Youth Gang Prevention Mentoring Initiative

OJJDP seeks applicants to establish mentoring programs that offer a mixture of core services and engage youth with activities that enable them to practice healthy behaviors within a positive pro-social peer group. The target population should be youth at risk of gang activity, delinquency, and youth violence. This program should develop and strengthen protective factors against gang involvement and other problem behaviors. It can be based in a school or community setting. Successful applicants will include organizations, local school districts, and communities dealing with demonstrated gang problems who are a part of a communitywide strategy to combat gang activity. This initiative is authorized under the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2009, Pub. L. 111-8.

Friends for Youth (FFY) will implement a youth gang prevention mentoring initiative. The purpose is to reduce gang involvement, delinquency, and violence in the high-risk areas of San Mateo County, California. This initiative will strengthen protective factors for youth by providing them with long-term mentors, pro-social activities, and a multi-modal service approach that promotes healthy behaviors. Low-asset youth will be identified and referred to FFY by San Mateo County Probation and other youth-service avenues. These youth live in high-crime areas, experience difficult home environments, attend violent schools, and/or face other significant challenges that put them at-risk of getting involved in gangs, delinquency, and violence. Youth Gang Prevention Mentoring Initiative activities will focus on enhancing FFY's currently operational, highly effective one-on-one mentoring and support services program. Enhancements will include increasing match time from 12 months to 24 months, intensifying mentor training and support, expanding multi-modal service provision, and increasing the frequency and diversity of pro-social group activities. Progress toward goals will be measured through ongoing tracking, assessment, and evaluation of both process objectives and outcome/impact objectives.

CA/NCF