Culture is KEY (Knowledge and Excellence for our Youth)
Culture is KEY is a non-profit organization established by Eric G. Bullock, M.Ed., a lifelong educator and native of Trenton, New Jersey. The organization was founded to build a personal and community-wide expectation of excellence for young men and women of color ages 6-18 raising their self-confidence and self-worth through mentorship-based programming. Our programming is developed to build the knowledge of participants’ culture and access to excellence.
Our Mission
Our mission is to change the trajectory of young men and women in the inner city, some have been identified as having behavioral challenges in the home and or school setting, often referred to as at risk youth. We stand on the belief that these young people are strong, passionate leaders in their community and with support and mentorship, they can redirect their strength to impact positive change in their home, community and world.
Programming
Our programming is designed to:
Target Population
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Increase in domestic stability
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Increase self confidence
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Increase life management skills
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Increase in summer employment
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Increase in family career planning support
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Decrease suspension rates
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Decrease truancy rates
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Decrease youth arrests
Our Purpose
We are an organization that is dedicated to supporting our community, starting with young men and women of color, directly uplifting them and their families. Our programming is designed and measured by its impact to prepare participants for a successful future and to build the confidence needed to pursue any goal imaginable.
Signature Programs
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The Executives (September through June)
The program is mentoring platform that will introduce and enhance concepts of personal and community leadership among participants. Each student will be taught skills needed to be an Executive, such as self-confidence, time management, goal setting, and more. Effective communication and cultural awareness are also key components of the program.
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The KEY Summer Mentoring Program (Knowledge and Excellence for our Youth)
The Program was developed to help guide and support our youth during the Summer school break to provide an opportunity to be engaged in a non-traditional family oriented learning environment. Learning concepts focus on discussing and thinking about one’s purpose, managing emotions, setting goals, building self-confidence and more. It is essential for students to spend time discovering their passions and learning to express themselves with supportive mentorship.
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Aggression to Progression
The goal of this program is to work with youth that may have experienced trauma and have been identified by their family as needing additional support to help manage anger. Participants will engage in deep discussions around aggression and progression. Students will also be taught strategies to turn their aggression into progression and drive determination, dedication and discipline. Overall, we will work to help participants learn and adopt tools to turn anger into positive progress towards personal and family goals of economic strength and independence.
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Chivalry isn’t Dead – Building and Maintaining Positive Relationships
This program was developed to equip young men and women with tools to build positive and thriving relationships within themselves and others. Conversations about the importance of self-respect and responsibility and the development community respect and responsibility will enhance each participant’s ability to be an emotionally healthy leader in their family and community.
