One to One Mentoring
Reach & Rise® is a national one-to-one mentoring program determined to move youth from risk to resiliency. The program helps build a better future for youth by matching them with an adult mentor for one year. Free of cost to families, trained mentors work to understand cultural and social development, mental health issues, risk factors and offer ways to communicate and relate to youth.
Mentoring Model:
Reach & Rise® is a 1:1 (one-to-one) therapeutic mentoring model coupled with family support/case management.
- One youth (ages 6-17) is matched with one adult volunteer mentor
- Matches meet in the community for 1-3 hours per week for a minimum of 1 year
With the support of the mentor, positive outcomes for youth include improvements in personal development, (e.g., reducing levels of depression, increasing levels of self-worth, etc.), academic performance (e.g., higher grades, better classroom preparedness/behavior, etc.), and social relationships (e.g., being seen as responsible by adults/peers, high personal expectations, etc.).
Interested in Referring a Mentee?
Mentees (ages 6-17) can be referred to the Reach & Rise program by school counselors, teachers, principals, community agencies such as social welfare or counseling agencies, YMCA community, friends, family, or self- referrals. All referrals will undergo an application process and either an initial telephone call or face-to-face screening with the Program Coordinator. This process helps determine whether or not each child is appropriate for the program.
Interested in Becoming a Mentor?
If you're 21 or older, you can become a mentor by filling out an application and undergoing a brief screening with the Program Coordinator. Mentors interested in our One-to-One program must commit to spending 1-3 hours a week with youth for one year.
All Mentors will complete 15 hours of paraprofessional counseling training before being matched to a young person (usually over 4-5 weeks). In addition, all mentors will need to complete a background screening and reference check before being matched with mentees.
For more information contact Isaiah Hamilton, at Ihamilton@newarkymca.org, call (973) 624-8900 ex.6827, or fill out the applications below.