It Takes A Villiage: Supporting At-Risk Youth With Campus Corps

In May, Pope Francis encouraged a mass of students in Italy to chant repeatedly that it took a village to raise a child.  Every time I hear the African proverb, a part of me jumps up and dances along with that idea.  It makes sense.  I agree.  Our chances of getting our children safely to adulthood is greatly enhanced if we have the support of our own parents, our cousins, coaches, teachers, and any number of adults.

If your kids hits a few bumps in the road in Larimer County, there is program there willing to step in and help. It is called Campus Corps.  It is a fantastic program at Colorado State University that is geared toward at-risk youth in the Fort Collins Community. It is a therapeutic mentoring program for kids 10-18.  Each child is paired with an undergraduate student.  Highly successful, the Corps is currently serving 300 youth and 300 mentors each year.  It is managed by the College of Health and Human Services.

Once enrolled in the weekly program, mentees get a firsthand experience and a view that going to college is possible. Spending four hours in the evening, they eat dinner, do homework and other activities geared toward therapeutic intervention. All mentors are supported and guided by graduate students and other mentor coaches.

Students gain confidence, interpersonal skills and stronger intentions to give back to the community.  Mentees are found to decrease their alcohol and marijuana use, and have fewer problems in school.  Their well-being is enhanced and usually have better communication with their parents.

The community benefits by lower delinquency rates, less financial impact on the justice system, and an alternate program for children who are in danger of falling through the cracks in society.

Right now the goal is to endow the program and write a guide to take to other universities so that these programs can be implemented at campuses across the country.   The programs is funded through  Alumni, individual donors and other community programs.  If you wish to give money please cut and paste www.giveto.colostate.edu/campuscorps

Thanks for any support.  It is greatly appreciated.  In love and light.