S.P. Morton debuts male mentorship program
Published 10:31 am Friday, May 25, 2018
- Demetrious Gray reminds the students that “I am the boss of me,” meaning that they are responsible for how they choose to act. -- Submitted - Demetrious Gray
FRANKLIN
S.P. Morton Elementary School has recently started an after-school mentorship program for boys. The program, titled Boys II Men, is the brainchild of first-year physical education teacher Demetrious Gray, and has 35 participants ranging from first through fifth grade.
Gray said the idea for the program at S.P. Morton came from his involvement in college with a similar program at Virginia State University called Male Teachers Molding Minds. Gray hopes to eventually turn Boys II Men into a beta chapter of the VSU program.

Dressing up is not a requirement, Demetrious Gray and Dexter Warren have provided each participant with a shirt and tie they can wear during meetings to reinforce the gentleman aspect of the program. — Submitted – Demetrious Gray
Boys II Men’s stated objectives are to build a brotherhood among male students at S.P. Morton, to inspire participants to maintain and elevate an optimistic self image and to establish worthy decision making skills, both academically and socially.
The program began in early April and involves participants meeting once per week from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
One component of the program involves bringing guest speakers to the school to address the students. So far this year, speakers have included an information technology professional from Tidewater Community College and the director of a private school. Gray said his purpose in bringing guest speakers to the school was to give the students a chance to see other people like themselves in different communities and discover how they were alike and not alike.
While participants are not required to dress up, the program provides a button-down shirt and tie for each student to reinforce the gentleman aspect.
S.P. Morton’s assistant principal, Dexter Warren, is also involved in the program, as is the Cover 3 Foundation, which provides snacks for the students.
Warren and Gray plan to keep in touch with participants over the summer and possibly to hold monthly meetings if parents are onboard with the idea.
“Next year, the goal is to continue to provide a positive male influence and give [students] different experiences,” Warren said. “Hopefully one day they will be mentors to someone else.”
Gray said that some of his goals for the program include taking participants on field trips and recruiting more male leaders to come to the school as guest speakers.
Trips would be educational in nature, such as touring the state capitol, and also would include places where “boys can be boys and also bond,” Gray said.
A similar program for girls at S.P. Morton is in the works to start up next fall.