It is important for young men to have a male role model that they look up to in life. However, for those who don’t, Jalen Washington (12) has a solution. Inspired by his desire to help others, Washington started the Man Up Project.“The purpose of [Man Up] is to solve the absence of some role models in younger teenage males’ lives as well as raising awareness of that and teaching them the fundamentals they need to know,” Washington said.

In partnership with LITE Memphis, the Man Up project holds meetings once a month for young men ages 13-19 where they focus on teaching a specific life skill. The program helps to build well-rounded, presentable citizens as well as erase the negative stigma around young men today.

The Man Up Project is still a new organization, but Washington has high hopes for it. Short-term, he would like for the project to reach 50-75 people by the end of May. He hopes for the intimate meetings to grow and reach a larger audience. Long-term, he wishes to see the project continue to grow, continually enroll more young men each year and hold a graduation.

Taking inspiration from many different parts of his life, Washington launched the Man Up Project. The most influential thing has been his passion for helping others in need.

“If I didn’t like helping others and didn’t see the need, I would not do it at all,” Washington said. “I believe that when you do things you must have a passion and a purpose for them.”

In ninth grade, Washington struggled with many different obstacles. Seeking a way to solve these issues for himself, he also decided to find a way to help others that were going through similar problems. This is when he discovered YOUnified, an event hosted by Bridges USA, which sparked his passion for helping people in need.

People can support the Man Up Project by contacting Jalen Washington and donating towards the project or volunteering to help host sessions. Social media is forthcoming, but LITE Memphis has more information on its website.