| Beating The Odds Youth Mentoring Program for youth ages 12 to 17 |
The Mission’s Beating The Odds Youth Mentoring Program is a social skills training program which
uses the mentoring relationship and peer-to-peer dialoguing to address the issue of violence and those
aspects of it that are most relevant to youth. The program works to determine solutions to which youth
can comfortably commit.
The BTO Program consists of twenty (20) group sessions. The program uses the small group concept to
facilitate a twelve-step dialoguing approach to problem confrontation and resolution for youth participants.
Youth meet once each week during the school semester for a 2 and1/2 hour session. Forty-five minutes
of the session is devoted to academic study.
The peer-to-peer dialoguing is facilitated in a classroom setting by trained community members who
provide one-on-one mentoring as needed. A guided group intervention approach encourages interaction
among the youth and with the adult facilitator-mentor that works to help the youth better cope with their
situations.
The BTO Program uses subject matter that addresses the personal issues of self-assurance, civility,
politeness, good sense—as these matters are as important to the education of youth and their future as
are math, science and the language arts courses they study in school. The topics of discussion includes
drugs, alcohol, sex, domestic violence, resisting negative peer pressure along with school failure
(academics), etiquette and good manners, and personal goal-setting.
THE MENTORS ..."They turn darkness into light, Like a beacon in the night"
Community volunteers, consisting of caring adults from the community and college students, seek
involvement in the program as an opportunity to give back and as a way to ensure the future for our
youth. Volunteers are always welcomed and are able to serve in the program after (1) completing the
training needed to facilitate a peer group sessions and to serve as a mentor; and (2) completing an
application process that includes background checks. Volunteers who desire to work as a group facilitator
and mentor are required to have experience or course completion in disciplines that relate to the issues
addressed through the program. All volunteers are recognized publicly for their contributions.
uses the mentoring relationship and peer-to-peer dialoguing to address the issue of violence and those
aspects of it that are most relevant to youth. The program works to determine solutions to which youth
can comfortably commit.
The BTO Program consists of twenty (20) group sessions. The program uses the small group concept to
facilitate a twelve-step dialoguing approach to problem confrontation and resolution for youth participants.
Youth meet once each week during the school semester for a 2 and1/2 hour session. Forty-five minutes
of the session is devoted to academic study.
The peer-to-peer dialoguing is facilitated in a classroom setting by trained community members who
provide one-on-one mentoring as needed. A guided group intervention approach encourages interaction
among the youth and with the adult facilitator-mentor that works to help the youth better cope with their
situations.
The BTO Program uses subject matter that addresses the personal issues of self-assurance, civility,
politeness, good sense—as these matters are as important to the education of youth and their future as
are math, science and the language arts courses they study in school. The topics of discussion includes
drugs, alcohol, sex, domestic violence, resisting negative peer pressure along with school failure
(academics), etiquette and good manners, and personal goal-setting.
THE MENTORS ..."They turn darkness into light, Like a beacon in the night"
Community volunteers, consisting of caring adults from the community and college students, seek
involvement in the program as an opportunity to give back and as a way to ensure the future for our
youth. Volunteers are always welcomed and are able to serve in the program after (1) completing the
training needed to facilitate a peer group sessions and to serve as a mentor; and (2) completing an
application process that includes background checks. Volunteers who desire to work as a group facilitator
and mentor are required to have experience or course completion in disciplines that relate to the issues
addressed through the program. All volunteers are recognized publicly for their contributions.
The BTO youth participants, (ages 12 to 17), are
from low-to-no income urban homes, where often
times it is a single-parent headed household. Some
of the participants are children of survivors of
domestic violence or are victims themselves. Some
of the participants are adolescents involved in
parent-child conflicts. Many of the youth
participants have multiple risk factors present in
their lives: are high-risk of school failure,
delinquency, neglect or are physically abused.
Many are youth victims of peer bullying. All are
children who can be healed.
from low-to-no income urban homes, where often
times it is a single-parent headed household. Some
of the participants are children of survivors of
domestic violence or are victims themselves. Some
of the participants are adolescents involved in
parent-child conflicts. Many of the youth
participants have multiple risk factors present in
their lives: are high-risk of school failure,
delinquency, neglect or are physically abused.
Many are youth victims of peer bullying. All are
children who can be healed.
| All Rights Reserved. Program copyrighted (C) 2002 by The Mission: Prevention |
| "If all children had a safe harbor--none would be at risk." |