October 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 23

that mentoring can provide. Park
and recreation agencies are closing
this gap by offering one-on-one and
group youth mentoring programs
and helping at-risk youth gain access
to quality mentors.
To learn more about how park and
recreation professionals are tackling
these issues - as well as what role
the
coronavirus (COVID-19)
has
played in their current approach and
future plans - the NRPA Research
team conducted a survey in February
2021. Sixty-one percent of park and
recreation agencies offer in-person academic
and enrichment programs for
area youth, and 52 percent of agencies
offer similar services virtually.
In addition, many agencies provide
leadership programs (45 percent) and
mentoring opportunities (43 percent)
for their communities' youth. Highlighting
the tremendous impact such
programs can have on youth and
young adults - as well as considering
the immense academic and social-emotional
impact of COVID-19
on these groups - many additional
agencies (29 percent) anticipate
launching these services in the next
two years (nrpa.org/HealthReport).
Youth Mentoring
Framework
NRPA developed the Youth Mentoring
(YM) Framework to help local park and
recreation agencies craft their own
unique, individualized mentoring
programs. It is designed to help
agencies leverage local park and
recreation assets that build protective
factors around at-risk youth, while
also forming strong social connections
and positive relationships to address
trauma, adversity and other challenges
that youth experience. The YM
Framework is rooted in data collected
and analyzed across the profession,
encompassing direct feedback from
youth, park and recreation staff,
and subject matter experts in the
mentoring field. It considers common
assets found in park and recreation
agencies, as well as feedback on
the need for self-care, reflection
and mindfulness for both mentors
and mentees. In addition, the YM
Framework is grounded in the Search
Institute's
Developmental
Assets
Framework (tinyurl.com/5chv5ycb).
It outlines 40 research-based, positive
experiences and factors that influence
youth development and lead to
positive life outcomes.
The YM Framework can be used in
both group and one-on-one mentoring
settings. It provides suggested
guidance for weekly
activities, reflection and self-care.
discussions,
While the framework provides 16
weeks of lesson guidelines, mentoring
activities can be repeated or expanded
on with the goal of supporting
a mentor/mentee relationship
for a minimum of one year. The YM
Framework includes weekly conversation
starters related to the overarching
themes and sample activities
for mentors and mentees, as well as
community service projects, family
engagement and self-care tips.
Have you been integrating youth
mentoring into your agency's services?
Let us know! Contact me at
lkiefert@nrpa.org or NRPA Program
Manager Rafael Torres at
rtorres@nrpa.org.
Lauren Kiefert is Program Manager
for NRPA (lkiefert@nrpa.org).
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| Parks & Recreation
23
http://www.tinyurl.com/5chv5ycb http://www.nrpa.org/HealthReport http://www.discountplaygroundsupply.com
October 2021 - Parks & Recreation

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