The mission of All Our Kids is to increase the availability of responsible mentoring relationships for at-risk youth in the Greater Omaha metropolitan area and to provide more scholarship opportunities so that these young people can become employable, productive citizens. There are over 12,000 kids in the Omaha area who are moderately at-risk and could benefit from a mentor right now. Many of these students are in the vulnerable middle-school years and have a history of academic or behavioral difficulties. Increasing the number of mentoring relationships is a challenge we must meet We must close the gap. Mentors can help students overcome obstacles they face in their schools, among their peers, in their families and their neighborhoods.
Mentored youth are more likely to stay in school and earn a high school diploma.
Even in a family with an active, caring parent, a mentor provides a unique perspective, a different voice. Young people from poor families may worry more about food and clothing than the remote possibility of going to work to help support the family. Peer pressure may encourage a young person to use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, or to engage in sexual relations at a young age. Negative messages may lure a youth to join a gang, commit crimes, and use violence to solve problems. Within families, youngsters may be coping with abuse or neglect, or they may be struggling to keep up with schoolwork while caring for younger siblings.