Cultivating Youth Mentoring Project

Lewis County Juvenile Court proposes to continue its partnership with the Lewis County Mentoring Project, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Thurston County, Centralia School District, and Reliable Enterprises to bring mentoring programs to Lewis County, Washington. These organizations will work together to address rural Lewis County's most pressing challenges: low on-time graduation rates, poverty and youth who demonstrate anti-social behaviors. Using a small, 11-acre, agricultural farm as the setting, the project proposes to serve 311 at-risk students ages 13'17 through a range of mentoring programs. Growing Places Farm will offer training, adult and peer mentoring, school credit and employment for up to 35 youth over the project period. BBBS will serve a total of 36 youth through its evidence-based, one-to-one community-based model, and the Juvenile Court will engage 240 juvenile offenders in healthy adult relationships with farm staff and volunteers to develop and maintain the farm's gardens and facilities. Other activities will include building backyard gardens for low-income persons and hosting community events. The project's goals and objectives center on expanding community partnerships, employing mentoring and skills building programs, and promoting community safety and protective factors for youth. Outcomes will focus on youth achievement at school, productive work on the farm, and success in developing positive social behaviors. CA/NCF