BALTIMORE — More than a dozen teenagers and young men from Baltimore were selected to take part in The Steve Harvey Mentoring Camp for Young Men
The group will be among around 200 youth from across the country who will travel to Georgia for a trip that can change their lives.
On Tuesday, an orientation to prepare them for the trip was held at City Hall.
Baltimore is footing the bill for nine of the kids. A total of 16 is going on the trip with help from area non-profits.
“It’s an entire weekend that’s dedicated to building their self-esteem and teaching them the principles of manhood,” said Faith Leach, who is the city’s Deputy Mayor of Equity Health and Human Services.
The Steve Harvey Mentoring program started holding the camp in 2009.
According to the program’s website, the goal is to help young men realize their potential and prepare them for a productive future.
“I don’t always want to live in Baltimore. I want to do something else. I want to help people,” said Tristen Tremble.
Tremble is among the group of youth from Baltimore going on the trip.
He has dreams of becoming a photographer and a Navy pilot.
Tremble believes he can achieve those goals with help from the program.
“I’ve been knowing Steve Harvey’s story, like where he came from, seeing how he made something out of nothing. It like really inspired me to do the same,” he said.
India Wilson-Tremble, who is Tristen’s mother, is excited for her son.
“I want him to have the best time, get to meet people , get to have the opportunity to see what life will be without Baltimore with all the crime that’s going on,” she said.
She hopes the exposure to positive male role models will help him become a better man in the future.
“Manhood doesn’t look like you need to carry a gun. You need to always confront situation in a negative way. Just to explore the right ways of life,” she said.
