May 22, 2015 04:22 PM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Hampton University has launched a program to keep young African-American males out of trouble, WVEC News reported.

The school's Promise Program, a family-centered program for men between the ages of 12 and 25, aims to deter young men away from violence by   helping them develop essential skills that will steer them towards "personal success."

Antonio Jackson, a student at One Newport News high school, told WVEC News he joined the violence prevention initiative because he did not want to be a statistic.

"Hanging with my friends, smoking, doing crazy stuff," the 18-year-old high school student said. "Without this program I'd probably be locked up or something."

The overall goal of the Men's Violence Prevention Program is to help them live their lives in ways that do not put them at risk of violence and achieve their greatest potential, WVEC News reported.

"We look to build up the young men, their self-esteem, teach them to value their history, who they are," Raymond Samuel, organizer of the program, told WVEC News.

In the nine-month program, participants will be assigned mentors will participate in workshops that cover a broad range of topics relevant to young men, organizers of the Promise Program explained. They will also create a video documentary or public service announcement that explains how violence is affecting communities and what can be done to reduce it.

"The program has helped me to think, and think twice," Jackson said.

Hampton University is working in collaboration with Howard University on this violence prevention program. 

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