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Mentor on a Mission: Teacher Guides Middle School Students Toward Success

by David Volz February 10, 2025

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Mentor on a Mission: Shelton Smith Guides Tamarac Students Toward Success Through 5000 Role Models Program

{Photo by David Volz}

Shelton Smith cares about Millennium 6-12 Collegiate Academy students in Tamarac.

A physical education teacher at Millennium, Smith leads a mentoring program for boys known as the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project. On January 29, he took about 20 boys to Challenger Elementary School nearby to participate in a mentoring forum.

They discussed issues that students face today, such as bullying, peer pressure, and making better choices. Smith brought the boys to the media center, where they presented different scenarios and encouraged them to make good choices.

“I want to teach the children to always do the right thing because you never know who is watching or how it would affect their future lives,” said Smith.

The elementary school encourages students to find a trusted adult, such as a parent or teacher, to avoid social problems.

According to Smith, the most important goal for 5000 Role Models is to save kids’ lives.

“Our basic mission is to mentor boys so they will make the right decisions. I want to save them from the streets,” he said.

Smith will take the boys to Lynn University in Boca Raton for a college tour in February. He has invited a captain from the Broward Sheriff’s Office to speak at a luncheon given for the boys.

U.S. Representative Frederica Wilson created the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project on the Miami-Dade County School Board in March 1993. The project’s objective is to intervene in the lives of at-risk boys and offer them positive alternatives that will lead away from crime and violence. The goal is for every minority male student to graduate from high school, go to college, vocational school, or the military, and become a contributing member of society, according to the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project website.

The goal is to instill the values of mainstream America while respecting the individual’s existing values. According to the organization’s website, the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project encourages boys to emulate successful men in their communities, promote positive alternatives to self-destructive behaviors, and prepare young men for the challenges they will face in society.

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Author Profile

David Volz

David Volz has worked as a writer in South Florida for 35 years. He has written for the Sun-Sentinel, Hollywood Gazette, School Transportation News, South Dade News Leaders, Observer among others. He has an MA in Communications from Florida Atlantic University and a BA in Communications from Valparaiso University. Volz teaches Communications at Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State College. He lives in Coral Springs and enjoys running and participating in 5Ks and half-marathons.