On any given day, it’s easy to find programs that promise to keep kids busy for the summer. Fewer can say they’re building something that sticks long after the last day of camp.
In Southfield, a collaboration between Boys 2 Men Youth Mentoring and Love Our Kids Family and Community Project has created a summer experience that blends mentorship, life skills, and hands-on learning in a way that feels intentional instead of improvised, and they’re preparing for the next chapter in that legacy.
For Mark Watts, president of Boys 2 Men, the mission didn’t start with a summer camp. It started with a decision back in 2018 to step into the lives of young people and stay there.
“This is a lifestyle,” Watts said. “My life changed in September of 2018 when I decided to take that leap of faith. And ever since then, it’s been a blessing.”
That leap has grown into a mentoring program that, by Watts’ count, has served more than 1,000 boys across Detroit, Southfield, Oak Park, West Bloomfield, and beyond. He doesn’t hesitate when talking about outcomes either. He calls it their “bragging right.”
None of the young men who’ve come through the program have been incarcerated. None have died. Those who’ve aged out have gone on to college or picked up a trade. Some are already circling back, asking how they can mentor the next group coming up behind them. And every student who has matriculated through the mentorship program who is of age has graduate high school.
That kind of track record doesn’t happen by accident, and it’s part of the reason this summer’s camp is drawing so much attention.
Set to run from late June through early August, the five-week program is expected to serve as many as 500 students, with capacity to reach even more. It’s open to boys and girls, with separate tracks planned for different age groups, and it’s completely free.
“We’ve been coming out of our own pocket to fund the camp since 2018,” he said. “We don’t get a lot of grants. We don’t get a lot of funding. But we make sure it happens one way or another.”
Beyond the scale of the summer camp, what makes it stand out is its structure. Parents aren’t simply dropping off their children as a daycare program or to pass time. It’s a full-day experience running Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m, with a curriculum that blends STEAM learning, mental health awareness, conflict resolution, and creative expression with motorsports – something you don’t often see in youth programming, particularly among Black youth.
That piece comes through a partnership with former Michigan Wolverine football player and NFL alum Julius Curry, who has transitioned from professional football into the automotive and racing space.
“It was just a natural connection,” Curry said. “Mark is helping kids learn the skills they need to become grown men and women, and we’re giving them the skills on the educational side—how to design, build and race cars, how to get into the automotive and motorsports space. It just made sense.”
Together, they’re introducing young people to an industry that has historically lacked both visibility and access in Black communities. Curry has made it clear since he stepped into the motorsport’s world, though, that exposure is the bare minimum. Building confidence and problem-solving skills that translate far beyond the track is the real goal.
“When they have trouble, they don’t give up quick,” he said. “That’s what this is about. Teaching them how to work through things.”
That mindset shows up across the entire camp schedule. Students will rotate through activities that include drone piloting, 3D printing, podcast production, photography, and T-shirt design. They’ll learn how to silk screen their own apparel, record and edit audio, and capture video. They’ll also spend time outdoors hiking, exploring, and stepping away from the screens that dominate so much of their daily lives.
“We’ve got to get them off these devices,” Watts said. “Show them there’s more out there.”
For the youth attendees, Watts says they get excited about all the offerings, but admits that the motorsports component is arguably the most eye-catching part of the program. Plans include go-kart tracks set up on-site, build-your-own race car projects, and pit crew challenges designed to teach teamwork under pressure. Students will even take field trips to racetracks, getting an up-close look at a world many of them have never experienced firsthand.
For Dice Clark, founder of Love Our Kids Family and Community Project, the camp represents something deeper than a packed schedule of activities. It’s about shifting expectations.
“We’re not just babysitting people’s kids for the summer,” Clark said. “When they leave this camp, they’re going home with something. They’re going to be able to say, ‘I learned this, I built this, I can do this.’ That’s the difference.”
Clark’s partnership with Watts came together organically, after years of hearing about each other’s work in the community but never quite connecting. When they finally did meet –during a podcast recording at Boys 2 Men’s Southfield headquarters – it didn’t take long to realize they were aligned.
“We’ve got too many organizations doing the same work separately,” Clark said. “We were tired of that. It was time to come together and really help these kids and families.”
That collaboration is part of what’s fueling the scale of this summer’s effort. It’s also a reflection of how grassroots organizations are increasingly pooling resources to create bigger, more sustainable impact.
Still, none of it comes easy. Pulling off a free program of this size requires constant hustle, partnerships, and a willingness to invest personally when funding falls short. Watts doesn’t sugarcoat that reality, but he also doesn’t dwell on it.
“You do it because it’s from the heart,” Clark added. “This is heart work. And when you’re doing God’s work, you make it happen.”
That same spirit carries into another major event on the organization’s annual gala, which serves as both a fundraiser and a celebration of the community that makes the work possible.
Now in its seventh year, the black-tie event has grown into a staple for supporters of Boys 2 Men and the broader network of partners they’ve built along the way. This year’s gala will take place in Southfield on Sunday, May 17, at the Radisson Hotel starting at 6 p.m. There will be full weekend of activities leading up to it, including a pre-gala car show designed to bring the community together in a more casual setting.
Inside the main event, the focus will shift to storytelling and recognition. Local artists will showcase their work, with live painting sessions adding an interactive element to the evening. A live band and curated dining experience featuring local restaurants will round out the atmosphere, but the heart of the night will be the honorees.
“We’re giving out 13, possibly 14 awards this year,” Watts said. “These are people who are really doing the work in the community. Connectors. Trailblazers.”
Some of those moments, he admits, tend to get emotional. The gala honors and recognizes the kind of behind-the-scenes impact that often goes unnoticed. Mentors. Parents. Community leaders. Even his own mother will be among those honored this year, a nod to the personal roots of the work he’s built.
The gala also doubles as an opportunity to invest directly in the next generation, with scholarships awarded to graduating participants in the program.
It’s a full-circle moment that underscores what sets Boys 2 Men apart. It’s about building a pipeline, Watts says – one that starts with exposure and support, and ends with young adults who are prepared to step into their own purpose and, in many cases, come back to pour into others.
Back at the summer camp, that philosophy will be on display every day, from the morning sessions to the afternoon activities, and especially during the daily “TED Talk”-style gatherings where guest speakers will share their stories with students. And the kids will be fed well throughout the day, as chefs will be there to prepare meals directly from their kitchen and from the Boys 2 Men Food Truck which will be onsite.
“You never know what’s going to stick with a kid,” he said. “Sometimes it’s just hearing somebody who looks like them, who’s been where they’ve been, and seeing what’s possible.”
As the start date approaches, registrations are already rolling in, partnerships are expanding, and the vision continues to grow. There’s talk of additional athletes getting involved, new programming being added, and even more opportunities on the horizon beyond the summer.
But for now, the focus is to create an experience that leaves an imprint.
To register for the Black Tie Affair or to sign up your child for the summer camp, visit Boys2MenYouthMentoring.com/event.
