Student Mentoring Program: Providing Mentoring to At-Risk Students in Grades 4-8

The Student Mentoring Program is a school-based effort that provides funding for grantees to develop programs to assist students who lack positive role models and are at risk of educational failure, dropping out, or involvement in criminal or delinquent activities. The program matches at-risk students with trained adult or peer (secondary school) mentors to form positive relationships through regularly scheduled academic, social and recreational activities. ED funding decisions give absolute priority to programs that address the academic and behavioral problems of students with the greatest need living in rural and/or high crime areas, in troubled home environments, and/or who attend schools with violence problems. The program focuses on students in grades 4 through 8. While the legislation does not limit funding solely to school-based efforts, it gives priority to school-based mentoring programs.