Strategic Enhancement to Mentoring Programs -- Focus Area 3: Training and Support

While research indicates that quality mentoring is a promising delinquency prevention technique, certain program characteristics and elements are moderators of its effectiveness. This solicitation invites eligible applicants to propose evidence-based enhancements that are among these moderators of program effectiveness. The three strategies include: (1) involving the parents in activities or services, (2) providing structured activities and programs for the mentoring matches, and (3) developing and implementing on-going training and support for mentors. This initiative is authorized by the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2010, P.L. 111-117.

The focus of this Strategic Enhancement to Mentoring Programs project is to enhance the Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC's (BBBS of NYC's) mentoring programs by developing and implementing ongoing training for mentors working with youth who are at-risk of coming in contact with and/or who have come in contact with the juvenile justice system. Over the project period, BBBS of NYC will develop, deliver, and evaluate new ongoing training options for mentors, in both online and in-person modalities, with the following outcomes: 1) Provide adult mentors to 3,700 youth; 2) Build organizational capacity by creating new ongoing training available to mentors; and 3) Increase the likelihood of positive outcomes to mentoring participants. Program evaluation will be conducted through surveys measuring positive youth development and reviewing the recidivism rate; for the volunteers, pre/post-training tests and annual follow-up surveys will be conducted to measure knowledge gained.

CA/NCF