Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative

Grants to USA and territories nonprofits, for-profits, state agencies, and tribal governments to develop and improve mentoring programs for youth. Applicants are advised that required registrations may take several weeks to complete. Funding is intended to support programs to reduce juvenile delinquency, drug abuse (especially opioid abuse), victimization, and problem and high-risk behaviors such as truancy.

This program furthers the Department’s mission by supporting mentoring programs to reduce juvenile delinquency, drug abuse (especially opioid abuse), victimization, and problem and high-risk behaviors such as truancy. 

Program-Specific Information

This program supports the implementation and delivery of mentoring services to youth populations that are at risk for juvenile delinquency, victimization, and juvenile justice system involvement. Mentoring services can be one-on-one, group, peer, or a combination of these types. Applicants in all categories must initiate mentoring services to youth who are 17 years old or younger at the time of admission to the program. Funding can be used to support new mentoring matches or continue existing mentoring matches at the time of application.

• Category 1: National Mentoring Programs. This category supports organizations with the widest reach and capacity to provide youth mentoring services across the country. For a definition of a national mentoring organization, see page 1.
• Category 2: Multistate Mentoring Programs. This category supports youth mentoring services provided by organizations with subawards or affiliates in at least 5 states but fewer than 45 states.
• Category 3: Mentoring Programs for Youth Involved in the Juvenile Justice System. This category is intended to be a resource for juvenile justice agency staff (e.g., probation officers) and to benefit youth eligible for community-based supervision and/or diversion services.
• Category 4: Mentoring Strategies for Youth Impacted by Opioids and Drug Addiction (Project Sites). The focus of this category is to provide mentoring services to youth impacted by unlawful or addictive opioid use.
• Category 5: Statewide and Regional Mentoring Initiative for Youth Impacted by Opioids and Drug Addiction. This category supports a broad-based approach to building mentoring program capacity in targeted regions throughout the country to help youth impacted by unlawful or addictive opioid use. 

For details on these categories, see: https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh176/files/media/document/ojjdp-2020-16930.pdf#page=6

OJJDP has identified the following specific program objectives:

- Provide mentoring services tailored to the needs of at-risk and system-involved youth populations

- Develop and implement program design enhancements that align with
research and evidence on effective mentoring approaches

- Address how the applicant will promote family engagement as part of the program
design or approach. 

For details on program objectives, see: https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh176/files/media/document/ojjdp-2020-16930.pdf#page=9   

For program priorities, see: https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh176/files/media/document/ojjdp-2020-16930.pdf#page=10