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WHAT IS RISE ABOVE?
Rise Above Youth Empowerment Program is a mentorship program for college youth and middle to high school youth. The program includes community events that will aim to raise awareness, increase prevention education, provide youth a safe space to learn, be active in their community, and advocate for themselves.
Rise Above is funded by The Center at Sierra Health Foundation through the Elevate Youth California Grant. This grant aims to increase youth activism, mentoring, and peer support in order to prevent youth substance use disorder.
The Rise Above program will focus on the following topics:
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GET INVOLVED
Mentors will go through a once-a-month training on various topics related to youth, leadership, and prevention education. They will meet with their youth match once a month for around 2-hours and will provide training on the topics that the mentors themselves have been trained on. Mentors will also support in whatever areas the child may need.
There will be once-a-month events for all participants in the program that include group trainings by guest speakers, discussion panels, game nights, and activities like bowling, escape rooms, and arcades.
The expected timeline for children in the program is August 2023-May 2024.
Application Process:
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Send in Youth Referral Form and Application (link below)
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Complete a parent/caregiver and child interview
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Parent/caregivers will receive a decision on whether this is an appropriate program for your child
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Rise Above will match your child with the perfect mentor
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The fun begins!
BECOME A MENTOR
Mentors are active, fun-loving adult volunteers who enjoy spending time with children.
After being carefully screened, trained, and approved into our program, mentors are matched one-to-one with a child or teen that shares common interests and personality traits. Once matched, mentors are responsible for building a positive relationship with their mentee by sharing fun, low-cost activities on a regular basis.
Each mentor makes a one-year commitment and is expected to meet with their mentee for approximately 4-6 hours per month. Each relationship with youth is supervised and there are monthly check-ins for mentors and mentees.
It is important to remember that a mentor is NOT a substitute for a therapist, parent, babysitter, or a quick fix to behavioral issues.
Become a mentor
YOUTH ENGAGEMENT WORKGROUP
The Youth Engagement Workgroup is committed to empowering youth in Kings County to advocate for their health, wellness and future by creating change in their community through activism, education, and prevention.
Join the Youth Engagement Workgroup on the second Tuesday of every other month from 11am-12pm via Zoom.
Meetings in 2024 will be held in January, March, May, July, September, and November.
Join Zoom HERE