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The National Native American Mentoring Program Celebrates One Year of Success
The National Native American Mentoring program recently completed its first year. With 16 Club sites participating, the program grew dramatically throughout the year as sites developed their infrastructure and began reaching out to the community.
The National Native American Mentoring program aims to provide a stable, supportive relationship to a child who has at least one parent incarcerated in a federal, state, local, or tribal prison facility. The 3-year grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to the Navajo Nation last summer. The Navajo Nation generously offered sub-grants to Native Clubs in six targeted states. States were chosen based upon their percentage of Native American prisoners.
By the end of June 2005, more than 80 mentoring matches were made. Dozens more mentors and mentees were being interviewed and screened for participation in the program.
During their mentoring meetings, participants took part in games, cultural activities, cooking classes, reading, arts and crafts, computer activities, and sports. Clubs also planned special events for mentors, mentees, and their parents. Some events included picnics, hiking trips, ropes courses, participating in a community parade, and attending a cultural camp.
Sites are reporting noticeable improvements in the behavior and performance of mentees. Mentoring Coordinators have noticed that mentees are less angry, more confident, more attentive, and calm. Amos Roberts, Mentoring Coordinator at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Glacial Lakes in South Dakota observed that mentees are more outgoing and involved in Club activities. “Some of the mentees used to be spectators at the Club, now they are participants,” said Amos. Additionally, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Three Affiliated Tribes reported, “The kids that have had a mentor for at least six months are starting to be more confident in themselves and want to take a larger, more active role in helping with little tasks around the Club.” The National Native American Mentoring Program is looking forward to even greater success in the upcoming grant year. With a goal of maintaining over 200 mentoring relationships by the end of the 2nd grant year, the program will reach many more children in need of extra attention and support.
National Native American Mentoring Program Grant Recipients
Boys & Girls Club of Three Affiliated Tribes (2 sites) in New Town, North Dakota Three Affiliated Tribes
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Glacial Lakes, in Sisseton, South Dakota Sisseton & Wahpeton Tribes
Boys & Girls Club of the Yankton Sioux, in Wagner, South Dakota, Yankton Sioux Tribe
Boys & Girls Club of Fort Peck in Wolf Point, Montana Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes
The McCurtain County Boys & Girls Club of the Choctaw Nation, Inc. in Broken Bow, Oklahoma Choctaw Nation
Boys & Girls Club of Nowata in Nowata, Oklahoma Cherokee Nation
Boys & Girls Club of Ottawa County in Miami, Oklahoma Miami, Wyandotte, Eastern Shawnee, Poria, Modoc Tribes
Boys & Girls Club of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, Inc. in Tahlequah, Oklahoma Cherokee & Shawnee Tribes
Boys & Girls Club of the East Valley (Gila River Branch) in Tempe, Arizona Gila River Pima & Maricopa Indian Community
Boys & Girls Club of Tucson (Pasqua Yaqui Unit) in Tucson, Arizona Pasqua Yaqui Tribe
B&GC of the Dine Nation (2 sites) in Arizona Navajo Nation
Boys & Girls Club of Gallup in Gallup, New Mexico Navajo, Zuni Pueblo
Acoma Pueblo Boys & Girls Club in Acoma, New Mexico Acoma Pueblo
Boys & Girls Club of Albuquerque (Mainstream Club serving Native American youth) in Albuquerque, New Mexico
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