2024 Strengthening Relationships Between Police and the Community through Youth Mentoring

National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues (NPAL) seeks to expand the reach and opportunity to provide mentoring services to youth ages 8–17. NPAL will make improvements to the existing mentoring interventions, and build upon the many years of law enforcement-led youth mentoring that provides valuable support in diverse communities across the nation. NPAL Mentoring seeks to reduce risk factors of participants such as delinquency, victimization, and juvenile justice system involvement while increasing protective factors such as improved social competencies, increased self-esteem, commitment to academic success and community, and improved relations with law enforcement in 80 PAL chapters nationwide. Targeted youth populations will include American Indian and Alaska Native youth, at-risk youth, as well as youth in rural communities. Over the course of 12 months of direct mentoring under the grant, NPAL will provide training to mentees, mentors, families, and staff on the topics of youth protection, social media literacy to prevent bullying, and substance misuse prevention. Through small group mentoring activities, NPAL seeks to build trust and strengthen relationships between youth and local law enforcement agencies to improve academic performance and reduce negative outcomes, including youth delinquency, substance use, and gang participation, in partnership with local juvenile courts, parole offices, and legal agencies. Subrecipient activities will include training opportunities in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children Inc. Subrecipient selection will be informed by demonstration of satisfactory grant performance, high program quality and capacity, and satisfactory financial controls and internal processes. Once selected, NPAL chapters will perform screenings aligned with the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring benchmark standards to protect youth mentees while developing the most impactful mentor match. NPAL will administer surveys to capture data on the strength and efficacy of mentoring connections, family engagement, and reductions in risky behavior.