2017 College Mentors for Kids Program Enhancement and Expansion

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 2017 funding will address the factors that can lead to or serve as a catalyst for delinquency or other problem behaviors in youth.

College Mentors for Kids, Inc. will enhance and expand its existing one-on-one mentoring program, which is currently established on 37 college and university campuses in 10 states and serves 2,455 youth. The program matches elementary school youth in grades 1 to 6 with trained and screened college student mentors. Together they participate in weekly after school activities on the university campus. The applicant will expand services at current program sites and to two new sites in the Mid-Atlantic region. By the end of the grant period, College Mentors will have nearly doubled the number of Mid-Atlantic youth in mentoring relationships, for a total of 790 youth. Organization-wide, 3,115 youth will be mentored by 3,115 college student mentors and 460 college student chapter leaders. Funds will also support costs associated with program enhancements to benefit all youth served. Enhancements include improving the mentor recruitment process; strengthening screening; developing online trainings for mentors, parents, and partners; offering a longer in-person training for college student leaders; implementing a research-based mentor matching process; increasing monitoring and support; and improving the match closure process and event that engages families. Progress toward project goals and objectives will be measured through program records, evaluations of youth, and school-reported data. CA/NCF