OJJDP FY 09 Mentoring Research Program

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) seeks to enhance what is known about mentoring as a prevention strategy for juvenile delinquency. While mentoring appears to be a promising intervention for disadvantaged youth, more evaluation work is needed to determine the components of a mentoring program that are necessary for bringing about positive youth development. OJJDP seeks proposals to evaluate the effectiveness of paid versus volunteer mentors within an existing mentoring program. The evaluator will conduct both a process and an outcome evaluation measuring the success of both paid and volunteer mentor programs in preventing delinquency. This initiative is authorized by the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2009, Pub. L. 111-8.