Friends for Youth

Established in 1979, Friends for Youth supports underserved youth through meaningful mentorship relationships. In the decades since, Friends for Youth has served more than 2,000 students and boasts a 90% success rate in creating long-term mentoring partnerships, which significantly exceeds the national average of 33%. Friends for Youth's programs focus on academic achievement, health and wellness, positive youth development, prevention services, and self-sufficiency. The organization's original Mentoring Services program matches low-income youth between ages 8 -17 with mentors for direct, one-on-one services. In 2016, Friends for Youth established Connect, its group mentoring program based at Sequoia High School.

Friends for Youth has received critical acclaim for its highly effective model. In 1988, it created the Mentoring Institute to train and educate other organizations on the successful Friends for Youth model. Through this work, Friends for Youth ensures that youth across the country have access to the transformative power of dedicated and personalized mentorship services.