Youth mentoring connection's (YMC) mentoring making resiliency real (mmrr) program will provide one-on-one and group mentoring and positive youth development activities for 300 underserved LOS angeles…

The Youth Mentoring Connection (YMC) will provide mentoring and positive youth development activities for 300 underserved youth in Los Angeles, California through a $681,818 grant award from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Specifically, YMC will implement its Mentoring Making Resiliency Real program from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2025. The program will connect at-risk youth ages 13-17 with caring adult mentors using a strength-based and trauma-informed approach grounded in theories of positive youth development. Mentees will participate in individual mentoring as well as group activities incorporating healing practices from various cultures. The goal is to help youth build resiliency and protective factors to reduce risks like substance abuse, truancy, delinquency and criminal behavior- outcomes directly addressed by the Juvenile Mentoring Program (CFDA 16.726) providing the funding.

Youth mentoring connection's (YMC) mentoring making resiliency real (mmrr) program will provide one-on-one and group mentoring and positive youth development activities for 300 underserved LOS angeles youth ages 13-17 (at time of enrollment), who reside in LOS angeles qualified opportunity zones (QOZ) and other underserved LA communities. YMC connects LOS angeles underserved and marginalized youth with caring adult mentors through a strength-based and trauma-informed model. The YMC mentoring model is grounded in YMC's trademarked gift centered approach which is heavily influenced by carl rogers work of unconditional positive regard and maslow's hierarchy of needs with the structured program drawing on joseph campbel's hero's journey. YMC builds a community of youth, staff, mentors, and other community providers, through healing circles featuring indigenous northern/southern american, african, and other cultural practices to help youth connect and build a safe and loving community in which they thrive. The YMC mentoring model of group and one-on-one mentoring uses the best practice and research-supported elements of effective practice for mentoring (eepm) and the national crime institute rated effective positive action (PA) to strengthen the unique and data-supported YMC mentoring model. By integrating eepm and PA with the YMC mentoring model, YMC is providing a program design that increases positive behaviors and resiliency, fosters increased academic performance, and prepares youth for successful adulting while reducing negative behaviors among youth such as drug use/abuse, chronic absenteeism, truancy, drop-outs, delinquency, and criminal involvement.