In 2011 our mentoring program made a shift. We adopted the concept of growth mindset mentoring. The concept of a growth mindset emerges from the theory of attribution retraining. This means that a student can learn and do anything well that they have the desire to do or become. We emphasize the fact that there is systemic racism and even anti-black racism in this world, but one way to combat those forces is to focus on personal excellence while we combat the other forces. The Black Growth Mindset emphasizes, using effort, persistence, good choices and strategies to learn and improve. Emphasizing effort gives the Black boy a "variable that they can control, they come to see themselves as in control of their success. Emphasizing natural intelligence takes it out of the students’ control, and it provides no good recipe for responding to a failure.” Dweck adapted by: Dr. Robert. Looking at our literature, you might also see the acronym GRITS, meaning, Get Ready It's Time to Succeed. We want our boys to become a success.

Realizing that our mentors wanted to engage more than the once-a-month academy, we developed the UCLA Summer Literacy Academy whereby we partnered with UCLA California Reading and Literature Project to assist us in getting our boys the finest literary enrichment opportunities. From the program our boys wrote four books/ anthologies, participated in building computers, coding, robotics and even doing a health care project. The curriculum continues to grow and develop.

The Wells Fargo Stock Market Game represents a dynamic commitment to empowering the next generation through financial education. Often associated with the nationally-assented SIFMA Foundation Stock Market Game™, and proudly supported by Wells Fargo, this immersive program brings excitement of real-world investing directly into the classroom, community, and even, your living room.

Through interactive, real-time market simulations, students/mentees are given the opportunity to manage virtual portfolios, analyze market trends, and make strategic investment decisions — all within a safe, educational and conducive environment. This experience goes beyond theory, transforming complex financial concepts into practical skills that build confidence, critical thinking, and long-term financial awareness.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate a strong and ongoing commitment to advancing financial literacy — equipping students not only to understand the markets, but to thrive in them.

The Wells Fargo Stock Market Game will be administered once per week on Saturday morning via ZOOM. Some Saturdays may have an in-person option as the program occasionally runs concurrently with the Monthly Mentoring Program. This is a 1ST COME, 1ST SERVED program for approximately 40 students. This is a 10-Week course that challenges, grows, and inspires young men and women to think interconnectedly as a capitalist and consumer - considering all aspects of growth and opportunity.

This program focuses on the path of effective communication. Mentees have written a collective anthology, comprising two illustrations, and a clinical and anecdotal work called, "A Letter To Our Fathers." In this body of work,  each mentee was able to articulate to their fathers present, absent, or unknown how their presence or absence has impacted them. Men of 100 Black Men of Long Beach, Inc. participated as well. This process was life changing and extended opportunities for growth and closure for some, young and old. The first edition was published in 2023. There may be another to follow. It is the desire of 100 Black Men of Long Beach, Inc. for our mentees to become strong kings who can effectively communicate their position and give themselves permission to grow and glow. 

For the first time in history, the 100 Black Men of Long Beach will have two teams, both Junior and Senior divisions, competing in the Brace B. Godfrey, Jr. African-American History Challenge (AAHC). This signature education and scholarship program, established in 1995, is designed to ignite a passion for African-American history among youth and empower mentees by deepening their understanding of the trials, triumphs, and rich legacy of their ancestors. By engaging in this friendly yet rigorous competition, students are encouraged to become critical and global thinkers, gaining the knowledge necessary to challenge historical inaccuracies and connect past lessons to current trends and events. Through this impactful vehicle, mentees not only master the curriculum found in the Black History 365 authorized textbook but also shift their perspectives on racism, equity, and opportunity in the United States. We are proud to announce that our team of mentees will compete at the 40th Annual Conference in New York, NY, from June 17–21, 2026.