3-Year Grant Will Improve Mentoring in Charlottesville With a Focus on Meeting the Needs of Boys and Young Men of Color.
C4K (Computers4Kids) and The Clubhouse@C4K is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $112,000 grant from The Clubhouse Network and the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. These funds will support Project IMPACTS (Increasing Mentor Participation and Commitment to Success) 2.0 initiative, aimed at strengthening the delivery of mentor services at Clubhouses across the nation.
With this three-year grant, C4K will join nine other U.S.-based Clubhouses with support for the implementation of new mentoring programs, while establishing sustainable foundations for long-term mentor success. This program, utilizing a group mentoring approach, aims to strengthen the Clubhouse model, which provides a creative, out-of-school learning environment for youth from low-income families to work with adult mentors to explore their own interests, develop skills, and build self-confidence through technology.
The ten participating Clubhouses (located in California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia) will focus on recruiting, training and retaining high-quality mentors to work with their youth on a weekly basis to increase academic engagement and motivation while decreasing risky behavior in which youth might otherwise engage.
The goals for Project IMPACTS 2.0 include:
• Fostering long-term mentoring relationships between youth and adults;
• Recruiting a diverse community of committed, trained, and supported mentors;
• Increasing academic engagement and high school completion among youth, while building awareness of and interest in STEM fields and careers;
• Building a sustainable community of practice devoted to mentor programming across The Clubhouse Network; with a focus on meeting the needs of boys and young men of color;
• Establishing the Clubhouse as a prime “go-to” destination for prospective volunteers.
“Charlottesville Schools depend on strong evidence-based programs like C4K to supplement what we do every day in the classroom. It is a joy and privilege for me to be a supporter and mentor with C4K.” – Juandiego R. Wade – Charlottesville School Board and C4K Mentor.
“C4K is excited to partner with The Clubhouse Network to share what we have learned from our 17 years of running a mentoring program. We are excited about expanding our programming to include more family engagement and look forward to learning new strategies from our peers.” – Kala Somerville, C4K Executive Director.
“Though mentors are critical to our learning approach, many Clubhouses aren’t easily able to find or keep enough mentors to support their youth members effectively,” said Gail Breslow, Executive Director of The Clubhouse Network. “Through Project IMPACTS 2.0, every Clubhouse youth will benefit from effective mentoring relationships that support STEM interests as well as positive character and leadership traits, life skills, and planning for success.”
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About C4K
C4K (Computers4Kids) is about computers and so much more! C4K’s mission is to empower youth (7-12 grade) from low-income households in Charlottesville and Albemarle County to be prepared with the 21st-century skills required to attend college, pursue meaningful careers, contribute to our community, reach their full potential, and ultimately, break the cycle of generational poverty. Youth-driven STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) projects are grounded in 21st-century skills. Through trips, workshops and our creative out-of-school learning environment, local middle and high school youth work with volunteer mentors and staff to build college and career readiness skills. C4K’s demonstrated strength is to provide youth a pathway to self-sufficiency through mentoring and technology skill building. Youth who complete our program are awarded a free laptop and lifetime support. C4K supports our community by providing economic and workforce development. These services are unlikely to be available elsewhere without significant cost to families. Additional information about C4K is available at http://www.computers4kids.net/.
About The Clubhouse Network
Founded in 1993 by the Museum of Science, Boston, in collaboration with the MIT Media Laboratory, The Clubhouse Network empowers youth from all backgrounds to become more capable, creative, and confident learners. Grounded in research from the fields of education, psychology, cognitive science, and youth development, The Clubhouse Network and its learning model have gained international recognition among educators and community leaders. Using the “flagship” Clubhouse in Boston as a model, The Clubhouse Network supports 100 community-based Clubhouses in 19 countries around the world, providing thousands of youth with access to resources, skills, and experiences to help them succeed in their careers, contribute to their communities, and lead outstanding lives. To learn more about The Clubhouse Network, please visit http://www.theclubhousenetwork.org/.
About OJJDP
OJJDP provides national leadership, coordination and resources to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization. OJJDP supports states and communities in their efforts to develop and implement effective and coordinated prevention and intervention programs and to improve the juvenile justice system so that it protects public safety, holds offenders accountable, and provides treatment and rehabilitative services tailored to the needs of juveniles and their families. Additional information about OJJDP is available at www.ojjdp.gov.
