Mentoring Youth for Leadership (MYL)

The Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative, Category 2 (Multi-State Mentoring Program) provides funding to support mentoring organizations in their efforts to strengthen and/or expand their existing mentoring activities within local chapters or sub-awardees (in at least 5 states but fewer than 45 states) to reduce juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, truancy, and other problem and high-risk behaviors. FY 2015 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. Programs are encouraged to target their mentoring services to American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth; children of parents on active military duty; children of incarcerated parents; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth; youth with disabilities; and youth in rural communities. This program is authorized by the FY15(OJJDP Ment. Oppor Yth) Pub. L. No. 113-235; 128 Stat. 2130, 2195.

The Leadership Foundations' Mentoring Youth for Leadership (MYL) initiative will provide mentoring to 5,400 youth at risk of involvement in the juvenile justice system, rural youth, children of incarcerated parents, and youth with disabilities. The MYL’s goals are to reduce the incidence of youth violence and juvenile delinquency, improve academic performance, and improve the social emotional health of at-risk youth. The program will provide one-to-one mentoring (2,520 youth), group mentoring (2,880 youth), case management, leadership skill development, and wraparound services. Thirty-two Leadership Foundation (LF) members across the US will mentor youth in 32 states and 40 locations. MYL will: 1) design the strategy for assessing performance and provide independent, external program evaluations (Wilder Research); 2) extend existing data management systems to improve the efficiency of LF members (Innovative Mentoring Software); and 3) provide online and in-person training for improving program outcomes through evidence-based mentor, mentee, and parent training materials and practices (innovation Research and Training or iRT). New components of the 4th edition of MENTOR’s Elements of Effective Practice will be integrated into ongoing training of the LF members. In addition, strong emphasis will be placed on establishing external local partnerships, to provide wraparound services to at-risk youth and their families.
CA/NCF