Mentoring and Developing Young Men at Risk Within Communities and Schools

Mentoring and Developing Young Men at Risk Within Communities and Schools. Robert Starks, 2025: Strategic Research Project, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: mentorship, non-profit organizations, at-risk youth, grants and donations, inner-city, marketing strategies, recidivism, youth engagement This strategic research project was designed to provide an overview of mentorship programs within the inner-city and how the lack of marketing, funding, properly guided mentors and the like can threaten the potential of a successful program. Researching the inner workings of a specific mentorship program for at-risk students, the project was completed to highlight the challenges that many non-profit organizations can face. With a comprehensive overview of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the organization, empirical data were produced to show where the faults lie. Uncovering the inefficiencies that such data generated, an organizational restructuring was needed. With this need came the notion that the best way to ensure the vitality of the organization was to provide more visibility and marketing. Through the initial understanding that the organization had proven to be afloat through word of mouth and from the local achievements of previous graduates, more could have been done. From all of the recommended strategies, it was seen that the best approach would be to initiate networking and community development. An action plan is recommended to begin by the beginning of October 2025. If enacted, conducting networking and local community events would officially roll out by January 2026. Based on the outcomes of the data, the planned series of four major actions would be best suited for providing an effective visibility strategy for the organization.