Project Mentor

This grant program is authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5) (the 'Recovery Act'). Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention made awards to support local organizations that develop, implement, or expand local mentoring programs leading to measurable, positive outcomes for at-risk youth. This program furthers the Department's mission by enhancing the capacity of local mentoring programs to develop and implement mentoring strategies to reduce juvenile delinquency and prevent violence.

More than 25% of students in Columbus City Schools (CCS) drop out, making them much more likely to engage in criminal activity. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio has partnered with CCS to create Project Mentor, a program to provide thousands of at-risk CCS students with valuable mentoring relationships. Project Mentor serves CCS students who qualify for the free or reduced school lunch program and who scored below proficient or at the lowest levels of proficiency in Reading or Math. Mentors meet weekly with their mentee for about an hour during the school year. Mentors and youth work on activities around topics such as academics, goal setting, decision making and leadership. It is expected that 70% of mentees who complete the program will remain positive or show improvements in their developmental assets, making them more likely to attain their high school degree, based on surveys completed by the mentees before and after the program. We expect to support 1,700 mentoring relationships for at-risk CCS students in 2009-10 (an increase of 26%); 2,075 in 2010-11; and 2,400 in 2011-12.

This award will sustain approximately 1 job and will create 2 new jobs; thus the project achieves the Recovery Act objective of promoting economic recovery by preserving or creating jobs. CA/NCF