Los Angeles Team Mentoring

Program Overview and Background

LATM provides free youth mentoring services through the “e-Works” and “TeamWorks” programs, benefiting hundreds of at-risk mentees (ages 11-14) from Los Angeles County middle schools and 6 virtual academies. Mentees attend 30 weekly mentoring sessions per year and are matched to teams of 10 – 12 students, 2 – 3 adult mentors, and 1 LATM staff member. Together, they follow a multimodal, gradespecific curriculum focused on leadership development and socialemotional learning (SEL). In addition, LATM organizes several field trips and a fun, year-end celebration. For example, the college prep field trip is led by a local university and allows mentees to tour the campus, learn about the admissions process/financial aid opportunities, and discuss the benefits of higher education. The information is particularly meaningful for those that will be first-generation college students. The career readiness field trip is led by trusted corporate partners. They teach mentees about the various career paths available within that industry and how they might pursue it. The OJJDP grant will allow LATM to expand its services to San Diego County starting in fall 2023.

Program Services

• Youth Mentoring
• Social-Emotional Learning
• Leadership Development
• Group Activities
• Middle School
• College and Career Preparedness Field Trips

Target Population

We aim to provide mentoring under this grant to young people with any one or more of the following:

• Academic Challenges
• Socioeconomically Disadvantaged
• Behavioral Issues

Mentor Recruitment and Training

• 3,204 youth served under this grant
• 864 matches and mentors recruited under this grant
• For mentor recruitment, we target College Students, Adult Volunteers, Teachers, and Corporate Professionals
• Duration of program services: 30 weeks
• Expected intensity of match contact: 1 and a ½ hours per session
• Expected length of a match: 30 weeks • Expected frequency of match contact: 1 time a week
• Number of training hours required before a mentor is matched with a youth: 6 hours