After-School All-Stars Multistate Mentoring Program-Rising Stars

After-School All-Stars will expand and enhance its Rising Stars Mentoring program to reach at-risk youth struggling with multiple risk factors that contribute to youth crime and truancy in 18 metropolitan communities in 6 cities (Orlando and Tampa, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia, Honolulu, Hawaii; Cleveland, Ohio; and Washington, DC). In year one, After-School All-Stars will implement Rising Stars across 6 chapters in a total of 18 sites, with the number of mentees increasing by 10 percent each year. After-School All-Stars’ hybrid (group and one-on-one) mentoring program targets at-risk youth (grades 5–12) and directly addresses the following societal problems: the influence of early exposure to risk factors on later problematic behavior, the achievement gap, critical need for social-emotional learning skills, broken relationships between law enforcement and at-risk youth, and family engagement to support caregivers as advocates for their children. During out-of-school enrichment activities intentionally infused with social and emotional learning skill development, paid, staff-trained mentors will use best practice-aligned lesson plans to engage mentees in discussing a variety of topics, including bullying, leadership, teamwork, peer influences/choices, and personal responsibility. Programs will take place in Title I schools, homeless shelters, and community recreation centers in high-poverty metropolitan areas. Programs goals include providing mentees with career preparedness activities and resources to build a positive sense of the future and support social-emotional development and exploration of opportunities to address individual risk factors.