Laurinburg Housing Authority Youth Center

The goals of this program are to divert at-risk youth from negative societal influences such as gangs and substance abuse by improving school attendance, academics, self-esteem, and personal relationships. Peer Mentors provide youth with positive role modeling to become successful adults who can make positive contributions in their community by providing outreach, information, referral, and a support system to high-risk youth. Detailed goals are to provide each Peer Mentor with the opportunity to learn job skills that will increase their qualifications to set career goals and eventually secure future employment in a said specified vocation; to develop inter-personal skills in Peer Mentor that will increase their confidence in interacting with students, including resolving conflict, setting limits, and problem solving/decision making needed to maintain safety among students at the Resource Centers; and to increase positive attitudes regarding school attendance, academic grade improvement, self-esteem, and attitudes regarding risky behaviors among Mentees in the program being mentored by the Peer Mentors. The ultimate outcome is to reduce juvenile delinquency among the youth mentored. NCA/NCF