A group of 14 middle school boys in Englewood has become the first class of the Young Gentlemen’s League, a new mentorship program created to teach respect, accountability, and leadership at a pivotal age.
Brian Faro, an Englewood resident and co-owner of Paradise Exclusive Real Estate, has launched a program that meets after school at Sky Academy. The 12-week program brings together seventh and eighth-grade boys for weekly sessions on respect, responsibility, and empathy. He discussed the program recently in an interview on WENG Radio with Mary Jones.
“Getting a kid at that age to read my book might be difficult,” Brian said, referencing his 2024 release Self-Inflicted Success. “But going into the classroom, interacting with them and sharing real-life examples gives them a chance to learn and choose the right path.”
The league’s inaugural group includes 14 boys who meet once a week for about an hour. Brian said the sessions cover values such as good manners, accountability, leadership through action, and empathy for others.
“The first thing I told them was, if you’re on time, you’re late,” he said. “When I walked in there, for the first class, all 14 of them were sitting at a desk ready to go. Whoa. I was pretty impressed. That accountability is absolutely necessary in life.”
In that opening week, students practiced handshakes and eye contact. Brian said staff members quickly noticed improvements. “It’s little things like that which build confidence and show respect,” he said.
For Faro, empathy is at the heart of the program. “When you meet someone, you have no idea what they’re going through,” he said. “If these boys can understand that and show kindness, they can change how someone feels in that moment.”
The Young Gentlemen’s League will continue up to right before Thanksgiving, with participants graduating at the end of the 12 weeks. Faro said his hope is to see the program grow beyond Sky Academy.
“If it’s successful enough, we can structure it into a format other schools can use,” he said. “I don’t care if it’s anywhere across the nation or the world, as long as it helps kids.”
For more information about the Young Gentlemen’s League, Brian can be reached through his website, BrianFaro.com.
