Black History Month has so many meaningful lessons for the youth we support, including the fact that so much of that history involves rising over adversity and overcoming obstacles to success. We are doing many things this month that allow our African-American students to see that strong individuals— who look like they do and have faced similar challenges—have successfully led, invented, created, composed, written, and changed the course of history.

This year’s national theme for Black History Month is “African Americans in Times of War.” For the entire month, Biondi School students are learning about and honoring the African Americans who protect our country. That history came to life when African-American veterans from the Samuel H. Dow American Legion 1017 Post visited the school. They engaged our students and offered words of encouragement as they talked about their experiences in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf.

Black History Month is also being marked by other Leake & Watts programs. Our Residential Treatment Center youth have ongoing presentations and community service projects. At Seabury Day Care Center, our preschoolers put on their Annual Black History Show. The Soundview Family Resource Center joins with the Soundview Community Partnership Program for a family-friendly Black History Month celebration in the Bronx.

Black History Month matters because it helps instill pride in our students, and demonstrates what hope is: the belief that the future will be better, and that they have to power to make it so. But the real lesson is that black history matters every day. It shouldn’t be ignored the rest of the year.

January is National Mentoring Month, so it is a good time to highlight how important it is for at-risk youth to establish close relationships with adults who are not their parents or guardians. At our 2017 Annual Award Gala, Wynter, a 15-year-old girl in our Family Preventive Services program, spoke about how mentors have help her improve her reading, try new things, and be the best she can be.

“At first, I thought going to mentoring was uncool, but my mom really wanted me to go. In the beginning, I was very shy with the mentors, but little by little, I opened up. Now, I LOVE going to mentoring. I never miss it. The mentors really helped me build my confidence. We do the mentoring as a group so you get to know everyone.

“One thing they have really helped me with is my academics—especially reading. Reading has always been a little tough for me, but the mentors helped me focus. They give me intense, personal attention that I don’t get in school. We sat down together and made a list of techniques—like read out loud, don’t skip the hard words, and don’t go too fast—so I could improve and understand everything. They put pressure on me in a good way and make me want to do it for myself. Thanks to mentoring, I’ve gone up three more reading levels. I know now that I will make it to level Z—where I am supposed to be—by the end of the year.

“My mentors are like another family to me. I am so grateful to have them in my life.”

Pictured above: Wynter with actor and comedian Chuck Nice at the 2017 Annual Gala Dinner.

Clara and her mom had a volatile relationship. During their first therapy session, Clara, 15, physically attacked her 34-year-old mother. But the therapist didn’t give up. She continued to engage them in Family Functional Therapy despite their fights, and kept showing them her commitment to make things better.

Gradually, both Clara and her mother opened up. They talked about the underlying issues and traumas that were fueling their conflict. Even though they accused each other of causing pain, they listened when the therapist pointed out where their pain overlapped. Clara and her mother agreed to try to fix their relationship. Here’s how:

The therapist was able to get them to work on communication skills such as negotiating with each other and validating each other’s feelings. In time, they began to feel they were heard and understood by one another. The therapist also introduced them to emotional regulation and coping skills to cool down when their arguments got hot. In time, the physical altercations during therapy sessions ceased.

But there was other work to do.

Clara was a heavy user of drugs and alcohol, and ran away from home for weeks at a time. She seldom attended school. Our educational advocate helped Clara enroll in a credit recovery school, where she was able to complete the coursework for eighth grade so she could begin high school. This was another major accomplishment.

Thanks to treatment, Clara no longer runs away and has stopped using drugs and alcohol. She shares that she finally felt she can be open with her mother, who finds she can express her concerns to Clara, yet still support her. There are still some physical and verbal fights at home, but for the most part, they use their communications skills to keep the peace.