Youth Programs
National research, conducted by the Search Institute in Minnesota, indicates that one of the key building blocks for the health development of young people is for youth to experience support, care and love from a non-parental adult role model.
Compeer matches community volunteers with youth who have been referred to us by mental health professionals. As a mentor, the volunteer has an opportunity to positively influence how a youth sees him/her self and how he/she reacts to the world.
A mentor is an adult who, along with parents or a guardian, provides young people with support, counsel, freindship, reinforcement and a constructive example. Mentors are good listeners, people who care, people who want to help young people bring out strengths that are already there.
Communities benefit when people volunteer to mentor a young person. Mentored teens are 46% less likely to get involved in drugs; 59% get better grades; 73% raise their goals. Young people grow up to be good employees and taxpayers who strengthen our businesses and our community when community members support them in the formative years.