ERIC Number: ED661736
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Oct-25
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The U.S. Dream Academy's Mentoring Model: Adaptive Programming to Meet Youth and Family Needs. Research Brief. RB-A3442-1
Dionne Barnes-Proby; Susan Bush-Mecenas; Tara Laila Blagg; Christopher Joseph Doss; John F. Pane; Jennifer Jeffries
RAND Corporation
Formal mentoring has been an effective approach to mitigate challenges facing underserved youth and contributes to observable improvements in behavior, relationships, and emotional well-being (Rhodes, 2008). Mentored youth appear to gain improvements in peer and parent relationships and school performance, while also engaging in lower levels of substance and alcohol use relative to youth who are not mentored (Raposa et al., 2019). Studies have found mentoring effective in preventing psychosocial problems, such as delinquent behavior (DuBois and Karcher, 2013). Despite the evidence on the benefits of formal mentoring, an estimated 9 million young people are growing up in under-resourced environments without the support of formal mentors (Bruce and Bridgeland, 2014). In recent years, virtual mentoring has emerged as a promising way to expand the provision of mentoring (Andersen and Wellen, 2023). By engaging virtually, mentorship programs can mitigate the typical challenges of travel time and distance between mentor and mentee (Ensher, Heun, and Blanchard, 2003) and may even facilitate the development of rapport and trust (Ensher and Murphy, 1997; Miller and Griffiths, 2005). In 2020, the U.S. Dream Academy (hereafter referred to as "Dream"), a longtime innovator in developing out-of-school-time programs and formal mentoring for young people, expanded its mentoring program to include a virtual option in six Learning Centers across the country. RAND researchers collaborated with Dream to evaluate the development and implementation of the mentoring program and the supplemental services offered. This brief illustrates how flexible programming, including the use of in-person, hybrid, and virtual mentoring approaches, allowed for the adaptation of supports to meet the specific needs of youth and families in their communities.
Descriptors: Mentors, Family Needs, Barriers, Youth Programs, Computer Simulation, Interpersonal Relationship, Program Evaluation, Program Implementation, Curriculum, Self Concept, Metacognition, Problem Solving, Student Projects, Active Learning, Aspiration, Diversity, In Person Learning, Blended Learning, Goal Orientation, Educational Benefits
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Related Records: ED661735
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Authoring Institution: RAND Social and Economic Well-Being
Identifiers - Location: Florida (Orlando); Texas (Houston); Maryland (Baltimore); California; Pennsylvania (Philadelphia); Utah
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