This handout is connected to the Mentoring Program Evaluation & Goals webinar from Monday, May 16, 2011, as part of the free monthly webinar series from Friends for Youth's Mentoring Institute.

1. Friends for Youth
Transforming lives through the power of mentoring .
Youth-in-Need
“My mentor Friends for Youth participants are:
Lisa doesn’t * mostly middle-school age Societal Cost
scream at me * mainly low income and two-thirds
are below the poverty level California spends
or hit me. She
helps me with * often from single parent homes $234,000 per year for
stuff, and she teaches me things. * sometimes have a parent who is each youth in a Juvenile
I’ve stopped hurting people. I’ve incarcerated Justice Facility.
stopped beating up people.” * all at-risk of not reaching their full
Mentee Pedro potential and may be susceptible to: For each youth who
Substance Abuse avoids dropping out of
The very foundation of mentoring Violence & Gang Involvement school for a life of drugs
is that if a caring, concerned adult is Academic Failure and crime, the country
involved in the life of a young person, These youth have little adult support, saves between $2.6 to
the youth will be more likely to and now schools are cutting back $5.3 million.
become a successful adult. after-school programs.
Measurable Impact of Our Program
Friends for Youth puts
Junior
Friend
Outcome
Evalua3on
significant emphasis on
Percentage
Improvement
A0er
1
Year
in
the
Friends
for
Youth
Program
program evaluation and
its impact on our youth.
100
Ten years of statistical
anaylsis confirm the
90
positive impact of our
program.
80
70
“In conclusion, the Friends
for Youth program is
60
functioning at an extremely
high degree of efficiency
50
and has shown a positive
n
ts
t
s
improvement...as well
io r es on se ling ice ity ul ip e m cy
How Mentoring ceHelps ty
S
sp i ve
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o en
s
c
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ffo Gr
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A
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u
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ea er
v
A
cA
v
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h
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f-­‐
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ilie
n as helping to address
negative influences that
Su dm o d
n i i ew lege laA
Sel
R
id
de pr oi sta vo un
N ol t
Re se se could otherwise cause
vo ca Im Av ub A m y
a
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A
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S m Tr ss en cr cr problems in [mentees]
se ta
in id
Co u ar In In
ea in vo Do sc r
P immediate lives and
cr a A Di Ke
In M Be possibly into adulthood.”
William Lapp, Ph.D.
“My mentor Mike came to conferences and spoke to my
teachers about my potential and about how smart and
promising I am. It was nice to have someone tell them that
I am a smart kid.” Mentee Diego

2. Why Friends for Youth?
For 32 years Friends for Youth has Key program elements include: Research shows mentored youth
provided one-to-one volunteer ==> Focus on the unique needs get along better with their par-
mentors to the at-risk youth in of youth at-risk ents, and their parents in turn help
San Mateo and Santa Clara ==> Duration & Consistency--90% youth do better in school.
Counties serving over 1,800 of matches last one year or more
youth. ==> Quality over Quantity
* Each Friendship meets 3 hours a ==> Support & Supervision-- “Programs like yours are really
week for a 1-year period. ongoing support and activities important. This is a main influence
* Life skills workshops, academic throughout the match period on Keoni - one of the reasons he’s
support, activities, recreational, ==> Evaluation and Monitoring-- not involved with gangs and drugs.
community service opportunities statistical outcome evaluations These kinds of programs are really
are provided. confirm program effectiveness. essential.” Mentee Parent
How Mentoring Helps
Educational Achievement Reduce Substance Abuse Improve Self-Esteem
Academic success is a predictor of Mentoring helps at-risk youth Mentored youth clearly show in-
future economic and life success. avoid drugs, alcohol, teen creased resiliency and self-esteem,
Mentored youth have better pregnancy, legal involvement get along better with parents, and
attendance and higher grades. and violence. start to believe in a positive future.
What Makes a Friendship
Mentees (Junior Friends) are a Mentors (Senior Friends) are The Friendship Match is made
culturally diverse group, ages caring adults from throughout the after careful consideration of
8-17, but most are of middle- community. They can be of any the needs of the youth, mutual
school age. They are referred by age, profession, or background interests, and home locations.
counselors, teachers, probation and the primary qualifications are
officers, or other youth-serving caring and commitment. Mentors
professionals. Our mentees are are recuited through work places,
considered “at-risk” - meaning websites, volunteer centers and
on
youth who are most likely from word-of-mouth. After an initial 75 youth arelist
low income or single-parent Information Session and in-home our wa iting
r -
homes who show signs of interview, mentors are thoroughly for a mento
the high est
emotional or behavioral issues screened with a complete levels ever!
and who lack the skills to navigate background check. Mentors also
their life successfully. participate in a full day of training.
Jackie: “When I got into
high school I was having a Youth in our wait list
hard time and considered participate in activities
to keep youth close to
dropping out... the program while they
wait for their mentor.
...and now Be a mentor! Or learn more at...
... but Robbi helped me www.friendsforyouth.org
through the tough spots
and in my senior year I was 1741 Broadway
Jackie & Robbi then... the class Vice President!” Redwood City, CA 94063
650-368-4444