Students from the Ferguson-Florissant School District, Vashon High School and Carnahan High School of the Future were greeted and mentored at the summit last month by more than a dozen successful men.

Speakers included Anthony (Tony) Thompson, CEO and chairman of the board of Kwame Building Group and co-founder of the Kwame Foundation; youth motivational speaker Koran Bolden; and author Sylvester Chisom.

Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson and former St. Louis Police Chief Dan Isom taught a segment on how a young man should conduct himself before, during and after an encounter with law enforcement. St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger also addressed the students.

“When students master peaceful conflict resolution strategies, we see an increase in self esteem and awareness, and improvements in school attendance, discipline and graduation rates,” said Yolonda Lankford, executive director of the Kwame Foundation. Students also learned important career skills, such as setting goals for a college education and how to tie a necktie.

The Tyrone Thompson Institute for Nonviolence, a program of the Kwame Foundation, provides a new approach to school suspensions through conflict resolution. The Kwame Foundation provides funding and adult mentors, St. Louis Community College students tutor and mentor the students, and parents learn parenting skills.

The Kwame Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization founded by Kim and Anthony (Tony) Thompson to develop a doorway of opportunity into the professional world for youth in underprivileged communities, through mentoring programs and scholarship opportunities. For more information on Kwame Foundation, visit www.kwamefoundation.org or call (314) 862-5344.

Captions
Photo 1 (l to r) – Anthony (Tony) Thompson, Kwame Foundation Executive Director Yolonda Lankford, former Missouri Representative Betty L. Thompson, and Sylvester Chisom, motivational speaker, entrepreneur and author of "Young Entrepreneur 2.0."

Photos 2 and 3 – Kalifa Gray demonstrated how to tie a half Windsor knot. Kwame Foundation provided each young man with a tie and two books, "The Young Entrepreneur" by Sylvester Chisom and "Rock, Paper, Scissors" by Koran Bolden.

Photo 3 – Students from the Ferguson-Florissant School District, Vashon High School and Carnahan High School attended the Male Youth Summit.

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Mary Schanuel
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