OJJDP FY 2012 National Mentoring Programs

This program supports national mentoring organizations in their efforts to strengthen and/or expand their existing mentoring activities within local affiliates. Mentoring activities include direct one-on-one mentoring, group mentoring, or peer mentoring services to at-risk and underserved youth populations. This program is authorized by the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2012, Pub. L. No. 112-55, 125 Stat. 552, 617.

Up2Us, Inc. (Up2Us) will utilize this funding to launch the National Coach Mentoring Initiative (CMI). The goal of CMI is to prevent youth from engaging in risky behavior that could cause them to become victims and/or perpetrators of violence. Up2Us will accomplish this goal by leveraging the potential of youth sports coaches to act as mentors to youth. Up2Us will partner with a select group of sports-based youth development (SBYD) programs across the country, selected from a pool of over 550 Up2Us member organizations, to establish SBYD Mentoring Programs in 38 communities with high rates of youth delinquency. Up2Us will use OJJDP funds to: recruit, train, and place 76 coach-mentors in 38 carefully-vetted host sites to provide structured mentoring services and activities that will reach 10,000 youth; support volunteer recruitment and network-building activities in the target communities; and provide training, evaluation tools, and other resources to ensure program quality and ongoing improvement. Through this project, Up2Us will develop a replicable program model - SBYD Mentoring - that uses the sports environment not only to reduce youth delinquency and risky behavior, but also to promote and support healthy living habits and high academic achievement. CA/NCF