Investigating mentorship influence on youth resilience A Research Proposal By: Sara Carter Clemson University April 18, 2012

INTRODUCTION  Overview of the Problem  Description of Subjects  Purpose of Study  Guiding Questions  Literature  Methodology and Assessment Tool  Implications

The Problem  High incarceration rates in South Carolina (SC ranks 9 th nationally in the rate of incarceration) have led to thousands of children in our state who have parents in jail or prison  Nationally, 1 in 33 American youth – and 1 in 8 African American youth -- have a parent incarcerated at any given point in time  Kids who have parents incarcerated can experience trauma associated with separation from their parents. Without adequate support, they can have problems with school or engage in other risky behaviors.

 A program of the Institute on Family & Neighborhood Life at Clemson University in partnership with local churches and community agencies.  Started in 2005 in the Upstate. Serves Greenville, Oconee and Richland/Lexington, counties.  Has served more than 1000 children and youth in mentoring relationships. Mentoring is both one-on- one and group community-based mentoring. Building Dreams is the largest mentoring agency in South Carolina.

Since 2005, 985 children and youth in 14 counties of South Carolina have been paired with volunteer adult mentors.  Building Dreams staff have recruited and trained 1,077 adult volunteers to serve as mentors and 1,241 children and youth impacted by incarceration.

Building Dreams-Serving Youth  All kids, no matter what their background is, can benefit from relationships with non-parental adults.  Teaching and parenting alone do not provide all the help most at-risk kids need to reach their full potential.  If caring, concerned adults are available to young people, youth will be more likely to become successful adults themselves. (Child Trends Research Brief).  One-on-one mentoring programs allow caring adults to act as important role models.  Mentors can model a wider diversity of career possibilities for youth.  A mentor can help with homework, pick up a basketball, take a youth to the symphony orchestra and expand a child’s experience base, which helps boost self-confidence and self-worth.

The Question: South Carolina embraces and values children impacted by incarceration and works collaboratively to assist them in achieving their full potential. But how do we know if the response is building Resilience Assets in participants?

Purpose Statement  The purpose of this study seeks to conduct an evaluation assessment exploring the level of Resilience Traits and Positive Outcomes Sterling Bike Club Mentoring Program has on participants.

What is Mentoring? A matter of trust Mentoring is a structured and trusting relationship that brings young people together with caring individuals who offer guidance, support, and encouragement aimed at developing the competence and character of the mentee. A mentor is an adult who, along with parents, provides a young person with support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement, and constructive example. Mentors are good listeners, people who care, people who want to help young people bring out strengths that are already there. A mentor is not a foster parent, therapist, parole officer, or cool peer.

The Fundamentals of Mentoring Build Trust ListenEncourage Be Reliable Have Fun

It helps to have parents involved too… But when parents are absent and unable to provide support, children may be at greater risk for negative outcomes… All children benefit from the support of caring adults.

What is Positive Youth Development?  Emphasis on positive outcomes  Youth Voice  Strategies aim to involve all youth  Long-term involvement  Community Involvement  Emphasis on collaboration

Types of Resilience Protective Factors and Processes: Community Level School LevelPeer Level Familial Level Individual Level

Guiding Questions n How do youth perceive the role of mentors in their lives? n What challenges participants face in achieving their goals? n What are important aspects of Sterling Bike Club Mentorship Program that help youth become resilient?

Literature  RESILIENCY, most simply, manifest itself as the ability to respond or perform positively in the face of adversity (Gilligan, 2007).  LOCAL VULNERABILITIES create an environment necessitating social support to foster local well-being and community agency (Brennan, 2008).  MENTORING also involves building a youth’s social capital by linking him or her to other individuals and to groups and organizations (Hamilton & Hamilton 2004).  For youth to become COMPETENT, contributing, adult members of society, they need opportunities and support from their communities to develop important personal and social assets (Perkins, Caldwell 2005).  Principles of Youth Development, (Search Institute 1997).

Methods  The strategy of inquiry approach selected for this study is a narrative approach.  Qualitative study using focus groups to gather data reports. Groups will be separated based on age ranges.  Interviews and behavior observation will be conducted by researcher of the 5 C’s.  Research notes will be collected and transcribed.

Implications/Possibilities This study seeks to contribute to the knowledge of activities and processes utilized by community collaborations that impacts and fosters positive youth developmental assets through mentorship programs by helping us understand how mentoring can help build youth resiliency and protective factors.

“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.” -Forest E. Witcraft.

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