National Urban League Project Ready: Mentor Program

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 (specifically opioid abuse), truancy, and other problem and high-risk behaviors. FY 2020 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 children of parents on active military duty; children of incarcerated parents; youth with opioid/substance abuse problems; youth that experience bullying (including cyberbullying); and youth in rural communities. This program is authorized and funded pursuant to Pub. L. No. 116-93, 133 Stat. 2317, 2410. The National Urban League (NUL) proposes to implement the next iteration of Project Ready Mentor (PRM), a multistate group-mentoring program in 12 NUL affiliate communities across 11 states and the District of Columbia. The proposed project will operate in Seattle, WA; Springfield, IL; Hartford, CT; Louisville, KY; Columbia, SC; Rochester, NY; and West Palm Beach, FL. The 7 city PRM will help disconnected, vulnerable, court-involved, at-risk youth ages 11-17. PRM will serve a minimum of 45 youth per affiliate per year in each of 7 cities, for a minimum total of 945 youth served over the 3-year grant period. PRM provides 182 hours of opportunities, supports, and services that include and extend those of the participant’s local anchor program via mentoring. NUL will collect the data required for this program through data collection tools CiviCRM , Mentor Central, and Kuder® Navigator. PRM meets the Elements of Effective Mentoring Standards and Enhancements and uses a relational approach that aims to develop a sense of efficacy and a close, trusting emotional connection between the mentor and mentee. No funds will be used to conduct research.