HOUSTON- Twenty young men at Aldine ISD’s Shotwell Middle School were chosen for adoption by a NFL player to receive a program designed to educate and empower young boys to become good civilian men.
Quinton Carter, safety for the Denver Broncos, has teamed up with Houston-based organization Very Positive Outlook, Inc. to host the Quinton Carter Adopt-A-School Program featuring Young Men and the Power Within.
“I’m excited to reach out to these young men in the program at Shotwell Middle School,” said Carter. “The Young Men and the Power Within program has already proven to be successful in the Houston area, which is why I chose to adopt a Houston school. In the near future, my goal is to adopt multiple schools in areas including my hometown of Las Vegas, Denver, and my alma mater state, Oklahoma.”
Very Positive Outlook, Inc. was founded by Valerie Peterson-Kelly in 2004. The mission is to motivate, educate and inspire families to stay involved in their children’s lives while enriching the families through student and parent workshops and programs. Young Men and the Power Within is just one of several programs designed to strengthen families by strengthening the future male leaders. Students are engaged in a ten-week course, which focuses on leadership, character development, self-esteem, manners and etiquette.
“It is an honor to work with Quinton and the SOUL Foundation to assist in enriching the lives of these young men,” said Peterson-Kelly. “I am even more proud to work with a young man like Quinton who has spent so much of his life giving and serving others. Quinton is passionate and committed to helping those young people who have a desire to make positive change.”
Shotwell Middle School principal, Mable Holt is elated that our school was selected for this unique program and is confident that she will see positive outcomes from the young men. The Young Men and the Power Within program is aligned with the mission of Carter’s non-profit, the SOUL Foundation, which is to serve the community by providing opportunities, mentorship, assistance and support for personal and professional growth to people of all ages.
“It was mentorship and empowerment programs like Young Men and the Power Within that helped me get to where I am in life and encouraged me to start my foundation,” Carter stated. “Valerie is an angel for creating such an important and essential program for our youth. Every young man can benefit from the this program, so I have to pay it forward and help bring it to as many schools as possible.”
The young men from the pilot program will graduate on Thursday, April 18th at 4:15 pm and will have gained a new perspective on manhood and lifelong mentors.
