Echoing Green Finalist!

The Incentive Mentoring Program was selected as a 2009 finalist for the Echoing Green Fellowship for social change entrepreneurs.

The Bold Idea: Empower struggling teenagers to break the cycle of poverty, drugs and lack of education by surrounding them with “families” of mentors who fill critical gaps in academic and social support.

Baltimore City public high schools have a graduation rate of 39 percent. At five out of six Baltimore schools, the majority of students qualify for federally subsidized meals. Baltimore has the highest rate of heroin-related crime in the U.S. and almost half of those arrested for drug trafficking are juveniles.

The Incentive Mentoring Program (IMP) families coach life skills through activities based on three elements: academic assistance; community service; and team building. Without overburdening individual volunteers, a team of six to twelve mentors led by an experienced “head of household” can form customized solutions to the challenges these children and their families face.