Measuring the Quality of Mentor-Youth Relationships: A Tool for Mentoring Programs

Does my program work? This evaluation guide helps program coordinators answer that question by gauging the effectiveness of both individual relationships and the program as a whole through a simple 20-question survey given to youth. The data can be used to make a specific match stronger, as well as to determine future training needs, implement new policies, and measure program progress. The packet comes with reproducible surveys and scoring sheets

Same Race and Cross Race Matching

Cross-race matching is an issue with which many mentoring programs struggle. This technical assistance packet provides practical tips on how to tailor matching, training, and support processes to increase the chances that cross-race matches survive

Supporting Mentors

Providing support to the match is critical for success in all programs, whether they are school-based, institution-based, or community-based. Depending upon program characteristics and available resources, the details of ongoing support may vary. This packet helps programs develop and implement strategies that support mentors, help them build trusting relationships with their mentees and, ultimately, contribute to positive outcomes for youth. The materials include checklists to help guide planning and a list of additional resources

Mentoring Sexual Minority Youth

It is estimated that up to 10 percent of the U.S. population is lesbian or gay. Thus, one can assume that some of the teenagers being served by mentoring programs are members of this sizeable minority group. Understanding the issues these young people face can help programs create an environment where gay and lesbian youth benefit from the adult caring and support that is at the heart of mentoring. This technical assistance packet, written by P/PV and published by the National Mentoring Center at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, describes the significant obstacles confronting lesbian and gay youth. It also suggests initial steps and mentor training that programs can implement to make gay and lesbian youth feel safe and welcome

Expanding Resources for Service: Strategies from State Commissions

In response to the passage of the National and Community Service Trust Act in 1993, state-level Commissions were created to direct federal funds to local service programs, monitor program progress and quality, and to determine the content and direction of service activity across their states. This report builds on a 30-month study of the implementation of AmeriCorps, the signature component of the 1993 Act, and describes what states and their Commissions are doing to realize the promise that service holds, while fulfilling their legislated mandate

Growing Bigger Better: Lessons from Experience Corps' Expansion in Five Cities

Going to scale often entails replicating a program in new locations, but it can also involve efforts to expand a programs reach in existing locations, enabling it to have a greater effect on communities already being served. This was the case with Experience Corps, a Civic Ventures program that enlists older adults as volunteers to help strengthen literacy and other skills of elementary school students in low-income neighborhoods. Beginning in 2001, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies, Experience Corps embarked on a four-year initiative to expand in five cities. P/PV examined the five sites efforts to increase the size of their volunteer pool and expand to additional schools, manage their larger and more complex programs, and raise sufficient funds to meet annual goals and sustain growth.Growing Bigger Better considers how the sites initial readiness to expand, the organizational resources they possessed, and the receptivity of the external environment (i.e., the local school districts) shaped the sites progress. The report reflects on whether and how the local sites, and the program as a whole, benefited from the expansion effort, drawing out lessons that are relevant to other programs considering expansion. It concludes that while program expansion is a major undertaking, the Experience Corps expansion initiative clearly demonstrates how programs can become stronger, more energized and even more innovative through carefully planned and managed growth, and thus extend the benefits of their services to larger numbers of individuals and communities

High School Mentors In Brief: Findings from the Big Brothers Big Sisters School-Based Mentoring Impact Study

This issue of P/PV In Brief is based on High School Students as Mentors, a report that examined the efficacy of high school mentors using data from P/PV's large-scale random assignment impact study of Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based mentoring programs. The brief presents an overview of the findings, which suggest that high school volunteers bring inherent strengths to their role as mentors but also present notable challenges for programs; implications for policy and practice are also explored

Reaching Through the Cracks: A Guide to Implementing the Youth Violence Reduction Partnership

In 1999, the Youth Violence Reduction Partnership (YVRP) was launched by a group of key stakeholders in Philadelphia -- including the district attorney's office, adult and juvenile parole, other city agencies and community organizations. Its goal is to steer young people, ages 14 to 24 and at greatest risk of killing or being killed, away from violence and toward productive lives. To accomplish this, YVRP provides participants with a combination of strict supervision and ongoing support. Each participant is assigned to a team that includes a probation officer and a community streetworker, who maintain intensive contact with the young person to make sure that he (and less often she) not only stays out of trouble but starts on a path toward responsible adulthood.Reaching Through the Cracks draws upon lessons learned from seven years of experience in Philadelphia to describe how cities and other jurisdictions can plan and carry out an initiative like YVRP. It includes an overview of the key elements of YVRP; steps in planning the initiative; roles and training of staff who work with the participants and details about the supervision and support these staff provide; essential practices for maintaining and strengthening YVRP; and an exploration of the costs and other issues involved in making decisions about expanding the initiative

Amachi: Mentoring Children of Prisoners in Philadelphia

A unique partnership of secular and faith-based institutions, Amachi recruits volunteers from congregations to mentor children of prisoners. During its first two years in operation, the program generated more than 550 adult-child matches. This report explores the implications of the Amachi experience for policymakers, funders, and others interested in starting similar programs. It describes the Amachi model and traces the steps involved in moving from plan to reality, focusing on approaches for recruiting children, pastors, and volunteers. It also examines mentors' successes and challenges, along with the program infrastructure designed to support and monitor matches. In addition, the report presents data on program quality and effectiveness

Growing Bigger Better: Lessons from Experience Corps Expansion in Five Cities Executive Summary

This summary presents key findings from the full report, Growing Bigger Better, which examines the Experience Corps programs four-year expansion initiative. The summary briefly considers whether and how the local sites, and the program as a whole, benefited from the expansion effort and presents lessons that are relevant to other programs considering expansion