Half of the U.S. youth
population (17.6 million kids to be exact) is considered to be
?at-risk? of getting into trouble with the law, or ?high-risk?
and already in trouble. This isn?t a problem only in the United
States. Street gangs, drug addiction, child prostitution, abuse
and neglect are major concerns around the world.

Our
children need help!

It?s easy to turn your back and ignore
the problem, but what will you do when some kids jack your car?
Or rape your daughter? Or spend their entire lives on welfare or
in the prison system, on your tax dollars?

DISCOVERING A
SOLUTION

One solution that has been proven to work is
mentoring. A mentor is a loyal advisor, a teacher or coach,
sponsor, guide, confidante and role model. He or she is a
special friend who serves as an advocate for the needs of
someone else and makes an effort to bring out their best
qualities.

I learned this first-hand in 1993 when I mentored
a group of teenage boys who were incarcerated at a Los Angeles
detention center for a variety of crimes. As a produced
screenwriter, I wanted to share my love of writing with troubled
kids in hope of inspiring them to change their lives.

I had
a great idea for a story about two rival gang leaders from
different ethnic backgrounds (Latino vs. African-American)
ending up at the same detention camp where they had to resolve
their differences.

During the next few months as I worked on
our script with the boys, my Screenwriting Workshop went through
all kinds of changes. In the end, the boys completed writing the
script with me and it was optioned by producers. The best part
though was that a number of the kids who were illiterate learned
how to read and write through my program. I witnessed other
remarkable changes as well -- a tough Chicano gang leader had
tattoos removed from his body, and several of the boys wanted to
go to college.

Thrilled with the results of this experience,
I quickly came up with another idea for a screenplay and started
a new Screenwriting Workshop, this time at a co-ed detention
center. Again, these girls and boys were transformed through
their experience of contributing to a screenplay, but especially
from my interactions with them every week as their mentor. They
opened up their hearts, shared their problems, and flourished
under my guidance.

Inspired by these successes, I founded a
non-profit organization in 1996. Create Now! matches writers,
artists, musicians and other creative individuals in Los Angeles
with high-risk kids who live in court-mandated institutions,
such as homes for abused and neglected children, runaways,
homeless kids and those in trouble with the law.

Through
Create Now! I?ve personally mentored more than 50 of these kids
and I?ve trained dozens of other mentors to work with high-risk
youth. Create Now! has reached thousands of the most troubled
children in Southern California.

SO, JUST WHAT IS
MENTORING?

You may wonder exactly what is mentoring. It?s
not tutoring, which involves the teaching of a skill or
discipline. Mentoring depends on the nurturing of a close,
personal relationship. While helping with schoolwork can be a
part of it, that?s just one aspect. Mentors inspire us to try
harder and give us the confidence to reach for more ambitious
goals. They teach us how to make good choices and open doors to
new opportunities that normally wouldn?t be available.

A
mentee, or prot?g?, is a novice, student or learner. At-risk and
high-risk kids can be of any race and religion. They generally
come from disadvantaged homes in poor communities. All children
need the support of a positive adult, but these particular kids
especially need help.

Research has shown that kids who are
mentored have improved school attendance and better academic
performance, a good appearance and attitude, less hostility,
more self-esteem and many other improved qualities that are too
numerous to name.

A SUCCESS STORY

Tasha is another
perfect example that proves mentoring makes a difference. She
came from a poor community in South Central, Los Angeles. A
bright girl with many talents, she didn?t get along with her
family. When she was thirteen years old, Tasha began running
away from home. She hung out with boys who got in trouble with
the law. She was sent to detention camps and different
institutions over the next few years.

I met Tasha at a
detention facility when she was almost sixteen. She eagerly
signed up for a Create Now! TV Writing Workshop with a
professional sit-com writer who prefers to remain anonymous.
When Tasha returned to her home in South Central, her mentor
continued to visit her weekly. They formed a strong bond.

Her mentor moved to another state, so Create Now! provided Tasha
with two additional mentors who helped her periodically. Her
original mentor stayed in touch via phone and email. When Tasha
graduated from high school, her mentors helped her apply to USC
Film School and arranged for a scholarship. She was one of only
fifty people in the world to be accepted into their film
program.

Tasha graduated from college in December 2004. She
got a job teaching disadvantaged middle-school children how to
make their own videos. One of her mentors helped her get
employed as a production assistant on a TV show and she?s now on
the way to a lucrative career in the entertainment industry.

We?re all very proud of Tasha.

WHAT?S IN IT FOR ME, THE
MENTOR? <

Mentors benefit greatly from their experience.
It?s a powerful feeling to know that you?ve made a difference in
someone?s life. Most mentors grow on a personal and professional
level through this process. Many people who mentor develop
leadership abilities and have a more profound understanding of
children. Their own family bonds strengthen, plus they receive
admiration and respect from their own peers.

There are
different kinds of mentoring. Here are a few:

1.
ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING This is traditional mentoring,
sometimes referred to as a ?Special Friend? or a ?Big/Little?
relationship. You?re paired up with one child and the
relationship tends to be close. Don?t take this involvement
lightly and make sure you maintain your commitment. 2. GROUP
MENTORING With group mentoring programs, one adult volunteer
builds relationships with a number of young people. Meetings can
take place with a focus on a particular project or an ongoing
activity. 3. TEAM MENTORING A group of two or more adults
work together as a team to mentor a group of youths. This system
focuses on team building, leadership development, and community
service, but it can be used for any type of program. 4.
FAMILY MENTORING Low-income families face enormous
pressure getting food and shelter. The stress can severely
disrupt family life and lead to homelessness. These families can
be matched with mentors (possibly your entire family) who work
with them over an extended period of time. By connecting
disadvantaged family members with useful community resources,
helping them to develop life skills, and strengthening their
foundation, you help the family to overcome challenges. 5.
E-MENTORING By using email and chat rooms on the
Internet, mentors can reach children all over the world. Many
forms of computer-assisted learning are becoming popular, as
students have access to computers at school, libraries, and
their homes.

Think carefully about what your needs are and
how you can best serve at-risk and high-risk youth before you
decide which type of mentoring program is right for you.

OKAY, I?M IN. NOW WHAT?

There are a lot of things
that you can do with your mentees. Many of these kids have never
been out of their own neighborhoods. You could take them on a
trip to the beach, a hike in the mountains, a movie, a meal, or
a visit to a museum. Expose them to cultural events like the
theater or the circus, or just hang out and talk.

Most
importantly, LISTEN! All kids need to communicate and vent. It?s
important to hear what they say and be as open-minded as
possible. Most kids need reliable adults with whom they can talk
about their fears, dreams, and concerns. Mentors serve as
sounding boards, and when asked, someone who can give
trustworthy advice.

At-risk youth may not have any adults in
their lives with the time, interest, or ability to listen to
them. High-risk youth who live in residential institutions will
rarely confide in staff members, administrators, or even
psychologists for fear of punishment. Yet they might confide in
you because of the trust that you?ve developed. It usually takes
time, but when they know that they can count on you, they?ll
start to open up.

DON?T DISAPPOINT

Mentoring
requires commitment and responsibility. You must keep your word
and be dependable to have a positive effect. If you break your
word, you?ll do more damage than good.

These children have
been let down by adults most of their lives. Imagine if you come
along, full of hope and excitement, and reach out to lend them a
hand. They take it and off you go, spending time together and
bonding. They slowly open up and start to trust you.

But
then something changes in your life; perhaps you get a different
job in another part of town, or you?ve got a new boyfriend who
takes up all of your free time. Abandonment can be devastating
to any child, especially these kids.

It?s okay if you only
have sporadic time available to mentor, since even a short
amount of time devoted to an at-risk youth is better than
nothing. But it?s essential that you communicate this clearly to
your mentee. The most important thing is not to set their
expectations high only to let them down later.

These
children represent our future. Through your support as a mentor,
you can introduce them to a larger world where they?re a
contributor instead of just another statistic.

WHERE TO
SIGN ON

No matter where you live or what you do for a
living, you can impact a child?s life. To learn about mentoring
opportunities in your community, visit the National Mentoring
Partnership at http://www.mentoring.org.

If you live in
Southern California and have a creative skill that you?d like to
share with at-risk or high-risk youth, please contact me at
(213) 484-8500 or through email at info@createnow.org.

You?ll make a big difference in your community, and the world!

Jill Gurr Founder and President Create Now!
www.createnow.org

(Please feel free to reproduce and
distribute this article, so long as it is reproduced in full,
including the hyperlinks.)

About the author:
Jill Gurr is founder of the non-profit organization Create Now!
She has mentored more than 50 high-risk children and youth and
has trained hundreds of people to mentor thousands of kids.
Learn more at www.createnow.org.