Youth Development

Our Youth Development Community of Practice provides professional learning opportunities for youth development practitioners serving young people in Montgomery County. The Community of Practice offers the county’s youth development practitioners a coordinated system of ongoing training with experienced and knowledgeable facilitators, expert-led symposia, online courses, and access to e-learning resources such as a library and recorded webinars. Peer networking is the core of the Community of Practice, helping practitioners share best practices and innovative program strategies that promote positive youth outcomes for the county’s young people. For more information and to register for upcoming workshops, please CLICK HERE.

Mentoring studies have proven the importance of quality mentoring relationships for young people. Having access to a mentor increases the likelihood that young people will enroll in college, volunteer with community organizations, and hold professional leadership positions. Research has also shown that mentoring programs that utilize best practices have a greater impact on the lives of young people compared with programs that don’t. In 2016, the Collaboration Council explored the status of mentoring in Montgomery County by commissioning a study on the state of mentoring.

Data Sources: This study gathered data from semi-structured key informant interviews with representatives from mentoring programs and focus groups with representatives from funders, business leaders, and youth practitioners.

Findings: The study found the following ongoing needs, challenges, and opportunities in Montgomery County mentoring programs:

• Codifying all mentoring program policies and procedures in a manual or guide
• Developing and implementing a resource development strategy and increasing the overall level of program funding
• Providing staff development opportunities and increasing staff size
• Locating and using mentoring program training and technical assistance to support the development of mentoring programs
• Creating community awareness of specific mentoring programs and the general benefits of mentoring
• Using evaluation data for program improvement
• Finding opportunities for collaboration among youth-serving organizations and mentoring programs

Upon completion of the interviews and analysis, the report recommended improvements to five distinct areas that would increase the impact of mentoring programs as they currently stand. These five recommendations were:

1.Develop comprehensive mentoring program manuals or guides.

2.Create, implement, and monitor resource development plans.

3.Increase the amount of pre-match and post-match training provided to mentors.

4.Provide consistent pre-match training to mentees and parents or guardians.

5.Increase program capacity to collect, analyze, and use data for program improvement and to monitor the quality of the mentoring relationship.

State of Mentoring in MoCo Report

Excel Beyond the Bell (EBB) is a public-private partnership offering safe, quality, and accessible out-of-school-time programs, professional development, and support for providers. In collaboration with the Montgomery County Recreation Department, Montgomery County Public Schools, and community-based organizations, our comprehensive middle school program has grown since Fall of 2010, from serving three middle schools to serving eight. Two elementary schools will be added in February 2017.

Outcomes: During FY16, EBB offered a total of 257 hours of programming, with 124 different class options. At least 87% of participants were satisfied or very satisfied with their program in terms of feeling a sense of belonging, having fun, and being safe, and reported feeling confident that staff were supportive, trustworthy, and provided choice in their classes.

Click here to visit Excel Beyond the Bell.

Johnson, Elaine
Community of Practice Director
Extension 204
elaine.johnson@collaborationcouncil.org

Sobolov, Lynn
Deputy Director
Extension 213
lynn.sobolov@collaborationcouncil.org

Wheeler, Jr., Elijah
Director, Social Justice
Extension 217
elijah.wheeler@collaborationcouncil.org

Bailey, Leteria
Data and Training Assistant
Extension 222
leteria.bailey@collaborationcouncil.org

Mentoring: If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, click here:

MENTOR

Excel Beyond the Bell: To explore EBB offerings, visit the EBB website here:

Excel Beyond the Bell

Community of Practice Webinars: MCCC’s Youth Development Community of Practice provides professional learning opportunities for youth development practitioners serving young people in Montgomery County. Click below to learn more about our current offerings.

Creating a Safe Space Reducing Bullying and Harassment Building Positive Climate Webinar
Data Story Telling Webinar