Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation - Badges for Baseball Group Mentoring 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, truancy, and other problem and high-risk behaviors. FY 2017 funding will address the factors that can lead to or serve as a catalyst for delinquency or other problem behaviors in youth.

The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (CRSF) uses research-aligned practices to connect at-risk youth with caring, adult mentors in small mentoring groups across the nation. The target population is youth, ages 9 to 14, in communities with multiple risk factors (poverty, drugs, gangs) for juvenile delinquency and other circumstantial obstacles that prevent kids from successfully transitioning to adulthood. Badges for Baseball (“Badges”) will pair at-risk youth with civilian, law enforcement, public safety, and military mentors who participate in structured, afterschool programs that help youth build life skills, stay in school, and make positive behavioral decisions propelling them to success in life. By engaging law enforcement officers as mentors, Badges for Baseball creates an environment for officers and inner city youth to build healthy, strong relationships that promote safer communities. CRSF's approach to implementing a successful program features three key elements that have been successfully executed since the program’s creation in 2006. First, CRSF will provide structured mentoring activities for mentors and youth. One-day and multi-day events offer educational experiences (College Days) and training in mentoring/leadership (camps) within all Badges for Baseball programs. Second, CRSF will deliver enhanced mentor training (in-person and web-based) on research-aligned practices. Lastly, CRSF will establish more community-wide partnerships and familial engagement around Badges for Baseball. CRSF will engage 25,000 youth with 1,000 trained mentors through transformative life-changing experiences. CA/NCF