Draft Proposal

The Sunny Side of Hallelujah Avenue

Mentoring is the practice where one person of a particular skill takes on the position of instructor or counselor to another in order to teach a particular trade or expertise. The act of mentoring may include program goals, schedules and training, which serve to inspire the student to follow their dreams. It is believed by many that there is a lack of mentoring figures for today’s youth. We will touch on the history of mentoring and a number of common techniques that may be practiced in a formal mentoring relationship. We will then make a case study of Dr. Bill Bennett and his organization Mentoring Men for the Master. This organization is aimed to guide Christian men of all ages who may be interested in anything from achieving a greater understanding of the bible, entering the ministry as a vocation or even becoming a mentor themselves. We will attempt to balance both the importance of mentoring and that of Dr. Bennett’s organization as not to focus too heavily on the historical or religious perspective of either. However, because mentoring is such a broad subject we will concentrate primarily on Dr. Bennett’s practices and his group of Christian men to show the importance and effectiveness of mentoring as a whole.

First we would like to include a section of brief random street interviews that would segue us into our subject of mentoring. We will seek out and speak with an expert in the field of mentoring and discuss the mentoring movement in America as it is right now with a brief history of its beginnings. Through this we will also take a look at the impact of mentoring and the practices that are currently in existence. By exploring the growing number of books and other resources available on the subject of mentoring and the implementing of a national mentoring month and promotions of Public Service Announcements, we will take a glance of the globalization of this subject. To better understand this topic and its impact on our society we will look at Mentoring Men for the Master (MMM) and its creator Dr. Bill Bennett. By looking at this subject from a local groups perspective we will see from this group how mentoring has and can spread to a global community reaching as far as India. We will be able to interview several people (men, women and youth) from different areas of mentoring within this organization to talk about its personal impact and effectiveness in their lives and those around them in their homes and community. Through this film we will see how MMM’s practices are compared to those mentioned by our mentoring expert, and how Dr. Bennett’s methods differ and/or are similar.

Through the use of mini DV, this 15-minute story of Dr. Bennett and Mentoring Men for the Master will be an account of human relationships. Through our encounters with those whose lives have been changed by this mentoring group, either through active participation within the group or through relationships with active participants, the audience will gain a better understanding of the impact that mentoring can have on one’s life. Although the approach to the idea of mentoring will be from a Christian viewpoint for this particular piece, the audience will see that the basic principals of mentoring are universal and needed in our society today. Dr. Bennett’s compelling story will serve as the foundation for illustrating the effectiveness of the application of these basic principals, while entertaining the audience at the same time.