Mentoring for a Better Tomorrow: Connection Sparks Change

Youth economic advancement

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Through two decades of relationships with BIPOC youth in East LA, Northeast LA, and DTLA, we learned the everyday struggles of FGLI (first-generation, low-income) youth and unhoused youth were rooted in (1) intergenerational poverty; (2) lack of access to higher education/career resources; and (3) disconnection from social networks. These intersectional challenges form external and internal barriers to social and economic mobility. While youth from higher-income families benefit from college-educated, well-connected parents and other supports, FGLI BIPOC youth disproportionately do not (2023 MENTOR Study). Under-resourced youth are effectively barred from social and economic advancement. In our target communities, approximately 30-46% of the population live in poverty, nearly 35-45% of adults do not have a high school diploma, and only 11-14% have obtained their bachelor’s degrees. MFC reverses the trend where financial and environmental pressures have pushed career dreams aside.

To address these barriers to youth economic advancement, MFC’s primary objective is to equip FGLI youth to achieve adult independence through four growth areas: education success, career development, holistic resilience, and community activism. We recognize that access to and participation in higher education and connections to supportive community resources are essential to breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty and fostering the development of strong self-identity in youth to gain economic independence.
MFC provides comprehensive support systems that empower our participants to access and excel in their academic and career pursuits. These include college admissions/financial aid workshops, individualized college admissions coaching, employment/career counseling, paid internships, and higher education scholarships. Concurrently, youth benefit from multiple layers of social support through one-to-one mentoring relationships, cohort-based personal development workshops that provide group mentoring, and peer mentoring relationships experienced through the MFC Community Impact Project, a capstone project providing a vehicle for youth-led community activism and service.
By equipping our mentees with the tools and social support they need to thrive academically, professionally, and personally, we are not only breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty but also laying the foundation for a future where adult independence and economic mobility is within reach for all.

MFC’s unique model of one-on-one and cohort-based mentoring sparks individual and community change. At the individual level, mentees develop knowledge, skill-building experiences, and supportive relationships that empower them to graduate, matriculate in higher education, and secure legitimate employment. Mentorship enables youth to build a network of diverse professionals who provide door-opening opportunities and experiences so that mentees become competitive for college admissions, scholarships, and employment. At the community level, mentees’ strengths are harnessed for the common good. Through the Community Impact Projects, youth draw upon their lived expertise to address local needs (e.g. mental health, elder loneliness, homelessness, access to public green spaces). This youth-led activism is MFC’s contribution to systems change in LA: every cohort represents the launching of generational changemakers who combat systemic barriers to create greater economic and social peace.

MFC measures the success of the program in 4 growth dimensions (Education, Career, Resilience, and Community) throughout 3 developmental phases:
Phase 1: First year mentorship - Mentees are tracked and evaluated in their:
a) participation in Personal Development Workshops
b) participation in Mentoring Meetings
c) completion and presentation of self-designed Community Impact Projects; d) overall impact of the CIPs on their communities.
Phase 2 and 3: Post-program academic and career progress - Through on-going contact after MFC’s year-long mentorship program, we track graduates and evaluate their growth in the 4 areas. We also continue to contribute to the academic, professional, and social impact at different developmental stages of their lives.
The educational attainments of MFC graduates demonstrate the efficacy of the program: 100% of MFC graduates have either completed high school or are on track for graduation, 92% pursue higher education, and 100% secure post-college employment.