Career-Focused Mentoring for All Youth

Grow up. Graduate. Get skilled. Get a job. We expect all young people to contribute to society, but the transition from school to adult life is not easy, even for the best students. And for those tagged with the label of being “at-risk”—because

of disabilities, involvement with the justice and foster care systems, or emotional or mental health needs—the

challenges of finding a path to a self-sustaining, independent adulthood can seem insurmountable.

RAMP is a career-focused program that uses a combination of group, peer, and individualized mentoring to help youth learn about job options, set goals for themselves, and identify concrete steps anchored in their day-to-day lives to help reach them. The program has worked with more than 1,200 young adults in over a dozen communities across the nation, and has helped students stay in school, improve attendance and social skills, and avoid court involvement. RAMP also ensures that communities stay strong by helping disconnected youth become engaged, career-minded citizens—and part of a pipeline for a highly skilled local workforce.

“Since I’ve been in RAMP, I have improved on a lot of my work. If it wasn’t for RAMP, a lot of us wouldn’t even know where to begin on our careers.” —Desiree

“If I didn’t have RAMP,I wouldn’t have a place

to go after school or learn these skills.” —Amani

Pathways to Meaningful Lives and a Stronger Workforce

Research shows that mentoring improves student outcomes in many ways, including academic performance, behavioral issues, and social skills.

By working with broad-based coalitions of employers, community service organizations, and volunteers in each community, RAMP provides a host of opportunities and supports for participants, including:

RAMP: Mentoring That Matters

Peer support. RAMP includes weekly meetings in which participants keep each

other engaged in their goals and hold each other accountable for reaching them.

Regular self-assessment and goal setting. Students regularly set weekly goals that

represent concrete steps toward their long-term objectives in learning social skills, health, career development, leadership, and other areas related to their individual challenges, such as disabilities or court involvement.

Hands-on experience. Participants explore worksites, participate in mock interviews,

write resumes, and complete a career-focused

RAMP is operated across the country by diverse organizations, including community-based organizations, local government agencies, and universities. These groups have built partnerships to engage employers, support career exploration activities and internships, and tap a broad base of volunteers.

Each RAMP site is grounded in the local labor market and emphasizes high-demand fields close to home.

Customized to Meet Local Needs

project, such as building a hydraulic arm, developing a video game, or assembling solar-powered machines.

STEM focus. RAMP helps prepare students for careers in science, technology, engineering,

and math fields.

Tailored support for at-risk youth. RAMP’s career-focused model includes youth with

disabilities and provides individualized resources and support for specific youth populations, such as those who are court involved or in the foster care system.

Changing identities. RAMP’s emphasis on careers allows young people who see themselves as “problems” to recognize their potential, positive future aspirations, and outcomes.

Developing skills for the adult world. RAMP’s exposure to workplace settings and structured approach to self-assessment helps develop self-reliance, independence, and the ability to set goals.

Shifting workplace perceptions of young people. Through mentoring, worksite visits, and other career-focused experiences, employers are often surprised by RAMP students’ level of interest and focus on future careers. These interactions challenge employer perceptions of students with disabilities and those who have been court involved.

Strengthening communities. Re-engaging disconnected youth improves graduation rates and creates a workforce pipeline for employers, reducing criminal justice and social welfare costs.

96% of students stayed in school—well above the typical retention rate for the at-risk youth RAMP serves

93% non-offense rate

90% completed the year-long RAMP program

69% improved school attendance

58% felt their social supports improved as a result of being involved in the program

43% saw improvements in assessed social competencies

Real Outcomes

Real-World Results

RAMP builds on existing efforts by schools and employers and taps into the experience of its

mentors to help students find viable paths for their future. RAMP also challenges preconceived notions about “at-risk” youth that limit opportunities for too many young people—and put the nation at risk of

leaving workforce needs unmet.

Since volunteers provide many RAMP services, local organizations typically only have to provide a coordinator to support the program. For more

information on getting started, contact the program director at ramp@iel.org.

This document was developed under a grant supported by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (2009-JU-FX-0035). The opinions contained in this publication are those of the grantee/contractor and do not necessarily reflect those of

the U.S. Department of Justice.

Institute for Educational Leadership4301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 100

Washington, DC 20008(202) 822-8405

www.ramp.iel.org

Making Communities Work