Our Programs

The Becoming Blueprint.

A kid doesn't just need a friend — they need a whole path forward. So we built one. One caring adult is the spine. Five evidence-based life rails ride on top of it.

Cornerstone M.I.N.D. P.A.T.H. R.I.S.E. M.O.V.E. R.O.O.T.S.
The Spine · 1:1 Mentorship

Cornerstone

This isn't one program among five — it's the foundation all five ride on. Every child is matched with one trained, screened, consistent mentor for a minimum of 9–12 months. Not a one-time event. A relationship that keeps showing up.

What it looks like

  • Weekly or biweekly in-person meetings
  • Goal-setting and real accountability
  • Academic check-ins and life-skills reinforcement
  • A committed relationship of at least 9–12 months
Ages 8–18 Weekly / biweekly Phase 1 · launches first
The proof: In a randomized trial of 959+ youth, mentees were 46% less likely to start using drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking — with fewer fights and better attendance. Big Brothers Big Sisters RCT · Harvard names one stable adult the top protective factor.

What we track: the share of mentor matches still active at 6 and 12 months. Consistency is the program.

Rail 01 · Mental Wellness & Resilience

M.I.N.D.

Master your Inner Narrative & Drive

Weekly small-group “circles” run in 12-week cycles. Kids learn to read their own emotions, set a goal they actually care about, and build the habits that protect a developing mind.

Ages 11–18 12-week circles Phase 1
Evidence: Built on the CDC's 2023 risk-behavior findings and Durlak's landmark SEL meta-analysis — an 11-percentile academic gain across 270,000+ students. Tracked with: the validated Children's Hope Scale.

What kids experience

  • Weekly emotional check-ins and “name it to tame it” skills
  • Hope mapping — set one goal, break it into steps, track it
  • Stress and sleep coaching (8+ hours, real wind-down routines)
  • Connection nights and identifying a trusted adult
Rail 02 · Decision-Making & Justice Deflection

P.A.T.H.

Pause, Aim, Think, Hold

The half-second that keeps a good kid out of a bad outcome. Cognitive-behavioral group sessions run in 16-week cohorts for our highest-need youth — including kids referred through diversion instead of the courts.

Ages 13–18 16-week cohorts Phase 3 · Year 2+
Evidence: Modeled on “Becoming a Man.” University of Chicago RCTs cut violent-crime arrests 45–50%, total arrests 28–35%, and raised graduation 12–19%. Aligned with the OJJDP Model Programs Guide.

What kids experience

  • CBT drills that slow down automatic reactions
  • Conflict role-play — practice the hard moment before it happens
  • “The story in my head vs. the facts” impulse-control work
  • Restorative circles, with a diversion liaison to courts and schools

Built right: requires a trained CBT facilitator and a signed diversion partner — never an untrained volunteer.

Rail 03 · Academic & Future Readiness

R.I.S.E.

Ready, Invested, Skilled, Employed

From showing up at school to showing up for a first paycheck. Mentor-delivered academic support every week, plus monthly real-world career experiences — and a workforce track for older teens.

Ages 11–18 Ongoing + monthly Phase 1 & 2
Evidence: Mentoring RCTs and a 70-study meta-analysis link consistent mentors to better grades and attendance. Ninth-grade “on-track” status is one of the strongest predictors of graduation.

What kids experience

  • Weekly academic check-ins and attendance nudges
  • Ninth-grade “on-track” support — the make-or-break year
  • Monthly career site visits and trades exposure
  • Budget a real paycheck; resume + mock interviews (15+)
  • Job placement and follow-up for older teens (16–18)
Rail 04 · Physical Wellness & Adventure

M.O.V.E.

Motion, Outdoors, Vitality, Endurance

Move the body to steady the mind. Seasonal sports teams, weekly fitness, and monthly hikes get kids outside, on a team, and proud of what their bodies can do.

Ages 8–18 Seasonal + weekly Phase 1 & 2
Evidence: The CDC's 2023 survey ties playing on at least one sports team to lower mental-health and suicide-risk indicators. Movement and outdoor time are documented stress regulators.

What kids experience

  • A seasonal team — a league, a jersey, a coach
  • Weekly fitness and skills practice
  • Monthly nature hikes on the Colorado Front Range
  • Outdoor challenge days — ropes, climbing, camping
  • End-of-season celebrations
Rail 05 · Family & Community Anchoring

R.O.O.T.S.

Reinforce Our Outcomes Through Support

Hold the home steady so the gains stick. We wrap support around the caregiver and the whole family — because families, schools, and communities raise children. We partner; we don't replace.

Caregivers + youth Quarterly + ongoing Phase 1 & 2
Evidence: The CDC names a household adult who meets basic needs and high parental monitoring among the strongest protective factors a child can have.

What families experience

  • Quarterly caregiver circles — food and childcare provided
  • Basic-needs navigation: food, transportation, benefits (via 211)
  • Parental-monitoring coaching — simple routines that lower risk
  • Family events and community-service days
Wrapped around all five rails

Trauma-informed, from day one.

Every mentor and staff member is trained in trauma-informed practice, and we build a referral pathway to a clinical partner for any child who needs more than mentorship can provide. A child's safety and dignity come before every program goal.

Our child-safety commitment
How it rolls out

We launch in the order that proves the model fastest.

Phase 1 — Prove it

Cornerstone, M.I.N.D., R.I.S.E. (academic), and a light M.O.V.E. — high engagement, fast to fund, easy to measure.

Phase 2 — Strengthen

Add R.O.O.T.S. family support, formal M.O.V.E. teams, and the R.I.S.E. workforce track once the first cohort is stable.

Phase 3 — Replicate-ready

Stand up P.A.T.H. with a trained facilitator and diversion partner, plus a formal clinical partnership.

Every phase — Measure

100% of kids have baseline data on day one. We track cost-per-child as our north-star number.

Fund the first cohort See how we measure proof