Vienna — Marcus Girard has dedicated his entire adult life to helping youth, particularly young men get on the right track to making good life choices.
Also known as “Brother Marcus,” Girard is the head motivational speaker and trainer for Youth Intervention Services of Atlanta, a company he developed in 1994.
“Throughout the years I have worked with many diverse groups of youth,” said Girard. “From ‘at risk’ to the most elite, and they all just want someone to talk to.”
Girard says that many young people do not understand that you have to learn something about the mind to be able to use it. He tries to impress upon youth, he says, that no one person’s mind is better than the next. It is a matter of how that individual chooses to use his mind.
“One of the biggest issues with youth today is that they do not think about tomorrow,” he says. “They only believe in what they can see right now.
“I want them to understand the pros and cons of what they are doing and the long-term consequences. My philosophy is a man who fails to plan, plans to fail.
“I want young people to plan for their life and make the type of choices that will impact their future in a positive way.”
One of the ways Girard does this is through one of many outreach programs through the Youth Intervention Services.
Among those programs is Brother’s Keeper, a male leadership development program Girard is currently teaching at Dooly County Middle and High Schools once a week.
“The students came up with the name,” he said. “The purpose of Brother’s Keeper is to emphasize three key points: staying in school, staying out of trouble, and improving grades.
“We also touch on many other topics that young men deal with on a daily basis such as abstinence, gangs, drugs, goal setting and proper grooming.
“We also discuss the importance of understanding what is happening to them as they grow from boys to men.”
Girard says he also works with the young men on their reading skills and breaking down words so that they understand what they are reading and how to comprehend it.
The class is really effective, he says, because he is a man and he is teaching young men. He wants them to know that there are people out there who are disgusted with the way they talk and act in public and the fact that they have no respect for anything that was here before them.
“I want them to take more pride in themselves and show more respect for their community,” he said.
“Young people today are centered on keeping it real and that is what I try to do. These programs give them an opportunity to talk and re-evaluate what’s important in life and examine the personal direction they have chosen.”
He believes that programs like Brother’s Keeper are critically important because young people just gravitate to them. He believes this is because the programs offer learning in a non-threatening, laid back environment, and the words are coming from someone who has been in their same position.
Girard himself grew up in a high risk, hard core inner city area of Brooklyn, NY. As one of seven children, he lost many friends throughout his adolescence to drugs, gangs, guns, and violence.
Even as a youngster, he says it was his desire to one day find a way to help people overcome the difficulties many face in their everyday lives.
He escaped from the life and now it is his purpose in life to help other young people do the same, he says.
“ I am grateful to be here in Dooly County,” Girard said. “This program is a partnership between the Dooly Board of Education and the Youth Intervention Services.
“Dooly Superintendent Dr. Grady Miles and the members of the board of education have a vision for the young people in Dooly Schools. If not for that vision, I would not be here.
“I am also grateful to the principals at each school for allowing me into their schools and for their support of the program.”
Girard will continue with classes at DCMS and DCHS each Friday until the end of the school year.
He attended Morehouse College, and he and his wife Cecelia have six children.
Girard has developed several curriculums and programs including a statewide manhood and fatherhood training program. He conducts workshops on marriage and family relationships and parent empowerment.
He also coordinated the Southwest Georgia Teen fatherhood program and has worked with teen mothers.
He has recorded motivational CD’s and is an author and Internet based talk show host.
For more information on Girard and the Youth Intervention Services go online to www.marcusgirard.com.
Financial Contributions / Donations to financially support the work of Brother Marcus and the Youth Intervention Services and Training Institute, Inc.! This is a 100% safe and secure site to financially support the work that Brother Marcus and the Youth Intervention Services does in our community. If you believe in the work that I am striving to do through the Youth Intervention Services please donate. I am always out here trying to help our youth as well as the adults at my own personal expense. Your donation really does help me to do the work God has inspired me to do. If you would like to give a little gas money, funds for supplies or help us with our weekly expenses that are associated with trying to serve and reach people then please click the link below and thank you in advance for your donation!
All Praises Due To Allah!
Sunday, April 17th 2011 at 1:13PM
Siebra Muhammad
Thank you so much! My teacher taught me that, "Victory is ours today if we can only recognize how much of nothing we are and how great Almighty God is! To God be the glory is right!
Sunday, April 17th 2011 at 6:42PM
Brother Marcus!
