Nurture the students. Give them as much positive reinforcement as possible. Give them an opportunity to be heard and express themselves. Be supportive. Encourage them to be their best.

Be a resource. Help the students in all areas. If we can't answer a question, point them to an appropriate source. Always follow-up.

Improve the student's reading and comprehension skills. Explain the importance of thinking about what the students read. Help them to improve their vocabularies. Encourage them to look up words they don't know. Motivate them to read more. Expose them to new areas of literature.

Improve student's writing (both in appearance and in content). Have students write as much as possible (journals, small essays, creative assignments). Have them proof their own writing and each other's. Give them detailed feedback on their writing. Write with them (mentor/mentee journals). Encourage them to write on their own.

Improve student's analytical skills. Encourage critical thinking and taking things seriously. Teach them various levels of analysis - breaking things down into simpler forms, ruling out the obvious, experimental methods (hypothesis, test/trial & error, recording data, forming conclusions). Encourage thoughtful questioning, inquiry, and challenging. Teach them to value knowledge, to mold into their own forms and creations.

Expand student's world-view. Expose them to new ideas. Challenge them to challenge each other in re-thinking their approaches. Encourage them to explore new things and perspectives.

Promote Knowledge of Self. Help them develop a knowledge base and understanding of their history. Understand where they are today. Plan where they want to be tomorrow. Understand the depth of the oppression of African people world wide, but use our survival as an inspirational strength to build.

Promote community empowerment. Understand that we must uplift ourselves. Teach students to be responsible for self (individual, family, and community). Teach them to work together in their classes. Teach them community building values.

Promote excellence. Re-define what being a person of African descent is (vs. the common stereotype of equating whiteness with intelligence.) We must excel in all things. Understand that we can and will!