While working with a nonprofit in one of the most troubled school districts in Houston, Brandon Montgomery saw students facing deportation, poverty, abuse and neglect. Some were already involved with the criminal justice system. They had critical needs that existing support systems weren’t designed to meet.
To help address some of the challenges, his wife, Heather, suggested starting a mentoring program. He called it Forward & Beyond.
“That name articulated exactly what I wanted to do, to be an agent of change,” Montgomery said. “Not only to help those students move forward but encourage them to go beyond so that they would start to affect and influence others.”
After founding the program in Texas, Montgomery moved with his family to Greenville when his wife took the communications director role at a local church, where he serves as a youth director. When the church’s senior pastor encouraged him to start a chapter here, he didn’t hesitate.
Forward and Beyond Outreach founder Brandon Montgomery speaks to students from three local middle schools on a field trip.Forward & Beyond Outreach focuses on middle schoolers because so much development takes place during those years.
“In the United States, 7,000 students drop out of school every day. Those are high schoolers, but they check out in middle school,” Montgomery said. “We work with the middle school population to help them deal with adverse childhood experiences and develop social emotional skills, so they have the tools they need to enter high school confident and sure of themselves.”
The Greenville program launched at Tanglewood Middle School in 2019 and was successful until it closed for the pandemic. When schools reopened, the program resumed at Berea and Lakeview middle schools and Hughes Academy of Science and Technology. Montgomery and his team promote the program with energetic lunchtime assemblies, raising awareness and enthusiasm.
“They’re excited to be a part of it. We take 100 students at each school and all three have a waiting list,” he says.
The group mentoring program meets one afternoon weekly at each school for fall, winter and spring sessions. The curriculum covers four pillars of success: perceptions, possibilities, process and progress.
“Within those four pillars, we cover everything from bullying and past trauma to social media and hygiene,” Montgomery said. “We track grades because we are holding them accountable and pushing them to greatness. Over 70% of the students are raising their grades or maintaining a 3.0 average or above. They’re excited to show their mentors how well they’ve done.”
The spring session includes fun, educational day trips. A summer leadership program will be added in 2024. A dedicated pool of 45 professionals and volunteers works with Montgomery to provide a supportive environment for students, inspire learning and improve educational outcomes. More
Forward and Beyond’s curriculum focuses on four pillars of success: Perceptions, Possibilities, Process, and Progress.volunteers are always needed to relate to diverse student populations. Youth advocates in other states have expressed interest in the program, Montgomery said.
“Our goal is to do one thing well, expand in the Upstate then take the program nationwide,” he said.
Forward & Beyond partners with Greenville County School District, OnTrack Greenville, and local businesses to make these opportunities available.
Community Foundation of Greenville President Bob Morris visited Forward & Beyond at Berea Middle School, where volunteers and teens held small group discussions on positive ways to cope with stress, anxiety and depression.
“Before the students went home, they had identified ways they could take care of themselves and support each other,” Morris said.
Following the visit, the Community Foundation awarded a grant for development of a strategic plan.
“We’re always happy for new community partners and allies to come and check out the program,” Montgomery said. “People want to attach to something bigger than themselves, to see a difference in communities that don’t look like theirs, so that there’s not ‘this Greenville’ and ‘that Greenville.’ We can build a better community together.”
For more information, to donate or volunteer, visit forwardandbeyond.org
