The YESS cross-age peer-mentoring program:
· Recently been awarded prestigious Tony Grampsas funding by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
· Recognized for its dropout prevention efforts by the Mayor’s Office of Education and Children with the “Heavy Lifting Award”
· Featured on Colorado Public Radio
· Implemented as a pilot drop out prevention project in several low-performing DPS high schools.
· The Aurora Research Institute (experts in designing/evaluating prevention programs) has recently applied for federal funding to conduct a rigorous four-year evaluation of the potential of the YESS mentoring program to reduce youth gang involvement.
