California Launches Initiative to Mentor 10,000 Young Men

California Governor Gavin Newsom has unveiled the California Men’s Service Challenge, a campaign aimed at recruiting 10,000 young men to serve as mentors, coaches, and tutors. This initiative was announced in the wake of a tragedy involving conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed at a university campus in Utah. The program seeks to address a growing mental health crisis among boys and young men in California.

During the announcement, Newsom highlighted the alarming rates of suicide among boys and men aged 15 to 44, who are three to four times more likely to die by suicide than their female counterparts. He noted, “We have an epidemic of loneliness, and so much of that is manifesting and metastasizing online in very profound and consequential ways.” This reflects a broader societal issue, as nearly half of female homicide victims are murdered by a current or former intimate male partner.

Collaborating for Change

The state will collaborate with various youth organizations, including Improve Your Tomorrow, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Mentor California, and the American Institute for Boys and Men, to recruit and train mentors over the next year. The initiative aims to foster consistent, positive relationships where mentors model integrity, empathy, and community engagement, helping young men develop confidence and purpose.

According to Josh Fryday, California’s chief service officer, the program will include a range of activities such as one-on-one mentoring, tutoring, and youth sports coaching. It will be supported by California Volunteers, a program with an annual budget of $275 million dedicated to community service and civic engagement.

The campaign is particularly significant for organizations like Mentor California, which currently have long waitlists of young boys seeking mentors. Executive Director Marcus Strother emphasized the need for mentors who are open and willing to share their own experiences, which can help build trust and rapport with young mentees.

Strother pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic has had lasting negative effects on young people’s social development, especially among boys in middle and high school. “They lost crucial years of social development and then struggled to socialize in person,” he explained. Research indicates that boys’ mental health has been slower to recover compared to girls, with many boys feeling ill-equipped to express their emotions.

Addressing Mental Health Stigma

A recent poll cited by Newsom revealed that one in four young men aged 15 to 35 reported feeling lonely frequently. Additionally, adolescent boys are about 50% less likely than girls to seek mental health services for issues like depression or anxiety, largely due to social stigma surrounding mental health.

In August 2023, Newsom directed the California Health and Human Services agency to explore ways to enhance mental health support for boys and young men, although he did not allocate new funding at that time.

Jason Laker, a professor at San Jose State University specializing in men and masculinity studies, praised the service challenge as a vital step toward addressing the needs of young men. He noted that “boys are struggling for attention, and they desperately need people in their life who are there to support them and uplift them.”

Laker emphasized the importance of mentorship programs that challenge harmful stereotypes and encourage emotional expression. “Someone who wants to mentor a Black boy, for example, needs to understand why it may feel dangerous for him to express strong emotion,” he said, underscoring the need for culturally responsive mentorship.

As the initiative unfolds, Fryday confirmed that the state will partner with behavioral health experts to guide its mental health objectives. Strother added that Mentor California and other partners will train mentors to be culturally aware and sensitive to the diverse backgrounds of California’s youth.

By fostering healthy relationships and providing essential support, the California Men’s Service Challenge aims to empower young men to navigate their emotional landscapes and build brighter futures.