The kingdom of North Fayette Elementary is thriving. Another successful year is in the books for the KING (King Inspiring Next Generations) Mentoring Program where 5th-grade boys learn about character development and preparing for the future.

The KINGs work with Jay Jones, Parent Leader and NFES Watch DOGS Coordinator, who has a heart for investing in young men and encouraging positive outcomes for their futures. Weekly sessions focus on developing and exposing participants to soft skills training, imagination development, roleplaying, and historical and contemporary examples of positive and esteem-building experiences and exercises.

The curriculum is based on age-appropriate, male-centric research to ensure the maximum impact in a short period of time. In the weekly sessions, the boys wrote raps, did mock interviews, and roleplayed through different scenarios they may experience in middle school and beyond.

North Fayette parent liaison Ali Howard loves seeing the students learn to thrive. “We hope students take away to be true to themselves, to steer clear of negative peer pressure, to work hard, to focus on academics, and to be the best versions of themselves they can be.”