DOI: 10.3886/icpsr38264
title: Mentoring Youth for Leadership Initiative: Evaluating Impact, Program Practices, and Implementation on High-Risk Youth, United States, 2015-2018
title: Archival Version

description: The aim of this study was to conduct an outcome and process evaluation of the Mentoring Youth for Leadership (MYL) project, which was spearheaded by Leadership Foundations (LF), and utilized an Elements of Effective Practice in Mentoring framework. LF's initiative was designed to reduce youth violence and delinquency, as they strengthen program practices over time. The MYL project served over 3,000 at-risk, high-risk, or underserved youth, their families, and communities, through 26 LF affiliates in 22 states. There were two main objectives: to assess the relations between program practice implementation and youth and match outcomes among mentoring programs in a national network, and to understand the experiences that programs had while embarking on a quality improvement initiative that was focused on improving program practices. Variables include program benchmarks achieved, mentee's school records, relationships with their parents, and staff member's feelings towards their program. Additionally, 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 MYL program representatives. Mentee's age, gender, race, and ethnicity were also recorded.
description: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Mentoring Youth for Leadership (MYL) initiative, whose goal was to reduce youth violence and delinquency, as they progress through the program. The research team had two main objectives: to assess the relations between program practice implementation and youth and match outcomes among mentoring programs in a national network, and to understand the experiences that programs had while embarking on a quality improvement initiative that was focused on improving program practices. The MYL's philosophy towards youth mentoring revolves around the Elements of Effective Practice in Mentoring (EEPM) fourth edition. The EEPM contains six Standards, representing the life cycle of the mentoring relationship: Recruitment, Screening, Training, Matching, Monitoring and Support, and Closure. The practicing partner for the MYL project was Leadership Foundations (LF). LF is a 501(c)(3) faith-based organization, which provides various community support efforts, including youth mentorship. LF was awarded $3,000,000 through the MYL Project under the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). OJJDP funded implementation of the MYL project from 2015 to 2018. Local LF affiliates involved with MYL attempted to reduce youth crime and delinquency, and improve academic performance and social-emotional well-being of at-risk, high-risk, or underserved youth utilizing principals from the EEPM. A total of 26 agencies across 22 states in the U.S. received awards and participated in the initiative.
description: The MYL project was divided into two parts, Study 1: Outcome Evaluation, and Study 2: Process Evaluation. Study 1 sought to determine the association between program practice implementation (as defined by EEPM) and youth outcomes, through the use of archival data collected during MYL implementation. Study 2 attempted to gather information from MYL programs about their experiences, through open-ended, semi-structured interviews, then follow-up surveys with staff members. Study 1 included 1413 youth mentees who completed an outcome survey for at least one measurement. Parents or caregivers who enrolled youth in mentoring reported youth's gender, race/ethnicity, and birthdate to staff members, who then enter data into the program's management system. Program staff members also coded for mentoring context, and setting. Mentees completed paper and pencil surveys at baseline, then during a follow up period which included questions related to parents, mentors, grades, and school attendance among others. Staff members entered mentee responses into innovation Research and Training's (iRT) data collection system. During each of the three years of MYL, staff members completed an Elements Quality Improvement Process (EQUIP) self-assessment, which was meant to measure implementation of benchmarks outlined in the fourth edition of EEPM. Training of staff members in EQUIP was completed by iRT. Study 2 included 16 representatives from MYL programs for semi-structured interviews. LF provided iRT with contact information for Executive Directors. Emails with online consent forms were sent to Directors, who participated in virtual interviews lasting approximately one to one and a half hours. Questions revolved around feelings towards MYL, familiarity with the program, and how ready their program was to carry out MYL. Research assistants anonymized transcripts, then coded for common themes. Fifteen representatives from 12 different programs completed follow-up surveys. Questions centered around demographics, background, organizational practices, and feelings towards MYL.
description: Presence of Common Scales: Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring (4th Edition)
description: Datasets: DS0: Study-Level Files DS1: Match Length Dataset DS2: Youth Outcome Analyses Raw Dataset DS3: Youth Outcome Analyses Imputed Dataset DS4: Program Staff Survey Dataset DS5: Interview Responses Dataset DS6: Process Evaluation Interview Transcripts Dataset
description: At-risk youths and their families, along with staff members, who participated in MYL projects, which were implemented in the United States between 2015 and 2018.
description: record abstracts; face-to-face interview; on-site questionnaire; web-based survey