PRC'S TWO PRINCIPAL MENTORING PROGRAMS:
1. One-to-One Youth Mentoring (1-2-1): PRC’s structured One-to-One Youth Mentoring program serves youth, ages 7-17 years old, who are referred to the program by community agencies such as the school system, social services, mental health, or juvenile diversion. Each youth (“Junior Partner”) is matched with an adult (“Senior Partner”) who is recruited, screened, trained and supervised by PRC. The Senior Partner is a community volunteer who makes a commitment to spend three hours a week for a year working with his or her Junior Partner. The Senior Partners serve as friends, advocates, and role models for the Junior Partners. Through this mentoring partnership, the Junior Partner is exposed to behavior patterns and activities which serve as positive alternatives to existing patterns, replacing delinquent acts or other antisocial behavior. PRC’s services include: Senior Partner recruiting, screening, orientation and training, Junior Partner intake, matching, and partnership support.

Partners offers many programs for both the Junior and Senior Partner including Group Recreational Activities (GRAs), Lifeskills Activities (LSAs), Community Service Activities (CSAs) Senior Partner Trainings (SPTs), Senior Partners Only (SPOs) Workshops, Lifeskills Camp and many other engaging opportunities.

We have a special 1-2-1 mentoring program for English Language Learning students:

*BRIDGES 1-2-1 (a collaboration with Comunidad Integrada): Mission statement: To support and provide the skills necessary for immigrant children to succeed in school and adjust to changes in their social and cultural environment through mentoring and language tutoring while increasing the cultural competency of their mentors.

This program came about after a direct request from Steamboat Springs’ immigrant parents and guardians who wanted more resources to help their children succeed in school and adjust to their new lives in the United States.

This program combines the benefits of mentoring with language and cultural learning to immigrant youth in our community. The program is very similar to the standard One-to-One Mentoring Program. The Partnership Contract and time committment are the same. We ask that Senior Partners spend an average of 3 hours a week with their Junior Partner and that ½ of this time to devoted to language and academic assistance while the remaining time can be devoted to pursuing sports, arts and crafts, or other fun endeavors.

To provide the best experience for both the mentor and mentee, Senior Partners are trained in mentoring skills as well as also cultural competency and language tutoring. Trainings are interactive and fun.

Through this program, Senior Partners gain just as much as their Junior Partners. Having one-on-one interaction with a person from another country allows mentors to learn about immigrants as individuals as well as more about a youth’s origin county and culture.


2. School-Based Mentoring (SBM): The School-Based Mentoring Program places 6 full time mentors in the 3 Routt County middle schools to provide mentoring to 36-48 at-risk students. Mentors are matched with “target” students (identified by the school’s administration and staff) and provide in/after-school activities, while assisting with academics, social issues, and personal choices in regard to health, alcohol, drugs and delinquency.

The School-Based Mentoring Program is a recognized AmeriCorps program. While PRC does not receive significant funding from the federal or state government (AmeriCorps Education Award Grant Recipient), it is a badge of honor to be documented as such, and it further demonstrates the high caliber of the program. Being a member also enables us to recruit mentors through the AmeriCorps system.

It is interesting to know that these mentors have just graduated from a 4 year college and are looking to experience a pre-professional experience in the field of education or social work. Through their engagement in school-based mentoring, mentors are not only changing the lives of the youth who they are currently working with. These mentors are preparing for life-long careers that impact children’s lives. Many mentors remain in the community and are employed by local schools the following year. Schools are very appreciative of this source of quality teachers and staff.

Previously, this program was a collaboration with Rocky Mountain Youth Corps. In July of 2006, PRC assumed all fiscal and programmatic responsibility.