Evaluation of the YMI Cornerstone Mentoring Program: Role in Supporting Engagement in School and Learning
Author: Russell, Christina A.
Date: 2018-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Youth Programs,Youth,Learner Engagement,Peer Relationship,Community Development,Mentors,Program Evaluation,Males,African American Students,Hispanic American Students,Minority Group Students,Middle School Students,High School Students,Community Centers,Community Programs,Participation,Transitional Programs,Role Models,Adults,Instructional Effectiveness,Field Trips,Academic Support Services,Interpersonal Communication

The New York City Young Men's Initiative (YMI) is a cross-agency initiative that aims to address the disparities in socioeconomic outcomes between young Black and Latino men and their peers. In support of this vision, the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) launched a mentoring program in its Cornerstone Community Centers in January 2012. Cornerstone Community Centers, operated by nonprofit provider organizations, are located in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) facilities throughout the city. Centers offer a range of programming to youth and adults, including afterschool programming that provides homework assistance as well as recreational and enrichment activities. The YMI Cornerstone Mentoring Program aims to support youth in fifth through ninth grade in key life and educational transitions as they progress into middle and high school. Compared to the traditional after school programming at Cornerstone centers, YMI mentoring programs immerse participants in a richer, small-group experience. Mentors are recruited from many arenas, including through the community, through local colleges, and through an online volunteer recruitment site operated by NYC Service. Many mentors are Black and Latino men with some connection to the Cornerstone community: some are staff members in nearby schools or housing facilities, while others are adults who grew up in the surrounding neighborhoods and who are now working professionals. The mentoring program is overseen by a mentor coordinator in each center and delivered in a group format. Mentoring structures and programming vary by center, but typically include up to four youth working with an individual mentor and group discussions, sports, field trips, meals, academic support, and community service projects. Mentoring occurs year round; DYCD generally expects centers to offer at least one and a half mentoring activity hours each week during 42 weeks of the school year and a minimum of two mentoring sessions in July and August (approximately 66 hours of mentoring total per year). Policy Studies Associates (PSA) conducted an evaluation of the YMI Cornerstone Mentoring Program that examined participation patterns in the program the programmatic practices through which programs aimed to benefit mentees (Dibner, Woods &amp; Russell, 2014). The evaluation identified dialogue, role modeling, trips, and academic support as four primary impact levers for supporting mentees' growth. The evaluation also found that mentees were engaged in learning experiences, had very positive relationships with their mentors, and, compared to Cornerstone participants who did not participate in the mentoring program (&quot;non-mentees&quot;), were significantly more likely to report positive attitudes about their ability to do well in school. The approach of the YMI Cornerstone Mentoring Programs is consistent with a foundational approach of youth programs to develop &quot;sets of behaviors and skills, attitudes, and strategies that are crucial to academic performance&quot; (Nagaoka et al., 2015). YMI Cornerstone Mentoring Programs primarily aim to shift mentees' perspectives on school, their behavior in school, and attitudes toward teachers and peers so that they come to school ready to learn and are supported during transitions into middle and high school. This report describes the ways in which programs use the four previously identified impact levers to deliver mentoring supports that prepare mentees for school and learning. A framework is introduced that describes the YMI Cornerstone Mentoring Program approach, explains the programmatic conditions that enable successful delivery of the mentoring program, and offers recommendations to further strengthen the impact of the program at Cornerstone centers.