"During the last twenty years, the status and performance of African American males in education has been one of the most consistently researched topics" (Rashad, 2010, p. 2). This research paper reports the results from a study conducted with African American Adolescent males at a local community center. The research evaluated the perceptions of these participants as it relates to the usage of information received after completing a Strength Deployment Inventory and a series of four workshops. Rashad (2010) note "that students with favorable educational experiences are more likely to experience professional prosperity in adulthood it is necessary to examine the factors which threaten African American male's academic engagement and performance (p. 2). This qualitative research will examine the perceptions of this small group and offer insight in to the need to further examine the introduction of self awareness tools in the educational system. The findings of this research revealed several key concepts that may lead to increased achievement and decreased behavioral instances for African American adolescent males. The African American adolescent males showed a strong interest in learning more about themselves through the use of an educational tool. The participants also showed a spoke about the goal of becoming leaders in their communities and in school. These findings along with others noted in the study support the need for the usage of tools that help African American adolescent males improve their ability to communicate properly, build relationships, and navigate the educational environment. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]