Identifying the Need 

In 2004 there were nearly 1,600 youth on waiting lists to be matched with a mentor in Palm Beach County. Of those,  approximately 60% were minorities. Yet only around 20% of the active mentors were minorities. It was this that spurred an initiative to increase minority mentor recruitment and participation through all formal and informal mentoring programs. So in July of 2004 the Outreach Initiative was launched.

After months of research and strategic planning, goals and objectives were put in place which would serve to help keep the initiative on target. The initial goals were to:

1.  Identify barriers that prevent effective recruitment of mentors of color--particularly African American males-in formal mentoring programs
   
2. Develop culturally appropriate marketing and mentor recruitment strategies to target prospective mentors in identified communities
   
3. Develop technical assistance and training strategies to assist local mentoring programs in targeted communities for the purposes of mentor recruitment
   
4. Identify and engage informal and faith-based mentoring programs to participate in the Mentor Center partnership

Thus far we have been able to increase minority recruitment within mentoring programs by 27% over a two-year span. We are hoping that we will build upon those numbers and also branch into other areas of Palm Beach County where mentoring is a need. 

Grassroots Mentoring Network

(coming soon --- list of participants)

How to Join

To become part of the Grassroots Mentoring Network, please download a copy of our application! 

Start a Faith Based or Grassroot Mentoring Program

How we can help you develop your faith-based or grass-root mentoring program?
Mentor Center staff is available free of charge to any Faith-Based or grass-root program serving youth from Palm Beach County. We are available for consultation and technical assistance to help you develop, strengthen, expand or revise a mentoring program or component.  Please send an email to Gary Graham and let us know how we can help!

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