This study examined the effect of participation in the Peraj Mentoring Program on school dropout risk of Mexican children.
School dropout has been recognized as a serious problem in the Mexican Educational System. The purpose of the Peraj Mentoring Program (PMP) is to aid in the social, emotional, and academic development of children from disadvantageous family, cultural, and socioeconomic contexts. In evaluating the impact of participation in the PMP on the school dropout risk for Mexican children, the current study developed a questionnaire that was designed and administered in a pretest/posttest model to mentees and control subjects. The findings suggest that that after participating in the Peraj program, the mentees showed a decrease in their risk of dropping out of school. In contrast, the control subjects, who did not participate in the Peraj program, showed an increase in dropout risk. Thus, there is evidence that Peraj mentoring can be a useful tool to reduce the school dropout problem in Mexico. (publisher abstract modified)