The Program
Metro United Methodist Urban
Ministry’s Bridge Builders
program will match high-risk
youth in grades 4 – 8 with
adult mentors. This
innovative school based
mentoring program is
designed to improve academic
achievement, strengthening
school bonding, reduce
absenteeism and drop out
rates and promote pro-social
behaviors. This program will
serve a core of group of
individuals over three
years.
Target Population
Bridge Builders is committed
to improving the lives of
our children in Central San
Diego. The program has been
designed with activities
tailored to specially serve
students at a high risk of
dropping out of school
and/becoming involved in
delinquent behaviors.
Schools will refer students
to the program who are: A)
academically underachieving
and B) have one or more of
the following risk factors:
truancy; behavior problems
at school; contact with
juvenile justice system;
siblings in the juvenile
justice system; one or more
parent incarcerated.
Mentoring Activities
The innovative program will
offer high quality,
academically focused
mentorship activities at a
low mentor-mentee ratio. The
program will include:
A.
Group Mentoring –
Learning groups consisting
of mentors and mentees will
met for homework assistance,
social interaction and
support, and to work on
projects related to core
academic subjects.
B.
One to One Mentoring
– Monthly meetings between
mentors and mentees will
focus on specific academic
and developmental needs of
individual students.
C.
Alumni Mentoring
Program – For mentees moving
on to high school, mentoring
will continue in evening
mentoring programs at a
Metro facility.
D.
Visiting Speakers –
Speakers from the community
will community will be
invited to come and speak to
the participants.
E.
Holiday/Summer/Intercession
– The mentoring program will
continue to operate year
round. During breaks staff
will organize activities and
events to engage
participants.
F.
Educational Field
Trips – The program will
sponsor and co–sponsor with
community organizations
field trips to various
institutions.
G.
Group Projects –
During the course of the
mentoring program, mentors
and mentees will work
together in semester-long
group projects. Group
projects will employ a
project-based learning model
and take advantage of the
exceptionally dynamic
learning opportunity
available at the nearby
Balboa Park |
