A native
of Richmond, Arthur Ashe dreamed of providing Virginia children
with real-life role models as examples of how positive, successful
and fulfilling life can be. He believed that if you build a
child's self-confidence and help him or her develop sound values,
you prepare that child for success. In 1991, Arthur Ashe helped
found Virginia Heroes Incorporated, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization,
which provides role models and mentors to sixth-grade students
in Richmond middle schools.
Each year, Virginia Heroes Incorporated touches hundreds of
middle-school students. Volunteer mentors from Richmond area
corporations,
businesses, government and service agencies meet with students
twice each month for one hour in participating middle schools.
The middle school years are critical in the growth of a child. Having a trusted older person to share decisions with, listen to problems and provide guidance is vitally important.
Recent research shows programs teaching emotional and social skills also produce measurable improvement in children's academic performance.
