Youth Development & Mentoring

One-to-One Mentoring

Through state-funded efforts, the following three organizations provide direct services to high school students exclusively through a one-to-one volunteer mentoring program. The program's goal is to provide career-integrated mentoring for disadvantaged high school students facing academic and personal challenges, keeping them on track for graduation and post-high school success. The mentoring includes a focus on college readiness, career exploration, and social-emotional learning.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound is a statewide collaborative and currently serves over 341 students. 

Activities include: 

• In-person and phone/virtual mentoring
• Monthly cohort events at each school to foster student-mentor connections
• Touch-a-Truck event where youth interact with adults who have careers in firefighting, paramedic, police force, trucking, etc. 
• Continue to enroll students with diversity in socio-economic status, race, and gender

Community for Youth

Community for Youth is an organization based in Seattle and serves students in South King County. They currently serve over 63 students. 

Activities include: 

• Weekly 1:1 mentoring
• Mentors, students, and parents were supported through monthly match support meetings
• Students receive guided career-integrated mentoring from a diverse set of mentors in different professions (tech industry, government, corporate and non-profit sector)
• Worksite tours at Amazon Web Services Skill Center, campus tour of Lake Washington Institute of Technology, and various workshops throughout the year.

Life Enrichment Group

Life Enrichment Group is an organization based in Seattle and serves students within King County. They currently serve over 54 students. 

Activities include: 

• Connected youth to job and internship opportunities 
• Conducted mentoring matches through match application
• Connected with community members through tabling and presentations as a recruiting tool 
• Utilized alumni of Life Enrichment Group programming as mentors 
• Ongoing 1:1 meetings to develop action plans 

Mentoring Results

• 55% of students with a mentor are more likely to enroll in college.
• Students with a mentor are 130% more likely to hold leadership positions.
• 90% of students with a mentor want to become mentors themselves.
• Students with a mentor are 78% more likely to volunteer regularly.
• 52% of youth with mentors are less likely to skip school.
• 59% of mentored teenagers earn better grades.
• Mentored youth are 81% more likely to engage in extracurricular activities. 
• 81% of students showed an improvement in academic performance.
• 87% of students showed an improvement in their mental health. 

Qualitative Data

How do you think a mentor can best support you? 

• “I just want my mentor to be there to their own life experiences with me so I can learn.” 
• “I need someone to support the work I put toward my goals and would like to learn from their ideas.” 
• “If they know of cool opportunities or programs for me to learn more, I want to know about them!” 
• “I’ve never set any kind of goal before. I want to be a better student.” 
• “It would be great to have a grownup to support me at all.” 
• “I want to help thinking about my future, ideas for jobs and for college, and someone to give me an outside perspective on things.”