NCJ Number
151846
Date Published
Unknown
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This report describes the Master Teacher in Family Life Program, which focuses on developing communities of support for youth at risk and their families in both rural and urban Massachusetts.
Abstract
This program rests on the view that residents of high-risk communities are the true experts in determining what their neighborhoods need. Therefore, these community members work as equals with school personnel, counseling agencies, businesses, enrichment programs, and health specialists to develop support systems for youth and families. Community educators begin by identifying natural leaders in a targeted community, such as a housing development. They teach these leaders specific information and skills related to youth development and family life. The educator then links these leaders, who are called Master Teachers, with other Master Teachers and with service providers. At the same time, the Master Teacher works to strengthen and expand connections with the targeted community. A chain of mentoring is thereby established, extending from the most isolated and discouraged long-term poor to influential program and policy developers in the mainstream. This program is based both on pragmatic assessments of what actually works and on the theories of Alfred Adler and Urie Bronfenbrenner. It recognizes that reasons for discouragement among people living in poverty include limited resources, personal isolation, and social isolation. The Master Teachers work to address these factors by linking youth with positive role models and with mainstream society. The program has been highly successful. In an average year, Master Teachers volunteer a total of about 2,000 hours a year and reach about 60 young people. Approximately 300 individuals each year receive individualized information or support or are linked to specialized agencies. 20 references