Strengthening Mentoring for Underserved Youth in the Middle Grades

The Multi-State Mentoring Program provides funding to support established mentoring organizations in their efforts to strengthen and/or expand their existing mentoring activities within local chapters or sub-awardees in five or more states to reduce juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, truancy, and other problem and high-risk behaviors. FY 2014 funding will address the factors that can lead to or serve as a catalyst for delinquency or other problem behaviors in underserved youth, including youth in high-risk environments, children of incarcerated parents and tribal youth. The program is comprised of three categories: Category 1 for organizations implementing one-on-one mentoring programs, Category 2 for Group mentoring programs and Category 3 for a combination of both one-on-one and group mentoring.

Citizen Schools will partner with various high-need school districts and schools to provide an evidence-based combination of mentoring, academic support, and college and career readiness activities to every student in the targeted middle school grades (6-8). The program focuses on youth who demonstrate, or are likely to demonstrate, social and community risk factors for juvenile delinquency. These include: low socioeconomic status/poverty; high rates of single parenthood and family disruption; poor academic performance and low bonding to school; and high rates of neighborhood and peer crime, drug use, and gang activity. Participating youth will gain access to two sets of mentors: staff or AmeriCorps Team Leaders, who build relationships with students over the entire academic year by providing academic coaching, team building, and support in planning for the future; and volunteer Citizen Teachers, who work with groups of students for one semester to introduce topics ranging from electrical engineering to theater through hands-on projects. The long-term goal of Citizen Schools' mentoring program is to close the opportunity gap for low-income children, developing the skills, attitudes, and behaviors that will keep youth on a path to graduate from high school ready to succeed in college, careers, and civic life. This project will impact 7,500 youth, 375 Team Leaders, and 3,000 Citizen Teachers across at least 5 states. CA/NCF