The YESS mentoring program currently operates in three Denver Public High Schools: Abraham Lincoln, North, and West High School. The three components of the YESS mentoring model are peer mentoring, school engagement, and the curriculum/emotional intelligence piece.
YESS believes that youth empowering youth is the most effective way to motivate and engage struggling students. Students are tired of hearing the same rhetoric from parents and teachers; positive and successful youth are the best role models and leaders for youth at-risk. We base our agency on the proven results that youth can and will teach other youth how to be successful in life and in school. Once we direct our mentors with guidance and coaching, they are the critical factor in the change that will occur in the mentee. It is truly amazing to watch the relationships that will form over a short time period in the YESS mentoring program.
It's not the fault of the youth when certain life circumstances leave him/her without hope or motivation. We care about the students in the Denver area and we want those who need extra support and love to be able to get a chance at succeeding. Why not tap into already motivated and smart youth who want to make a difference in their communities? The YESS Institute facilitates the change in which many high school students will make by spending time with their younger peers.
