When Warren Grant was a Harford County middle school student, he participated in the Boys2MEN mentorship program, set up to help young boys learn life skills, process emotions and enter the workforce. Grant, 15, was gunned down in a Joppatowne High School bathroom in September, and after realizing he was a former Boys2MEN participant, its director Pastor A.L. Reeves vowed to bring the program back to Harford schools, and expand its reach.

“That can’t happen ever again,” Reeves told the Board of Education Monday night, referring to Grant’s killing on school grounds. “Not on our watch.”

Boys2MEN operated until 2019 as one of four youth mentorship programs offered at some Harford County elementary, middle and high schools. The program started in 1994 under the leadership of James Fulton and was offered at Magnolia Middle School and Joppatowne High School. It ended when Reeves moved to Colorado for work, leaving students like Grant without a mentor for the transition from middle to high school.

Accompanying Reeves in his presentation was William Howard, director of WillPower, which focuses on character development with young men, and Dr. Marlon Tilghman who runs Civics and Chess, which teaches young men how to think strategically through learning chess and about the power of community through civics.

Those programs, as well as Young Men on Tour run by Zeno Jones, are modeled after Boys2MEN and mentor struggling boys during or after school to help them build character, life skills and overcome challenges.

WillPower is offered at Magnolia Elementary, Halls Cross Road Elementary and Edgewood Middle schools. Civics and Chess is offered at Edgewood Elementary and Young Men on Tour is offered at Aberdeen Middle.

Reeves explained that mentorship programs offered in Harford County are in schools that are considered “the epicenter” for struggling male students who face poverty, challenging home lives and other barriers that impact their performance in school. However, Reeves said that young men are struggling all over the county and requested that the Board of Education assist the mentorship programs in expanding to all public schools. The programs operate at no charge to the school system and are staffed entirely by volunteers, Reeves said.

“We are not coming here asking for money. We are coming here tonight as the cavalry overtop the hill to help support, to fill in where we are needed and to change the game we are in,” Reeves said.

What Reeves did ask the Board of Education for is help in attracting more mentors and expediting the background check process required for mentors to work with students.

“Some kids lose hope and so the mentor has an opportunity to help put a specific plan together to help them accomplish things and realize all is not lost as well as advocate on behalf of the child and their needs,” Howard said. “We would love to get to a point where all the mentorships are during school and not just after school because we want to focus on being proactive, not reactive.”

The programs also aim to work with parents and students to create an environment focused on academic success and careers. Reeves said going outside of the classroom and getting parents involved would create an “attitude of success” for students.

All school board members, along with the school system’s Chief of Administration Eric Davis, expressed their support for each of the programs and said they would work to help expand them to more schools.

“We are excited about being in the presence of these children because, at the end of the day, all they really want is someone to say ‘I care about you,’” Tilghman said. “Whatever might be missing either at home or at school, we are here to fill that gap.”

Have a news tip? Contact Matt Hubbard at mhubbard@baltsun.com, 443-651-0101 or @mthubb on X.