♫ Music ♫
Narrator:
Evendale elementary school has launched
a new program designed to provide
selected male students with positive
role models. Teachers Mark Croson,
Keith Halstead, Ryan Stitcher and Cameron
Leach serve as mentors through the
"League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Outreach", or LEGO.
Mark Croson:
And so we took the idea and
thought we could take a spin on it
to introduce leadership skills,
citizenship skills, social skills that
our boys would use inside and outside the
school, inside and outside with the
classroom and with the adults in our building.
Keith Halstead:
We picked different students
that we just felt we would be able to
make an impact with, as far as teaching
them some roles of being gentlemen.
We've really selected different grade levels
and it was just a starting base. We
didn't have a formula, really, of
selecting students. Just who we thought
we might be able to help and teach some
gentlemen procedures with.
Derrien Byron:
My thoughts were like, like, really me? You want to
pick me?
And, like, I didn't know that, like,
so, like, it kind of startled me.
Narrator:
The group meets after school twice each month with
members dressing up in sport coats, dress
shirts and ties on meeting days.
Mark Croson:
One of our program goals is to have the boys look good so they can do good and feel good.
And that's our motto. So the jackets 
and ties and shirts came
through donations of outside community
leaders that we were able to get in
touch with, and actually one group got in
touch with us once they found out about
the program, and it's just a way to make them feel special, make them feel good about themselves.
Barious Colbert:
We go to the music room, we get all
ready for LEGO, and then we
put on our tie, our jackets and at the end of the day we
go on a meeting. We talk about what, how
to feel good, be good, and do good.
Keith Halstead:
It's incredible to see the children come in,
get dressed, and, you know, have a jacket
and a tie on and just light up with
confidence. You can see it being just
portrayed and the way they're walking 
throughout the day.
Narrator:
The program has been
well received and is already having a
positive impact on the students as they
learn social etiquette, leadership skills,
good citizenship, and how to establish positive habits.
Barious Colbert:
My favorite part being
in LEGO is meeting other people.
Derrien Byron:
I learned how to shake hands and I 
learned how to tie a tie.
What we're learning right now is to do something,
like, to do something for 14 days.
So, one of them is Xbox, I have to get off the Xbox when it's time to. And the other one
for school is, like, I have to get off my
break time when I'm supposed to.
The things that we're learning is to help us
to be a better person.
Mark Croson:
Our teachers are seeing just a more
mature student in their classroom.
One that's taking a little more
responsibility for their behaviors, their actions.
You know, outreaching to other students
in a positive way the interactions with
adults around the school have been very
welcomed and received from our teachers.
Keith Halstead:
I foresee it growing in numbers, for sure,
being able to reach more boys in our
school that we can create that bond with,
and being able to show them some vision
of what we can accomplish, and why we
teach those characteristics and traits to them.
Derrien Byron:
Being part of LEGO is helping me be a
better part of my community.
♫ Music ♫
