DOINews: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners with Steve Harvey's Mentoring Program for Young Men in Detroit

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff gather for a photo with Steve Harvey at a career expo in Detroit, Mich., on Sept. 27. (From left, John Hartig, refuge manager, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge; Grosse Ile, Mich.; Lionel Grant, manager, Visitor Services,Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, Saginaw, Mich.; Steve Harvey; Jamie Lanier, manager, Visitor Services, Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge;Justin Chiotti, fish biologist, Alpena Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, Alpena, Mich.; and James Boase, supervisory fish biologist, Alpena Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office.) Photo by USFWS.

DETROIT, Mich. – On Sept. 27-29 the Steve Harvey Mentoring Program for Young Men came to Detroit. The goal of this mentoring program was to teach leadership skills and provide positive male role models to 13- to 18-year-old young men from the Detroit metropolitan area to help them realize their potential and help them envision and prepare for a future where they are strong, responsible, and productive men.

“Steve Harvey” and “Family Feud” host, comedian, best-selling author, and top radio host Steve Harvey and The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation convened this mentoring event for more than 100 young men in the Detroit metro area. This mentoring program took place at the Northwest Activities Center in Detroit and featured an array of influential learning sessions, including team building, physical fitness, and motivational discussions. This transformative program helps educate and inspire young men to strive for a better tomorrow and support the awareness that they can take charge of their futures. These young Detroit men heard encouraging words from many guest speakers, including James Edwards, Judge Mathis, Ed Gordon, Pastor Marvin L. Winans, Mateen Cleaves, Benny Napoleon and more. Sessions focused on key principles of manhood, leadership, and dream building.

Steve Harvey noted that “We want these young men to gain an experience that is not taught in a classroom with real talk and genuine issues of everyday life. We want to empower them in a
positive way with a refreshing environment and open their imaginations beyond what they already know. With the opportunity to take part in a mentoring program focused on their future potential and dreams, these young men will walk away knowing that no dreams are too big and the tools to take charge of achieving them.”

As part of this mentoring program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff from Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, and Alpena Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office participated in an expo at the Northwest Activity Center in Detroit on Friday, Sept. 27, designed to explore possible careers and future work experiences.

Interested young men signed up for four Youth Conservation Corps jobs offered at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge in the summer of 2014. These four Youth Conservation Corps workers will work on restoration of habitats, control of invasive species, and fishery surveys, including the monitoring of lake sturgeon – a threatened species in Michigan and Ontario. These jobs are being offered as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Urban Wildlife Refuge Initiative designed to bring conservation to cities and help develop the next generation of conservation leaders.

The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge incorporates 5,800 acres along 48 miles of the Detroit River and western Lake Erie. The refuge focuses on conserving, protecting, and restoring habitat for 29 species of waterfowl, 23 species of raptors, 31 species of shorebirds, more than 100 species of fish, and more than 300 species of birds. It is the first international refuge in North America and one of the few urban ones. Unique habitats being managed for conservation
include islands, coastal wetlands, marshes, shoals, and waterfront lands. The Western Lake Erie Watersheds Priority Natural Area is the institutional mechanism for Canadian federal, provincial,and local partners to cooperatively work with U.S. partners on the International Wildlife Refuge.

Submitted by: Inez Uhl, chief, Office of Diversity and Inclusive Workforce Management, USFWS
Oct. 18, 2013

Important Link:

oneINTERIOR Diversity page