All young people need helpful adults in their lives but this can be even more important for young people from poor, struggling, often single-parent families whose neighborhoods offer few positive outlets, a limited number of positive role models and an increasing influence of gang activities. Through the mentoring process, caring, concerned adults are individually teamed with at-risk youth to help them overcome these barriers to success.

High school students who drop out of school before graduation not only earn less income and have significantly higher unemployment rates than graduates, they are more likely to have health problems, become welfare dependent, and engage in criminal activity. Students most at-risk of dropping out are more likely to be minority youth from poor and low-income households.

Mentoring programs can provide students with needed emotional support, encourage them to be more involved in school, and help as they transition from school to work. National research documents that children with a mentor are:

• 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs
• 27% less likely to begin using alcohol
• 52% less likely to skip school
• 37% less likely to skip class
• 33% less likely to hit someone