2019 National PAL Mentoring Initiative

The Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative, Category 1 (National Mentoring Program) provides funding to support national mentoring organizations in their efforts to strengthen and/or expand their existing mentoring activities within local chapters or sub-awardees (in at least 45 states) to reduce juvenile delinquency, drug abuse (specifically opioid abuse), truancy, and other problem and high-risk behaviors. FY 2019 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 required to target American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth, and are also highly encouraged to target their mentoring services to children of parents on active military duty; children of incarcerated parents; youth with disabilities; youth impacted by opioids; and youth in rural communities. This program is authorized by Pub L. No. 116-6, 133 Stat. 13, 115; Pub L. No 115-141, 132 Stat 348, 423.

The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League (NPAL) will expand and enhance its existing NPAL Mentoring Program to serve at-risk, system-involved, and victimized youth across the country. The goal of the NPAL Mentoring Program is to develop positive relationships between at-risk youth ages 8-17 and law enforcement professionals, while also providing youth with valuable life skills, increased confidence, and promoting healthy lifestyles. Additionally, NPAL will serve American Indian/Alaska Native youth by providing Native youth organizations and Tribal police department PALs the opportunity to operate the program and will provide targeted training and technical assistance to sites with large native youth populations. To serve youth impacted by opioids, NPAL will provide supplemental subawards to sites that will develop a memorandum of understanding with a local treatment facility or agency to provide training and referral support for youth and family members, and participate in NPAL trainings on opioid abuse prevention. CA/NCF