Meeting the Challenges of Youth Through Mentoring Programs

Today's youth face many challenges, both old and new. How can mentoring programs help leverage those challenges into opportunities?

Consider the problems of gambling and substance misuse, which are prevalent among young people. For instance, 17% of youth reported gambling 52 or more times in the past year, and the same percentage of youth drank five or more drinks on 12 or more days in the past year, according to a recent study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

The Journal noted that 10% of youth reported having three or more gambling problems in the past year, and 15% of young people reported having three or more alcohol problems.

On Thursday, August 6, I will discuss this topic with my guest Dr. Jim Kooler. Jim’s career has focused on helping youth become active leaders and resources in their communities. He is the administrator of the California Friday Night Live Partnership, the highly successful youth engagement program that is widely regarded as a landmark state-mentoring program. He has also served as deputy director of the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs and director of the Governor’s Mentoring Partnership in California. Jim holds a BA in psychology and a Masters and Doctorate in Public Health from UC Berkeley.

If you wish to learn more about Jim Kooler's work, visit the California Mentoring Partnership website at www.camentoringpartnership.org, email him at jimk@tcoe.org, or call him at 559-733-6496 ext. 1263.