A Baltimore Youth Nonprofit
That Starts With the Young Man Not the Program
I AM MENtality has spent more than a decade serving Black and Brown boys ages 8 to 18 across Baltimore City through a mentorship model built around real needs, not predetermined curriculum.
Trusted by Baltimore's Leading Organizations
Most youth organizations decide what they are going to teach before they ever meet the young person sitting in front of them.
I AM MENtality does it the other way around.
We Don't Fit Young Men Into Programs. We Build Their Path Around Who They Are.
Walk into almost any youth-serving organization in Baltimore City and you will find a fixed set of initiatives waiting for participants to fill them. A financial literacy workshop. A workforce training module. A leadership curriculum. All of it created in advance, delivered the same way regardless of who walks through the door.
I AM MENtality was founded on a different belief. Before we teach a young man anything, we find out where he actually is. What he needs. What is holding him back. What he is ready for and what he is not. We call it backwards mapping, and it is the reason young people in our care experience real, lasting change instead of just completing a module and moving on.
Why I AM MENtality Exists in Baltimore City
Baltimore City is home to thousands of young Black and Brown men who are capable of extraordinary things. They are also growing up in a city that does not always make that easy. Under-resourced schools, limited access to professional networks, and the weight of environments that were not designed with their success in mind create real barriers for the children and young people we serve every year.
I AM MENtality was founded to meet those young people where they are. Not to offer them a one-size-fits-all solution, but to learn who they are first and then build something around them. For more than a decade, that mission has guided every relationship, every initiative, and every decision this organization makes. We aim to serve young men not just as program participants, but as individuals with their own pace, their own story, and their own potential.
As Seen In
Our Mission: Enlightening the
Minds of Male Youth Through
Mentorship and Leadership Development
I AM MENtality is one of Baltimore's only youth nonprofits built exclusively around male youth. Every initiative, every relationship, and every resource is designed for Black and Brown boys ages 8 to 18. That focus is intentional and it reflects a vision that has guided this organization since it was founded. Young men face a distinct set of pressures growing up in Baltimore, and they deserve an organization built specifically to help them develop the confidence, skills, and sense of purpose that lasting leadership requires.
Our mission moves across four core pillars: leadership development, workforce readiness, financial literacy, and health and wellness. Those pillars are not a checklist. They are a framework our team uses to develop a personalized path for each young person, starting from where that individual is and building toward where he is capable of going. We encourage every participant to grow at his own pace, in an environment where he is seen, challenged, and supported.
What Does I AM MENtality Actually Do for Baltimore's Youth?
Young people who join I AM MENtality receive mentorship, skills training, and ongoing support across all four service pillars.
Leadership development helps young men discover who they are before we ask them to lead anyone else. Through mentorship, accountability, and real-world challenges, we develop the identity and confidence that lasting leadership requires.
Workforce readiness equips participants with the professionalism, skills, and connections they need to compete in the job market.
Financial literacy starts with the basics, opening a bank account, reading a statement, and builds from there, giving children and young people the financial foundation that most schools never teach.
Health and wellness addresses mental health, physical well-being, and emotional resilience as the foundation that everything else is built on.
Programming takes place across Baltimore City, including locations in North Baltimore and West Baltimore. Young people participate in structured sessions, mentoring relationships, enrichment activities, workshops, and community events throughout the year. The model does not have an off-season because the children and young men we serve do not either.
What We Do
Four Pillars.
One Mission.
Every young man we serve is different. Our model meets them where they are and builds them into who they're meant to be.
01
Leadership Development
We help young men discover who they are before we ask them to lead anyone else. Through mentorship, accountability, and real-world challenges, we build the identity and confidence that lasting leadership requires.
Learn More →02
Workforce Readiness
Baltimore's young men deserve a real shot at economic opportunity. We prepare them with the skills, professionalism, and connections they need to compete and win in today's workforce.
Learn More →03
Financial Literacy
From opening a first bank account to understanding how money works, we give young men the financial foundation that most schools never teach. Starting with the basics and building from there.
Learn More →04
Health & Wellness
Mental health, physical wellness, and emotional resilience aren't optional. They're the foundation everything else is built on. We address the whole person, not just the program participant.
Learn More →How Does I AM MENtality Differ From Other Baltimore Youth Programs?
Most youth nonprofits do one thing. They pick a lane and stay in it. I AM MENtality operates across four pillars simultaneously because the young people we serve are whole human beings with complex, layered needs, and a single-service model cannot address that complexity. We are also one of the only organizations in Maryland focused exclusively on male youth, which allows us to design everything, our initiatives, our mentoring relationships, our environment, specifically for the young men we serve.
The deeper differentiator is the approach. Because we assess each young man's real needs before designing his path, the work we do is always relevant to the person in front of us. A young person who needs mental health support before he can engage with financial literacy will get that support first. A child who needs basic literacy skills before workforce training can access them. We do not skip steps to make the program look cleaner. We take the time it takes, and that is why our participants do not just complete a module. They stay, grow, and come back.
Empowering Children and Families Across Baltimore City
The young men who come to I AM MENtality are not a demographic. They are kids with real lives, real pressures, and real potential. Many are navigating single-parent households, facing mental health challenges, or coming from schools and communities that have not given them a fair shot.
Some are dealing with the kinds of barriers, poverty, instability, and limited access to resources, that follow children from one year to the next if nobody intervenes.
I AM MENtality intervenes.
We aim to empower not just the young person, but the families and communities around him. Parents who want a safe, nurturing environment where their child will be genuinely seen and challenged. Families who need access to resources, support, and a trustworthy organization with a track record of outcomes.
Schools and community partners looking to connect young people to enrichment and leadership opportunities beyond the classroom. We are here for all of them, helping children grow into the leaders Baltimore City needs.
Partners On Our Mission
Our Impact in Baltimore City
Since being founded, I AM MENtality has served more than 400 young men supported by over 40 community partners. Those numbers reflect more than a decade of relationship-building, consistent programming, and a model that produces outcomes donors and families can point to.
Young people who come through our initiatives learn leadership skills, develop financial literacy, build workforce readiness, and leave with a stronger sense of who they are and what they are capable of achieving.
The goal is not just to help young men thrive during the time they spend with us. It is to set them on a trajectory that continues long after they age out of our programs.
That means ensuring every participant leaves with skills they can use, connections they can lean on, and the confidence to build a life on their own terms. We track our outcomes, learn from what the data tells us, and continue improving every year.
Every year more young people in Baltimore City join our initiatives. Every year more families trust us with their sons. Every year more organizations choose to partner with a nonprofit that has earned its reputation through results, not just rhetoric.
Our Impact in Numbers
Served
Baltimore
Pillars
Partners
I AM MENtality is led by founder and CEO Darren Rogers, whose vision and relationships have driven the organization's growth across more than a decade in Baltimore City.
Under his leadership, I AM MENtality has expanded to serve 400-plus young men, secured partnerships with over 40 community organizations and funders.
Behind Darren is a board of directors, management team, and group of mentors and team leads who show up for these young men week after week.
Every person on this team chose to be here, and that choice reflects the power of a mission worth showing up for.
The People Behind the Mission
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Darren Rogers
FOUNDER & CEO
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Tiaira Robinson
Program Director
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Hassan Barnes
Operations Manager
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Matthew L. Palmer
Innovation Specialist / Project Management
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Yonatan Derbew
Mentor
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Taeleya Taylor
Family & Events Coordinator
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Phillip Ross
Lead Mentor
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Paul Lombardi
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Marcus Carsten
Bilingual Youth Mentor and Academic Support Specialist
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India McCleod
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Phaedra “Phay” Ellis
Executive Administrator
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Davine Thomas
Lead Mentor
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Gary Franklin
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Julie Gomez
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Eric Murrant
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Nathan Barbo
Get Involved
There Are Many Ways
to Make a Difference
Baltimore City's young men are counting on a community that shows up for them. Whether you write a check, give your time, or bring your organization to the table, your involvement creates the mentoring relationships and real-world opportunities that change the trajectory of a young person's life.
Donate
Your financial support funds the mentoring programs, workshops, and sessions that serve 400+ young men across Baltimore. One-time or monthly, every dollar goes directly toward building the next generation of leaders and expanding access to education and opportunity.
Give Today →Volunteer
Become a positive role model for a young man who needs one. Whether you can commit to weekly sessions or occasional activities, our mentees need adults who show up, engage, and invest in their personal growth and well-being. Your presence makes a difference.
Become a Mentor →Partner With Us
Organizations that partner with I AM MENtality gain access to volunteer opportunities, community engagement hours, and a proven mentoring program trusted by Baltimore's leading funders. Meet your CRA responsibilities while investing in the young people who will shape this city's future.
Start a Conversation →Frequently Asked Questions About I AM MENtality
What is I AM MENtality and what does the organization do?
I AM MENtality is a Baltimore youth nonprofit serving Black and Brown boys ages 8 to 18 through mentorship, leadership development, workforce readiness, financial literacy, and health and wellness initiatives. The organization uses a backwards-mapping model that begins with each young man's real needs before building his development path, ensuring the work is always relevant to the person it is meant to serve.
Where does I AM MENtality serve children and young people in Baltimore City?
I AM MENtality serves young men and children across Baltimore City, Maryland, with programming locations in North Baltimore and West Baltimore, including sites at 1014 W 36th Street and 26 N. Fulton Avenue. The organization has been rooted in Baltimore City for more than a decade, helping young people in communities across the city learn, grow, and thrive.
How is I AM MENtality different from other youth programs in Baltimore?
I AM MENtality is one of Baltimore's only youth nonprofits focused exclusively on male youth. Rather than delivering a fixed curriculum, the organization assesses each young man's real needs first and develops a personalized path across four pillars. This comprehensive model, combined with long-term mentoring relationships, sets it apart from single-service organizations across the city and the state.
How does I AM MENtality decide what each young person needs?
The organization uses a backwards-mapping process. Rather than placing young people into a predetermined program, I AM MENtality gets to know each participant, identifies his real barriers and needs, and then develops a path across leadership skills, workforce readiness, financial literacy, and health and wellness that reflects where he is and where he is capable of going. This approach ensures the work is always built around the individual, not the other way around.
How do I enroll my child in I AM MENtality's programs in Baltimore?
Families interested in enrolling a child or young person can reach out by phone at (410) 702-8256 or through the contact form on this page. A member of the team will follow up within one to two business days to walk through the process, share resources, and answer any questions about how the organization can support your family.
Can my organization meet its Community Reinvestment Act obligations through I AM MENtality?
Yes. I AM MENtality works with banks, financial institutions, and large employers to provide structured volunteer opportunities, community engagement initiatives, and documented grant partnerships that support CRA compliance. The organization has existing relationships with financial institutions across Baltimore and can structure arrangements that serve both the young people it works with and the organizations it partners with.
Is I AM MENtality a registered nonprofit in Maryland?
Yes. I AM MENtality is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Baltimore City, Maryland. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. The organization actively pursues grant funding and philanthropic partnerships to sustain and expand its impact across the city.
How can a company or foundation partner with I AM MENtality?
Organizations that partner with I AM MENtality gain access to structured volunteer opportunities, community engagement hours, board service openings, internship placements for young people, and a trusted nonprofit with strong grant relationships and philanthropic credibility across Baltimore. Contact the team directly to start a conversation about what partnership can look like for your organization and the children and communities you aim to support.
Let’s Do This Together
Whether you're ready to donate, explore a partnership, enroll a young man in our mentoring program, or simply learn more about what we do in Baltimore City — we want to hear from you. Reach out and a member of our team will be in touch within one to two business days.
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
- Frederick Douglass