Northward Bound Mentoring Enhancement Project

This demonstration program will support collaborations of qualified, established mentoring program sites to incorporate advocacy or teaching functions into mentors' roles through (1) matching youth and mentors based on needs, skills, experiences, and interests; (2) initial and ongoing training for mentors; and (3) ongoing mentor support.

This project will include three Big Brothers Big Sisters sites along a Northward Bound corridor from the border of Mexico to the Texas panhandle. The sites will implement a one to one mentoring program enhancement and serve 225 primarily at risk Hispanic youth ages 11-15. Mentors will be randomly assigned and intervention group mentors will be coached and supported to implement teaching and advocacy functions into their roles. The agency will implement strategic program enhancements to making matches, training mentors and supporting mentors during the match relationship. The eight proposed enhancements include more detailed assessments and home visits for mentors, enhanced match introductions, initial and advance training on advocacy and teaching, reduced caseloads, more frequent contact, and greater opportunities for interaction among participants. The partnering agencies share common, existing data collection and evaluation tools and have collaborated on the development, design and data tracking methods unique to this project.

CA/NCF

This demonstration program will support collaborations of qualified, established mentoring program sites to incorporate advocacy or teaching functions into mentors' roles through (1) matching youth and mentors based on needs, skills, experiences, and interests; (2) initial and ongoing training for mentors; and (3) ongoing mentor support.

This project will include three Big Brothers Big Sisters sites along a Northward bound corridor from the border of Mexico to the Texas panhandle. The sites will implement a one to one mentoring program enhancement and serve 225 primarily at-risk Hispanic youth ages 11-15. Mentors will be randomly assigned and intervention group mentors will be coached and supported to implement teaching and advocacy functions into their roles. The agency will implement strategic program enhancements to making matches, training mentors and supporting mentors during the match relationship. The eight proposed enhancements include more detailed assessments and home visits for mentors, enhanced match introductions, initial and advance training on advocacy and teaching, reduced caseloads, more frequent contact, and greater opportunities for interaction among participants. The partnering agencies share common, existing data collection and evaluation tools and have collaborated on the development, design and data tracking methods unique to this project.

NCA/NCF