Introduction: The Roma Mentor Project has originally been the experimental educational model of Open Society Institute for multiply disadvantaged Roma and non-Roma youth in the period 2006-2013. Following the closure of OSI's experimental and alternative educational projects, it has been run further, during the 2016/17 academic year, with the…

Mentorship from within the community holds great promise for transforming the lives of young people and helping them to take full advantage of educational opportunities. This article discusses the CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education) Learner Guide program, which provides mentors and role models trained by a pan-African network of women leaders.

This study investigates the impact of accessible and inaccessible role models on early adolescents' conceptions of their identities. Accessible role models have regular direct interactions with adolescents, while inaccessible role models like celebrities do not. This investigation was based within the context of a broader educational intervention…

As in the rest of the world, teachers' roles have been changing in the Turkish educational system. In this process, their roles have been redefined as technical and social roles. In their technical roles, they focus on regular educational core tasks while in their social roles they dwell upon a wide range of social tasks besides teaching. However,…

Evidence shows that marginalized students reach higher levels of success and empowerment in mathematics courses when role models from their own cultural communities participate in the classroom experience. Discourse, respect, and collaboration are highly valued in Lakota culture, so it is natural to include these protocols in the normative culture…

If students from all backgrounds and advantages were given equal opportunity to succeed, how would this change our schools? Anindya Kundu examines two New York City schools--Medgar Evers College Prep and The James Baldwin School--and how their energized school culture contributes to the success of all students. By leading with consistency,…

This is one of the first studies of its kind to systematically examine processes influencing youth entry, retention, and dropout from sports. To accomplish this objective, the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF), in partnership with The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation, commissioned a national survey about the participation and experiences of youth in…

This article focuses on the role of access to music education as an agent of social change and as an important way of empowering previously disadvantaged learners, putting this forward as an argument against the proposed downscaling of music in schools as advocated by the government. This narrative inquiry shed light on the perceptions of…

Harsh and cruel experiences have led many of our young to believe that they are alone in the world and that no one cares. In this article, Martin L Mitchell introduces us to the "National CARES Mentoring Movement" founded by Susan L.Taylor. This movement provides young people with role models who help shape their positive development.…

Using longitudinal data from a nine-month e-mentoring program, we analyzed the influence of formal e-mentor networks and family-based role models on increases in both psychosocial and career-related outcomes. Findings indicate that e-mentor network relationship quality positively influenced general- and career-based self-efficacy which, in turn,…

The American education system is a complicated form of traditional biases that restrain personal interest to pursue an equal education. Our children cannot endure the public scrutiny that is failing in educational institutions, but should be replaced with a provision of hope.

Drawing on social closure theory, this study achieved a deep understanding of the perceptions and experiences of the first cohort of candidates passing through the Thuthuka support programme. Using semi-structured interviews as part of a qualitative approach, currently prevalent modes of professional closure were considered by taking the…

American children represent a great untapped potential in our country. For many young people, choices are limited and the goal of a productive adulthood is a remote one. This report paints a picture of who these children are, shares their insights and reflections about the barriers they face, and offers ways forward for Big Brothers Big Sisters as…

The SpringBoard Bursary Foundation (SpringBoard) commissioned the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) to undertake an evaluation of its activities and impacts between 2013 and 2018. This interim and summary report presents the findings of the first year of the evaluation. SpringBoard was established in 2012 to transform the lives of…

A degree beyond high school has become an essential element of opportunity in America and is a proven pathway out of poverty. However, the majority of our nation's young people, especially low-income Americans, are finding it difficult to complete this pathway to success. Every day, there are faith communities throughout the country that are…