conference
The
Riverside Community Health Foundation believes in the importance of investing in
our young male population by addressing the issues they face, connecting them to
positive male mentors and equipping them with the skills and motivation to make
good decisions. In 2008, we launched the First Annual
Keeping it Real Young Men’s Conference in partnership with the City of Riverside. The two main goals of the conference are to help youth to: 1) find their passions and realizes that they can attain them; and 2) become aware of the obstacles to attaining the goals by helping them to understand how decisions they make today affect their future. Conference participants are recruited from over 30 schools in Riverside City and Jurupa Valley. One of the participants speaks to the benefit of this conference,
"I learned a lot from this conference about life and I want to come again next year." (Adam, 16)
Beyond promoting responsibility in health, our ultimate goal is to encourage youth to achieve. It is our hope to provide youth with the necessary information, tools, and motivation to overcome barriers and realize their potential. It is our hope that this conference will create a system of change in attitudes, not only among youth, but among adults towards youth, to form a support system for our youth and foster a sense of importance around youth issues, and particularly those of young men in our community.