Program Goals
Project Arrive is a school-based group mentoring program designed to improve academic performance and promote resilience against criminal involvement for ninth graders at risk of dropping out of school. Specifically, the program uses meaningful relationships with mentors and peers to address and reduce challenges related to regular school attendance (such as truancy) and/or academic performance and help students develop academic and life skills by providing them access to resources within their schools and communities. Overall, the goal of the program is to improve attendance, academic performance, and resilience factors (or assets) to reduce the likelihood of students’ dropping out of school and engaging in crime.
Target Population
Research finds that students who are transitioning from the eighth to ninth grade may experience major changes in school structure and in adult and peer relationships, which can be associated with declines in self-confidence and academic engagement (Herrera et al., 2011). Thus, the program is targeted at students who are transitioning from middle to high school. Eligible students are identified in eighth grade as being at risk for dropping out of school, as measured by an Early Warning Indicators system based on a history of academic failure (GPA less than 2.0), and truancy (receipt of less than 87.5 percent of possible instructional time) during eighth grade. Program enrollment is voluntary.
Program Components
The Project Arrive program is delivered in a group format (usually six to eight students per group). Each mentoring group typically consists of two volunteer co-mentors, who are either school staff or community partners. Groups are expected to meet weekly, during school hours, for 50 minutes a session during the fall and spring semesters.
During group sessions, program activities are based on Tuckman’s (1965) model of group development, which includes the following stages: 1) forming (group members are coming together and getting to know one another); 2) storming (members begin to share ideas about goals and processes; this stage may be characterized by interpersonal conflicts about the group’s goals); 3) norming (the group is developing shared values about how team members will work together); 4) performing (group members are working together well); and 5) adjourning (the team has met all/most of its goals and is focused on wrapping up final tasks). This “curriculum with creativity” model allows mentors the ability to tailor mentoring sessions to the diverse needs and interests of each group.
Mentors help students build positive connections with peers and adults (as soon as they start high school); develop a sense of belonging and safety within the larger school community; receive consistent support in addressing barriers to academic and life success; and participate in special events, outings, and leadership opportunities throughout the year.
Key Personnel
Project Arrive mentors are volunteer school staff (counselors, advisers, principals, etc.) or staff from community partners (e.g., local nonprofits). Mentors are encouraged to work collaboratively with their groups to develop activities and topics in line with overall program goals. The primary roles of a mentor are to guide, coach, advocate, and be a facilitator during group sessions.
Mentors receive preprogram training and ongoing support from a full-time program coordinator. Additionally, the program coordinator assists in recruiting and enrolling students in the program and serves as a liaison between each school and the school district’s student support program office.
Program Theory
The Project Arrive mentoring program is based on concepts of social learning theory (Bandura, 1977), which states that learning happens in a social context and can occur through observation and imitation. In addition, the expectation that both mentor and peer relationships will positively affect internal and external resilience factors, and academic and behavior outcomes, is consistent with the theory of positive youth development (Benson et al., 2007). Thus, if students can observe how adult mentors model prosocial skills, such as cooperation and listening to other perspectives, students may develop internal and external resilience factors (such as self-efficacy, establishing caring relationships). This in turn may reduce truancy and crime engagement behaviors.
