4,000 Mentees and Counting… KOP Mentoring Network Inspires Underserved Youth in Eastern Palm Beach County
KOP to Host and Honor Five Outstanding Black Americans at 2nd Annual Evening Of Black Excellence Under The Stars In Delray Beach on February 3
Delray Beach, FL – As a long-time journalist for one of South Florida’s largest newspapers, C. Ron Allen “held the mirror to society,” he recalls.
He didn’t like what he saw.
Marginalized and forgotten kids were continuously appearing in police blotters so he set out to battle this problem by establishing the Knowledge Opportunity and Prosperity (KOP) Mentoring Network for underserved youth, ages 7 to 17, throughout eastern Palm Beach County, in 1991.
“Everything we do is preparing them for life after graduation,” Allen said.
Since then, more than 4,000 students have been impacted by KOP mentoring and leadership programs. Hundreds of have graduated from college, enlisted in the armed forces and are serving in law enforcement, education and athletic coaching.
The organization has grown to offer four academies:
- Aviation – which has Soaring Eagles and Civil Air Patrol
- Communications – which has Community Conversations and the oratorical programs, Black History Brain Bowl
- Financial Literacy – which includes Wealth Building Workshop and Basketball Shootout
- STREAM – Underwater Robotics, Blues Camp, Daddy Daughter Dance, Father and Son Fishing Day, and Health and Wellness initiatives
Former mentee Jamael Stewart was running around with the wrong crowd before he discovered KOP.
“Mr. C. Ron brought us in over at the (old) Carver Middle School and started teaching us a lot,” recalls Stewart, now a business executive and co-host of the local Chamber of Commerce’s morning internet show. “There were also some other work-study programs that we would be paid to participate in during the summer. We learned about technology, building and doing different things in the trade world.”
Stewart, also a former high school football coach, says C. Ron and his team treat participants like they’re their own children.
“It’s about finding somebody that’s fully invested into the wellbeing of your child,’ he says. “He’s basically setting a bar really high for our kids and holding them to a higher standard. There are a lot of things that these kids need at this given point so that they can walk out into the world and be successful citizens.”
The 2nd Annual Delray Beach Black Excellence Under the Stars, hosted by the KOP Mentoring Network, will take place during Black History Awareness Month on Saturday, February 3, 2024, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the 100 Block of NW 5th Avenue in Delray Beach, Florida.
This year’s event will honor five outstanding Black Americans – John Edward Oxendine, William “Dennis” Murray, David Randolph, Clifford Durden, Rev. Marcia Beam and Jounice Jackson Hill.
General admission for the event is $50; VIP tickets are $100. Highlights will include the soulful sounds of the J. Sharp Band, light bites, beverages and networking opportunities. Proceeds will support the KOP Mentoring Network, which provides mentoring and leadership programs to underserved youth, ages 7-17, throughout eastern Palm Beach County.
For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and more information, visit https://auctria.events/KOP2024Delray, call (561) 665-01051 or email info@kopmn.org.
Founded in 1991 by C. Ron Allen, the KOP Mentoring Network offers mentoring and leadership programs for underserved youth, ages 7-17, through Academy and Camp experiences designed to provide the tools needed to prepare them for prosperous futures. Programs are designed to help students learn new skills, explore new places and meet new people, all while developing the discipline, dedication and character needed to not just graduate – but accelerate academically and behaviorally as well. With the aid of local experts in their respective fields and volunteers who have a passion to see local youth prosper, the KOP Mentoring Network offers participants one-of-a-kind learning experiences. Several past students are now law enforcement officers, military personnel, TV Show hosts, members of the clergy, educators, medical doctors, multimedia producers, engineers, artists, aviators and leaders in the local community. For more information, visit kopmn.org.
