The Talented Tenth Mentoring Program™ (TTMP)

The Talented Tenth Mentoring Program™ (TTMP) is the flagship program of the Foundation. The target audience of TTMP is disadvantaged & underprivileged youth ages 14-18. This demographic is largely composed of children of color and/or from low income, single parent households, with little-to-no financial education or formal exposure, in or outside the home. These children typically lack the resources to have attended private primary or secondary institutions and are otherwise financially incapable of attending university without scholarship(s) and/or grants.

The Talented Tenth Mentoring Program makes a profound contribution to the field of education by addressing the economic disenfranchisement of the most vulnerable segment of our population: disadvantaged and underprivileged youth. The TTMP is innovative because it enables participants to avoid many of the later pitfalls of their contemporaries, such as: young adult consumerism, debt & liability accumulation, earned-income dependence and deferred retirement planning.

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The program consists of interactive, multimedia workshops and lectures beginning with a series of Life Skills workshops. The workshops encompass the following subject matter:

  1.  Self Analysis and Impulse Control
  2.  Critical and Lateral Thinking
  3.  Entitlement Thinking and Accountability
  4.  Image and Consumerism
  5.  Education vs. Entertainment
  6.  Time Management and Prioritization
  7.  Goal Setting and Plan Formation

The second component of the Program is a substantive business & financial education curriculum, consisting of multimedia lecture and learning group case study analysis. In this segment, the Program provides instruction on personal financial management and business principles, consisting of:

  • Cash Flow analysis and Budgeting
  • Financial Statements: utilizing and understanding the Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Statement(s) of Cash Flow
  • Compound analysis: saving vs. investing
  • Credit, Financing and the Cost of Capital
  • “Good debt” vs. “Bad debt”
  • Earned, Passive and Portfolio income analysis
  • Entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation
  • Asset Protection
  • Retirement Planning

The Program also includes a quarterly field trip to a cultural enrichment event (i.e. theatrical or dance performance, opera, symphony orchestra event or museum/art exhibit) to acculturate participants to business professional socializing and networking protocols. In addition, participants will be paired with business and professional leaders from within their community to facillitate a one-on-one mentorship relationship. The mentorship component of the program gives participants direct exposure to various industry sectors and allows them to receive guidance in their prospective field of choice.

The workshops are completely free and voluntary for participants. Parents are welcome to attend and participants are also provided a free Financial Fitness Packet at the conclusion of the Program, which they can immediately implement with their parents as a household financial management tool.