Mentoring School-Age Children: A Classification of Programs

The number of mentoring programs providing adult support to youth has increased dramatically in recent years. This report presents information on the characteristics of programs serving school-aged youth (K-12). We found that rather than simply replicating the traditional Big Brothers Big Sisters model, newer programs are emphasizing somewhat more instrumental goals and activities, as well as experimenting with different types of relationships (group, school-based, etc.). Most programs seem to have sufficient infrastructure to screen, train, and supervise their mentors adequately, but many de-emphasize the importance of developing long-term relationships

Mentoring: A Synthesis of P/PV's Research: 1988-1995

This is an essential handbook for anyone interested in mentoring. It presents the evidence and conclusions that P/PV compiled from over a decade of research on mentoring programs in five crucial areas:Can participating in mentoring programs make important and observable changes in the attitudes and behaviors of at-risk youth?Are there specific practices that characterize effective mentoring relationships?What program structures and supports are needed to maximize "best practices" among mentors?Can mentoring be integrated into large-scale youth-serving institutions?Are there large numbers of adults with enough flexible time and emotional resources to take on the demands of mentoring at-risk youngsters?The report also includes as an appendix the executive summaries of eleven P/PV reports on mentoring

Enriching Summer Work: An Evaluation of the Summer Career Exploration Program

To determine the impact of the Summer Career Exploration Program (SCEP), a privately funded summer jobs program for low-income teens, P/PV examined the lives of over 1700 applicants. These youth were randomly assigned to participate or to not participate in SCEP in the summer of 1999, and their outcomes were compared at four and twelve months after program application. Researchers found that implementation was strong, but program impacts were less impressive. While SCEPs participants got summer jobs at a substantially higher rate (92%) than the control group (62%), the programs ability to translate this large and immediate summer employment impact into intermediate gains (in terms of future plans, college enrollment, work success, sense of self-efficacy or reduced criminal activity) proved to be negligible. Although impacts were short lived, the report concludes that SCEP and similar programs have an important place in the larger mosaic of supports, programs and opportunities for young people

Report on Long-Term Impacts (STEP program)

P/PV's Summer Training and Education Program (STEP) model was designed to target those who were most likely to drop out -- 14- and 15-year-olds who were economically and academically disadvantaged. Our previous evaluations found significant short-term improvements in reading, math and sexual responsibility knowledge for the treatment group compared with the control group. This report, which presents postprogram impacts of STEP participation on the youth's educational achievements, sexual behavior and economic conditions, finds no evidence to suggest that the short-term STEP intervention had long-term impacts. The report does, however, present a clear picture of how the behaviors of these youth evolve, which may help inform future policies and programs targeted at this population

Enriching Summer Work: An Evaluation of the Summer Career Exploration Program (Executive Summary)

This document summarizes the key findings of the Summer Career Exploration Program evaluation

The Program Development Process: Developing Optimal Youth Development Environments through the Camp Experience

Many camp professionals find themselves continually challenged to document the value of the camp experience for youth. Funders want to hold camps accountable to their goals, boards want to see evidence that camp programs result in benefits in line with the organization\u27s mission, and directors themselves want to know if they achieved the desired outcomes as well the most effective best practices . The American Camp Association (ACA) teamed with Youth Development Strategies, Inc. (YDSI) in a project to look at how campers assessed their camp experiences on outcomes that contribute to positive youth development. The purpose of this study was to establish a baseline of supports and opportunities for youth development offered through the camp experience as defined by the Community Action Framework for Youth Development (Gambone, Klem, & Connell, 2002)

Mentoring School-Age Children: Relationship Development in Community-Based and School-Based Programs

This report, the second in a series on Mentoring School-Age Children, is based on interviews with over 600 volunteer mentors. The report compares their experiences and the development of their relationships with youth in community -- and school-based settings. The authors conclude that both types of programs have the potential to create positive mentoring relationships, and highlight the factors associated with the closest, most supportive relationships

Summer Training and Education Program (STEP): Report on 1986 Experiences

The Summer Training and Education Program (STEP) was a five-site demonstration program offering two summers of remediation, life skills instruction and work experience to a randomly assigned group of economically and academically disadvantaged 14- and 15-year-olds. P/PVs early evaluation of STEP showed promising results in its ability to stem reading losses and achieve gains in math. STEP youth also increased their knowledge of sexual responsibility and were more likely to use contraceptives if they were sexually active. This report reflects on the outcomes of two cohorts of the STEP program, which includes a cost-benefit analysis of the program and its implications for future policies. STEPs operational experience and test results seem to confirm both the feasibility and importance of extended educational programming during the summers for high-risk students

Support for Youth: A Profile of Three Communities (a Community Change for Youth Development [CCYD] report)

Over the past decade, increasing attention has been given to nonschool hours as a vehicle for providing some of the basic supports -- caring adult attention and guidance, career development, and opportunities to engage in positive learning and enrichment activities -- that encourage positive youth development. This report examines the assumptions that youth with higher levels of support are more successful in school, work and their communities, and that youth in moderately poor urban communities lack adequate supports. Community-wide surveys completed in 1996 in three communities -- Austin, Savannah, and St. Petersburg (Florida) -- found a discouraging decline in supports and opportunities as youth get older. From 15 to 25 percent of youth 18 years and older were not engaged in any positive structured activities, had very few adults in their lives, and were not working