Major Highlights of 2007
One to One Mentoring
· 62 new partnerships matched this year.
· A total of 132 partnerships were active in 2007.
· Senior Partner volunteers devoted over 20,000 hours in direct mentoring and tutoring services to youth.
· The Partners Mentoring Effectiveness Index evaluation tool showed statistically significant improvements in the following scales: 1. Self Esteem, 2. Attitudes Against Interpersonal Violence, 3. Future Orientation, 4. Self-reported Delinquency and 5. Intent to use Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs.
Restitution & Community Service Work Program
· The District Attorney’s Office, Probation Dept., Division of Youth Corrections and the Municipal, County and District Courts referred 1,133 juvenile offenders—45% increase over 2006.
· $78,220 of restitution was paid to local victims.
· The juveniles performed 24,082 hours of community service work.
· 87% of the juvenile offenders successfully completed their court orders.
· 210 juveniles attended life skills and substance abuse prevention classes (“minor in possession”).
· 207 juvenile offenders participated in Victim Empathy Classes to help them to understand the negative impact of their crimes on the victims, their family members and the community as a whole.
· 20 Victim/Offender Mediations were performed involving first time offenders referred by law enforcement.
Minority Family Advocacy Project
· 60 minority juvenile offenders and their families received advocacy, language interpretation, and mentoring and referral services.
· 12 parolees form Division of Youth Corrections matched with mentors.
· Collaborative effort with Hilltop and School District 51 to reduce expulsions & school dropouts, especially among minority females served 16 youth (Las Chicas Support Group).
Western Colorado Conservation Corps of Partners
· The Conservation Corps trained and employed 120 young adults who completed over 36,000 hours of fieldwork and 3,000 hours of environmental, life skills and remedial education training.
· WCCC is a certified member of the Colorado Youth Corps Association and collaborates with Mesa Co. Workforce Center.
· 30 youth earned AmeriCorps Education Awards exceeding $35, 000 for college tuition.
Mesa Youth Services Foundation
· Mesa Youth Services Foundation is the endowment for the future of the Partners Program. The principal of the Foundation cannot be used, only investment income. Assets of the Foundation are $620,000. Donations can be made to the Foundation at 1169 Colorado Ave. Grand Junction, Co 81501
Build A Generation/Drug Free Community Support Program Partners is the prime sponsor for this collaborative effort to promote substance abuse prevention. Major activities include the Underage Drinking Prevention Task Force, Social Norming Public Awareness Campaign and Mesa Co. Meth Task Force and the Colorado Prevention Partners.
CLUB MID After School Program
The After School Program in cooperation with School District 51 & Mesa Co. Dept. of Human Services provides supervision, safe environment and tutoring for 140 latch key youth from low income households at 5 Middle Schools.
Other Highlights
· Thanks to local businesses and individuals over 300 youth received Christmas gifts and back to school supplies, especially Mervyns & Cummins Rocky Mountain.
· Sylvan Learning Center/Partners Scholarship. 5 junior partners received special scholarships for academic assistance from Sylvan Learning Center.
· Minority Family Advocacy Program was identified by the US Dept. of Justice as an elite model program to reduce the disproportionate contact of minority youth with the criminal justice system.
Challenges and Goals for the future
· 85 children are on the waiting list for mentors.
“For every dollar spent on One-to-One Mentoring Services, the community sees a $2.72 return in benefit to the community in juvenile crime reduction; truancy reduction, substance abuse reduction and improved educational performance.” From “Social Return on Investment in Youth Mentoring Programs” University of Minnesota, 2007.