This report provides an overview of the 47 mentoring programs that were added to the Model Programs Guide along with their evaluations and key themes from program insights.
The authors of this report provide an overview of the 47 mentoring programs that the National Mentoring Resource Center (NMRC) added to the Model Programs Guide between January 2014 and January 2022. The authors note that six percent of programs were rated as Effective, 57 percent were rated as Promising, and 37 percent were rated to have No Effect. To write this report, the authors drew on each program’s review, informational profile on CrimeSolutions.gov, and reviewers’ scoring instruments. The authors’ findings discuss program and evaluation characteristics, and thematic analysis of program insights. The authors note some implications of their findings for research and practice include: the importance of periodically testing trends and patterns in mentoring programs; the potential effectiveness of using a variety of models and approaches; a need of increased mentoring coverage for rural youth and male-specific mentoring, and a need for increased use of rigorous RCTs (Randomized Controlled Trials); and the importance of developing strong and deliberate program designs that are intentionally linked to program needs, resources, and desired behavioral outcomes.