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One-on-One Mentoring Program:
Each week girls/boys meet with their mentor for two hours.
The mentor/mentee dyads participate in various activities
such as sports, cultural events, theatre, educational events,
etc. The mentors are adult friends to the mentees. The mentees
are encouraged to talk to their mentors about any issues
that are of concern to them. All volunteer Mentors are fully
trained and screened.
Mentoring
Children of Incarcerated Parents – The Guiding Light
Program:
First and foremost, Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents
is about mentoring relationships. Our role is to bring mentors
and children with incarcerated parents together and to facilitate
quality mentoring relationships.
Our Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents Program makes
it possible for many more kids throughout New York State
to have mentors, and for many more families to enjoy all
the benefits of mentoring.
Children of Incarcerated parents between the ages of 5 to
18 are paired with trained, screened adult mentors. The
pair is required to meet for a minimum of four hours per
month. The mentor/mentee dyads participate in various activities
such as sports, cultural events, theatre, educational events,
etc. The mentors are adult friends to the mentees. The mentees
are encouraged to talk to their mentors about any issues
that are of concern to them. All volunteer Mentors are fully
trained and screened. Children from 5 – 18 years old
are eligible for this program.
Girls
Circle:
Structured gender-specific/age-specific support groups for
girls from 10-18 years, integrates relational theory, resiliency
practices, and skills training in a specific format designed
to increase positive connection, personal and collective
strengths, and competence in girls. It aims to counteract
social and interpersonal forces that impede girls’
growth and development by promoting an emotionally safe
setting and structure within which girls can develop caring
relationships and use authentic voices.
Girls Circle groups are held weekly
for 1½ hour. Each week the facilitator leads the
group of girls through a format that includes each girl
taking turns talking and listening to one another respectfully
about their concerns and interests. The girls express themselves
further through creative or focused activities such as role
playing, drama, journaling, poetry, drama, dance, drawing,
collage, clay, and so on. Gender specific themes and topics
are introduced which relate to the girls’ or lives,
such as trusting ourselves, friendships, goals, sexuality,
drugs, alcohol, tobacco, competition, and decision-making,
violence, aggression, etc. Facilitators are trained and
certified by Girls Circle, Inc. (Girls’ Circle, 2006).
Boys
Council:
Boys Council is a strengths-based group approach to promote
boys’ and young men’s safe, strong and healthy
passage through pre-teen and adolescent years.
Are you an adult who cares about boys? Boys Council groups
encourage boys and young men to: act safely; show respect
in their relationships; develop a healthy perspective; see
other’s points of view; use good judgment; and find
their goals and dreams and pursue them.
Boys Council meets a core developmental need in boys for
strong, positive relationships. In this healthy and structured
environment, boys and young men gain the vital opportunity
to address masculine definitions and behaviors and build
their capacities to find their innate value and create good
lives, individually and collectively. (Boys Council, 2008).
In Boys Council, boys and young
men will:
Experience belonging and connection with adults and peers;
Discover the principles they want to live by; Recognize
others’ perspectives and experiences; Develop empathic
skills; Participate in fun and stimulating activities; Find
motivation and courage to act on their principles; Desire
to act with self-respect; Find respect for girls and women,
and for all those that they perceive as vulnerable; Embrace
the power within themselves and within their bonds as a
community; Learn to be allies with one another and within
all of their relationships; Find restored hope, belief,
and skills to live a good life.
A.C.T. on Faith:
Faith based initiative; in excess of 50 faith-based organizations
throughout the Lower Hudson Valley and New York City collaborate
to effect recruitment of volunteers and to attract men and
women of faith to support our mission of creating socially
adept, moral young adults. The A.C.T. on Faith program also
assists youth and families in times of need.
Parents Support Group:
Because we know that children and teens have more opportunity
for success when parents are involved in the mentoring process
we have established a parent support group. Our bi-weekly
meetings designed to support parents in exchanging ideas
and opinions on specific situations/concerns. Through the
support group parents learn new strategies and tactics for
promoting healthy, happy relationships with their children.
Court Advocacy:
Designed for working parents who are not able to go to court
with their children; for parents who do not feel comfortable
attending court; and for parents who do not understand the
court system. A.C.T. Inc. is dedicated to ensuring that
children and youth never have to go to court without the
support of a caring adult. With this commitment, a court
advocate will accompany any client for their court dates.
Mentor Networking Group: Mentor
support group:
Mentors meet one time per month to exchange ideas and celebrate
accomplishments.
Support
A.C.T.
We need your support to keep these programs
active for our teens. Please volunteer. If your company
is looking for a great way to “give-back” to
the community, visit our Support
Team page for more details on how you as an individua
or your company can help teens succeed.
Every dollar helps us keep our programs active for our teens.
Click on the button below to give us a hand financially.
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