Intense Mentoring

Our vision is to eliminate poverty in Metropolitan-Detroit through education. Our mission is to assist young women 16 and older that reside in Highland Park and Detroit with completing their secondary education. I'M (Intense Mentoring) offers referrals for social services, information on educational options and provide training in life management skills.

Description:
The children in Detroit and Highland Park are not getting the support they need to compete in this changing economy. With a 42% drop out rate (www.manhattan-institute.org), Detroit Public Schools have failed nearly half of its children leaving Detroit last on the list of the 100 largest school districts. Highland Park's drop out rate is even higher. Dropouts are eight times more likely to be in jail or prison as high school graduates, four times less likely to volunteer than college graduates, and twice less likely to vote. Without a diploma, they will make 1/3 less on average than those that do and face a live of poverty (www.silentepidemic.org). They need support and guidance to help to overcome their challenging obstacles – poverty, low self-esteem, complex family history, single motherhood, domestic violence, and dependency issues – in order to finish their secondary education.

Through individual mentoring, bi-weekly support meetings, and access to educational providers, we give our young women the resources and emotional support they need to complete high school, obtain marketable job skills, and gain full employment to eliminate their dependency on government aid programs. The program begins in August with an open house, where participants learn about the goal of Intense Mentoring. The second meeting in September introduces the participants to the adult women who will be their mentors (our mentors are caring, concerned, professional women.). The participants must also register in a school of their choice and are required to periodically submit a copy of report cards or progress reports. October through May, each meeting has a specific educational goal including topics such as drug prevention, family planning, financial planning, resume writing, and employment search. The program culminates with the eligible participants touring many of the historical black colleges in the south and a graduation celebration.

History:
Founded in 2002 and incorporated as a nonprofit entity in 2004, Intense Mentoring helps young women, ages 16 and older that have dropped out of school in the cities of Detroit and Highland Park, gain the tools needed to complete their high school education or obtain GED certification. In our few short years of operation, over 80% of our women have graduated with 17 graduates in total. Starting this fall, we will go from two to three classrooms with the capacity to reach 30 young women annually. We have taught hundreds of workshops on domestic violence, esteem building, and civic engagement to the women in our program.

Contact person: Denise Brown, Executive Director, (313) 556-2028, (email)

Address:

P.O. Box 11047 Detroit, MI 48211

Web Site: http://www.intensementoring.org

Last updated on August 18, 2009