I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 811 
To establish a competitive grant program to support the establishment, expan-
sion, or enhancement of youth mentoring programs for eligible youth, 
and to provide for social and emotional learning, employability skill 
development, career exploration, work-based learning, and other youth 
workforce opportunities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2025 
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Mrs. TRAHAN, and Ms. 
LEE of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Education and Workforce 
A BILL 
To establish a competitive grant program to support the 
establishment, expansion, or enhancement of youth men-
toring programs for eligible youth, and to provide for 
social and emotional learning, employability skill develop-
ment, career exploration, work-based learning, and other 
youth workforce opportunities. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Mentoring to Succeed 
Act of 2025’’. 
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SEC. 2. YOUTH MENTORING PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle D of title I of the Work-
force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3221 et 
seq.) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating section 172 as section 173; 
and 
(2) by inserting after section 171 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 172. YOUTH MENTORING PROGRAMS. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to 
make assistance available for mentoring programs for eli-
gible youth, in order to— 
‘‘(1) establish, expand, or support mentoring 
programs; 
‘‘(2) assist eligible youth enrolled in secondary 
schools in developing cognitive and social-emotional 
skills; and 
‘‘(3) prepare eligible youth for success in high 
school, postsecondary education, and the workforce. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘community-based organization’ means a youth- 
serving private nonprofit organization (which may 
include a faith-based organization or may be an af-
filiate of a national organization) that— 
‘‘(A) is representative of a community or a 
significant segment of a community; 
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‘‘(B) has demonstrated expertise and effec-
tiveness in workforce development; and 
‘‘(C) has demonstrated expertise— 
‘‘(i) in the planning and delivery of 
education, training, and related activities 
that are included in a career pathway; 
‘‘(ii) in forging coordination and co-
operation between educators and other 
members of the community; and 
‘‘(iii) in development and implementa-
tion of data systems that measure the 
progress of students and outcomes of ca-
reer pathways. 
‘‘(2) COVERED INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDU-
CATION.—The term ‘covered institution of higher 
education’ means— 
‘‘(A) an institution of higher education, as 
defined in section 101 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001); or 
‘‘(B) a postsecondary vocational institu-
tion, as defined in section 102(c) of such Act 
(20 U.S.C. 1002(c)). 
‘‘(3) COVERED PARTNERSHIP.—The term ‘cov-
ered partnership’ means a partnership between— 
‘‘(A) a community-based organization; and 
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‘‘(B)(i) an industry or sector partnership; 
‘‘(ii) a local educational agency; or 
‘‘(iii) another public entity or private 
employer, as appropriate. 
‘‘(4) COVERED
RECOGNIZED
POSTSECONDARY 
CREDENTIAL.—The term ‘covered recognized post-
secondary credential’ means a recognized postsec-
ondary credential issued by a covered institution of 
higher education. 
‘‘(5) DISABILITY.—The term ‘disability’ has the 
meaning given the term for purposes of section 
602(3) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education 
Act (20 U.S.C. 1401(3)). 
‘‘(6) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ means a community-based organization or cov-
ered partnership that— 
‘‘(A) provides mentoring services; and 
‘‘(B) provides youth workforce readiness 
programming and career exploration. 
‘‘(7) ELIGIBLE
YOUTH.—The term ‘eligible 
youth’ means— 
‘‘(A) an in-school youth; 
‘‘(B) a youth who meets all requirements 
to be an in-school youth, except that— 
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‘‘(i) in lieu of meeting the require-
ments of section 129(a)(1)(C)(ii), the 
youth is in secondary school; or 
‘‘(ii) in lieu of meeting the require-
ments of section 129(a)(1)(C)(iv), the 
youth— 
‘‘(I) is failing academically or at 
risk of dropping out of school, is 
chronically absent, is enrolled in fewer 
classes or for fewer credit hours than 
a 
typical 
full-time 
student, 
has 
changed schools 3 or more times in 
the past 180 days, or has a history of 
multiple suspensions; or 
‘‘(II)(aa) is a gang member or 
resides in a community with high 
rates of, and prevalence of risk factors 
associated with, violence-related inju-
ries and deaths, and with other rel-
evant health and safety risks (includ-
ing high rates of poverty, suicide, or 
substance 
use 
disorder 
(including 
opioid use disorder)) or has a parent 
or guardian who is struggling with 
substance use disorder; 
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‘‘(bb) has 1 or both parents in-
carcerated; or 
‘‘(cc) has experienced 1 or more 
adverse childhood experiences, trau-
matic events, or toxic stressors, as as-
sessed 
through 
an 
evidence-based 
screening; 
‘‘(C) an out-of-school youth; or 
‘‘(D) a youth who meets all requirements 
to be an out-of-school youth, except that— 
‘‘(i) in lieu of meeting the require-
ments of section 129(a)(1)(B)(ii), the 
youth would be placed in secondary school 
if the youth were attending school; or 
‘‘(ii) in lieu of meeting the require-
ments of section 129(a)(1)(B)(iii), the 
youth 
is 
described 
in 
subparagraph 
(B)(ii)(II). 
‘‘(8) 
MENTORING.—The 
term 
‘mentoring’ 
means a structured, managed activity— 
‘‘(A) in which eligible youth are appro-
priately matched with screened and trained 
adult or peer volunteer mentors for consistent 
relationships; 
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‘‘(B) that provides direct one-on-one, 
group, or peer mentoring services that focus 
on— 
‘‘(i) providing enrichment; 
‘‘(ii) promoting educational or work-
force success; 
‘‘(iii) minimizing risk behaviors; 
‘‘(iv) promoting social skills and 
healthy relationships; or 
‘‘(v) any combination of objectives de-
scribed in clauses (i) through (iv); 
‘‘(C) that involves meetings, events, and 
activities on a regular basis, for a period of not 
less than 1 year; and 
‘‘(D) that is intended to meet, in part, the 
social and emotional development needs of an 
eligible youth, the need of the eligible youth for 
involvement with a caring and supportive adult, 
and the need of the eligible youth for positive 
role models, connections, and stability. 
‘‘(9) HIGH
SCHOOL.—The term ‘high school’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
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‘‘(10) YOUTH
WORKFORCE
READINESS
PRO-
GRAMMING.—The term ‘youth workforce readiness 
programming’ means job training, or a workforce 
development program providing an employment and 
training activity, such as mentoring, an activity to 
promote communication and problem-solving skills, 
career exploration, a job readiness activity and cer-
tification, a summer job, or a year-round job oppor-
tunity or apprenticeship, provided to eligible youth. 
‘‘(c) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—From amounts made avail-
able for this section, the Secretary shall award 
grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to 
establish, expand, or support mentoring programs in 
accordance with subsection (d). 
‘‘(2) DURATION.—A grant awarded under this 
section shall be for a period not to exceed 3 years. 
‘‘(d) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity receiving 
a grant under this section shall use grant funds to 
establish, expand, or support not less than 1 men-
toring program that— 
‘‘(A) is designed to assist eligible youth in 
developing cognitive and social-emotional skills 
to prepare the eligible youth for success in high 
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school, postsecondary education, and the work-
force by linking the eligible youth with mentors 
who— 
‘‘(i) have received mentor training, in-
cluding training on trauma-informed prac-
tices, youth engagement, cultural com-
petency, and social-emotional learning; and 
‘‘(ii) have been screened using appro-
priate reference checks and criminal back-
ground checks, in accordance with the re-
quirements of subsection (e)(2)(F)(ii); 
‘‘(B) serves a population that includes eli-
gible youth living in or from underserved com-
munities or communities with employment dis-
parities; 
‘‘(C) provides coaching and technical as-
sistance to mentors participating in the men-
toring program; 
‘‘(D) seeks to— 
‘‘(i) reduce juvenile justice involve-
ment of eligible youth; 
‘‘(ii) foster positive relationships be-
tween eligible youth and their peers, other 
adults, and family members; 
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‘‘(iii) develop the workforce readiness 
skills of eligible youth by exploring paths 
to employment, including encouraging stu-
dents with disabilities to explore transition 
services; and 
‘‘(iv) increase the participation of eli-
gible youth in community service activities; 
‘‘(E) encourages eligible youth to set goals 
and plan for their futures, including making 
plans and identifying goals for postsecondary 
education and participation in the workforce; 
‘‘(F) develops and carries out regular 
training for mentors, including training on— 
‘‘(i) the impact of adverse childhood 
experiences; 
‘‘(ii) trauma-informed practices and 
interventions; 
‘‘(iii) cultural competency; 
‘‘(iv) social and emotional learning; 
‘‘(v) positive youth development and 
engagement practices; and 
‘‘(vi) disability inclusion practices to 
ensure access and participation by students 
with disabilities; 
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‘‘(G) works in coordination with a private 
employer and a local educational agency with 
not less than 1 high-need school (as defined in 
section 2211(b) of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
6631(b)); 
‘‘(H) recruits, screens, matches, trains, 
and, as necessary, compensates mentors; 
‘‘(I) hires staff, as necessary, to perform or 
support the objectives of the program; and 
‘‘(J) provides inclusive and accessible 
youth engagement activities, such as— 
‘‘(i) career awareness activities, in-
cluding job site visits, informational inter-
views, resume writing, interview prepara-
tion, and networking; 
‘‘(ii) academic or postsecondary edu-
cation preparation activities, including 
trade or vocational school visits, visits to 
institutions of higher education, and assist-
ance in applying to institutions of higher 
education; 
‘‘(iii) support for the use of career 
pathways; 
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‘‘(iv) paid and unpaid work experi-
ences that have as a component academic 
and occupational education, which may in-
clude— 
‘‘(I) paid employment opportuni-
ties; 
‘‘(II) 
pre-apprenticeship 
pro-
grams and apprenticeship programs; 
‘‘(III) paid internships; 
‘‘(IV) job shadowing; and 
‘‘(V) on-the-job training opportu-
nities; 
‘‘(v) work-based learning (as defined 
in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career 
and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 
U.S.C. 2302)) that provides opportunities 
for the application of employability skills 
and hands-on work experiences through 
partnerships among eligible entities; 
‘‘(vi) occupational skill training, which 
shall include priority consideration for 
training programs that lead to covered rec-
ognized postsecondary credentials that are 
aligned with in-demand industry sectors or 
occupations in the local area involved, if 
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the local board determines that the pro-
grams meet the quality criteria described 
in section 123(a); 
‘‘(vii) activities that help youth pre-
pare for and transition to postsecondary 
education and training; and 
‘‘(viii) services to help prepare eligible 
youth for the workforce, such as— 
‘‘(I) leadership development op-
portunities; 
‘‘(II) workforce or workforce 
readiness opportunities; 
‘‘(III) 
financial 
literacy 
edu-
cation; 
‘‘(IV) entrepreneurial skills train-
ing; 
‘‘(V) services that provide labor 
market and employment information 
about in-demand industry sectors or 
occupations available in the local area; 
‘‘(VI) activities to develop funda-
mental workforce readiness skills or to 
develop employability skills (such as 
communication, creativity, collabora-
tion, and critical thinking) that sup-
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port 
social-emotional 
development 
through every developmental stage; 
and 
‘‘(VII) career exposure offered by 
local industry or sector partnerships 
to provide career assessments, edu-
cation, and career planning. 
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES.—An eligible enti-
ty receiving a grant under this section may use 
grant funds to— 
‘‘(A) provide professional development (as 
defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Ca-
reer and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 
U.S.C. 2302)) for training educators and other 
providers of educational services who partici-
pate in the mentoring program; 
‘‘(B) develop assets and resources that as-
sist an employer or groups of employers or sec-
tors in working with eligible youth; 
‘‘(C) in the case of an eligible entity that 
seeks to implement the program through a 
partnership with another eligible entity, estab-
lish the partnership; and 
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‘‘(D) conduct program evaluation, includ-
ing acquiring and analyzing the data described 
in subsection (g). 
‘‘(3) SUBGRANTS.—An eligible entity receiving 
a grant under this section may, with the approval of 
the Secretary, use grant funds to award subgrants 
to eligible organizations to carry out activities de-
scribed in paragraphs (1) and (2). 
‘‘(e) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity desiring a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 
by such information as the Secretary may require, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(1) a needs assessment that includes baseline 
data on the measures described in subsection 
(g)(1)(B); and 
‘‘(2) a plan to establish, expand, or support a 
mentoring program that meets the requirements of 
subsection (d)(1), including— 
‘‘(A) the targeted outcomes, mentor type, 
and meeting frequency for the program; 
‘‘(B) a description of and data regarding 
the eligible youth who will participate as 
mentees in the program, including— 
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‘‘(i) any age ranges to be served or 
any other eligibility criteria; and 
‘‘(ii) how the eligible entity will ensure 
that the program serves eligible youth liv-
ing in or from underserved communities or 
communities with employment disparities, 
in accordance with subsection (d)(1)(B); 
‘‘(C) 
the 
number 
of 
mentor-mentee 
matches proposed to be established and main-
tained annually under the program; 
‘‘(D) the capacity and expertise of the pro-
gram to serve eligible youth in a way that is re-
sponsive to children and youth of color, expect-
ant and parenting youth, indigenous youth, 
youth 
who 
are 
lesbian, 
gay, 
bisexual, 
transgender, or queer, and youth with disabil-
ities; 
‘‘(E) actions taken to ensure that the de-
sign of the program reflects input from eligible 
youth; 
‘‘(F) an assurance that mentors supported 
under the program are appropriately screened 
and have demonstrated a willingness to comply 
with aspects of the mentoring program, includ-
ing— 
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‘‘(i) a written screening plan that in-
cludes all of the policies and procedures 
used to screen and select mentors, includ-
ing eligibility requirements and preferences 
for such applicants; 
‘‘(ii) a description of the methods to 
be used to conduct criminal background 
checks on all prospective mentors and the 
methods in place to exclude mentors with 
convictions directly related to child safety 
that occur during the mentor’s participa-
tion in the program or in the 7-year period 
preceding the mentor’s participation; and 
‘‘(iii) a description of the methods to 
be used to ensure that the mentors are 
willing and able to serve as a mentor on a 
long-term, consistent basis as defined in 
the application; 
‘‘(G) a description of— 
‘‘(i) the community-based organiza-
tions or the covered partnerships through 
which the eligible entity will implement the 
program; and 
‘‘(ii) if a covered partnership will as-
sist in implementing the program, the col-
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laboration and coordination that the com-
munity-based organization in the partner-
ship has carried out or will carry out with 
other entities in the partnership, related to 
that implementation; 
‘‘(H) in the case of a program that in-
cludes an opportunity to earn a covered recog-
nized postsecondary credential, a description of 
the activities leading to the covered recognized 
postsecondary credential; and 
‘‘(I) a budget detailing program activities 
and administrative costs. 
‘‘(f) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities 
that— 
‘‘(1) prior to receiving a grant, serve eligible 
youth with the greatest need who reside in— 
‘‘(A) a high-poverty community; 
‘‘(B) a rural area; or 
‘‘(C) a community with high rates of, and 
prevalence of risk factors associated with, vio-
lence-related injuries and deaths, and with 
other relevant health and safety risks (including 
high rates of poverty, suicide, or substance use 
disorder (including opioid use disorder)); 
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