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A Service Partnership To Mentor

Youth Most At Risk

• San Diego, CA based non-profit• TKF was formed after a 20 year old college

student was killed by a 14 year old gang member. He became the first child in California under the age of 16 to be convicted as an adult. Their families came together to established TKF. • 17 years experience in violence prevention

programming• Serviced over 500,000 students since 1995

Tariq Khamisa Foundation

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Tariq Khamisa Foundation

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• Violence as victim, witness or perpetrator places all children at-risk and can have long term impacts.• At TKF, we believe violence is a learned behavior. •Mentors are a means to support youth in

breaking their cycles of violence.•We believe every child, in spite of their

behaviors or situations, deserves to be treated well and have the opportunity for a healthy life, free of violence. • TKF teaches children to be peacemakers.

• 60% of America’s children are exposed to violence• Students ages 12 to 18 were victims of 1.5

million crimes while at school• One in five kids is a bully• Every day in our country over 18,500 children

are suspended from school for acts of misconduct• Its estimated less 10% of students are

generally responsible for 80% of a school’s safety concerns

The Need For Violence Prevention Focused Mentoring

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Safe School Model

· Youth Service Projects· Summer Youth Camps· Referral Assistance

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

· Class Curriculum· Violence Impact

Assemblies · Safety Assessment

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

· Mentoring· Skill Development

Workshops

INDIVIDUALPROGRAMS

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Mentoring Intervention• Established in 2008 as a CA initiative pilot

project to provide individually focused attention for youth impacted by violence and gangs• Designed as a school-based program• Utilize stipend AmeriCorps mentors placed in

teams at partnering schools• Full-time mentors manage caseloads of 15 to 18

mentees• Youth receive multiple weekly contacts at

school, home and in the community.

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Mentoring Intervention

• TKF averages 90 hours of mentoring per youth annually• Develop individual service plans that include

both one-on-one attention and group participation• Can address school difficulties immediately• TKF Mentoring Curriculum to assist with

relationship development, discussing violence and future directions• Include recreational, community service and

summer programming

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Mentoring Intervention

•Mentors receive over 100 hours of training •Multiple opportunities for supervision, case

processing and coaching each month• TKF developed an internet based

documentation system for data collection, service monitoring and reporting• Our cost per mentored youth is $1,600

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TKF Mentors

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS· Willing to commit to a year of mentoring· Able to mentor a higher risk youth· Pass all background check requirements (5)· Can independently manage caseload· Can professionally interact with schools and

various community organizations· Demonstrate good judgment skills· Can be timely with data collection tasks

Four Stage Selection Process

Target Population• TKF mentors middle school students ages 10 to 15• Focus on youth who are truant, in detention,

suspended, fighting, using drugs, disrupting classes, getting arrested, threatening others, hurting themselves, running away, experiencing family violence or gang involved. • Youth are referred by school staff, parents, CBOs

and peers• All participating youth must have a history of

school misconduct (referrals, suspensions, expulsions or truancy)

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TKF YOUTH DEMOGRAPHICS· 97% are minorities · 93% qualify for free or reduced lunch· 83% have history of suspensions· 83% are experiencing academic difficulties· 60% have a history of violent behaviors· 55% reside in single parent household· 51% experienced significant trauma or loss· 30% have an incarcerated family member· 16% have been arrested· 12% gang involved

Target Population

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School Districts• Common place for connecting with children• School-based mentoring is growing and

proving to be effective• TKF has historically partnered with over 30

school districts during the last 17 years to conduct its services• Can be relationships with multiple layers and

agendas• Formal agreements including data sharing

Our Partnership

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Corporation for National & Community Service - AmeriCorps • National service program• Emphasis on supporting economically

disadvantaged and at risk youth• TKF grant recipient since 2008• Resource for leveraging funding• Build capacity to recruit quality mentors• Supports mentor with stipends and

education awards

Our Partnership

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Our Partnership

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TKF Mentoring Results

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SERVICE OUTCOMES· Since 2008, TKF has enrolled over 2,500 high-

risk youth· Placed mentors at 17 local Middle Schools· Annually conduct 45,000 mentoring contacts· Youth receive 8 to 10 hours of mentoring

monthly over an 8 to 11 month service period· Participating schools are reporting declines in

school infractions resulting in safer campuses

TKF Mentoring Results

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BEHAVIOR CHANGE ACHIEVEDSY 2011 THRU SY 2012

N=1,086 STUDENTS

NEGATIVE STUDENT BEHAVIOR

PERCENT OF STUDENTS WITH

BEHAVIOR AT ENTRY

PERCENT OF STUDENTS WITH

BEHAVIOR AT EXIT

LEVEL OF CHANGE

ACHIEVED

SCHOOL DISCIPLINARY PROBLEMS 88% 29.2% 66.8%

SCHOOL TRUANCY 34.5% 9.7% 71.9%

TKF Mentoring Results

San Diego Unified School District had a decrease of 73% in school misconduct behaviors for TKF involved students

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Bell 2011 (N=51)

Bell 2012 (N=54)

Clark 2011 (N=41)

Clark 2012 (N=58)

Knox 2011 (N=28)

Knox 2012 (N=36)

Roosevelt 2011 (N=43)

Memorial 2011 (N=58)

Wilson 2012 (N=53)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

SCHOOL DISCIPLINARY PROBLEM BEHAVIORS

Behavior Problems @ Program Entry Behavior Problems @ Program Exit

San Diego Unified School District had an overall decrease of 85% in truancy behaviors for TKF involved students

TKF Mentoring Results

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Bell 2011 (N=51)

Bell 2012 (N=54)

Clark 2011 (N=41)

Clark 2012 (N=58)

Knox 2011 (N=28)

Knox 2012 (N=36)

Roosevelt 2011

(N=43)

Memorial 2011

(N=58)

Wilson 2012 (N=53)

0

10

20

30

40

SCHOOL TRUANCY BEHAVIORS

Truancy @ Program Entry Truancy @ Program Exit

Challenges & Lessons Learned

• Economic impacts including education budget cuts, reduced grant opportunities and declines in donations• Frequent changes with partnering school

personnel and maintaining buy-in of intervention• Operating within educational systems • Annual turnover of the mentors with AmeriCorps • Not a shortage of at-risk youth• Planning is key•Mentor support and oversight is essential for

success

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Partnership Next Steps• Participation with CaliforniaVolunteer

(AmeriCorps) in planning process to develop educational model for supporting public schools• Explore replication of TKF Safe School Model,

including mentoring intervention, in additional CA communities• Initiate a third party evaluation study of the

mentoring intervention• Expand investment opportunities for TKF

mentoring• Continue to present intervention and results at

local and national conferences

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•Additional information available in presentation packet

•To learn more visit us at www.tkf.org

Lisa Grogan Benita PagePresident/CEO Operation Director lisa@tkf.org benita@tkf.org619-955-8777 ext. 106 619-955-8777 ext. 107

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