Many young people—particularly at-risk youth—have no where else to look for a positive role model than to a mentor.  The Child Trends Research Brief of 2004 showed that mentored youth were 46% less likely to start using drugs than their un-mentored peers while mentored youth of a racial minority were 70% less likely to use drugs than the control group of youth of color.  Mentored youth also had a drop in the number of crimes they committed. 

Mentors are informal teachers and role models for their mentees, teach youth responsibility and honesty through social interactions.  The Child Trends Research Brief showed that mentored youth in one mentoring program skipped half as many days of school as their un-mentored peers and were 53% more likely to attend college. 

Youth who participate in the mentoring programs learn academic, job and life skills,
as well as character traits mainly through one-on-one interactions with their mentors
and at Coalition-sponsored events, such as workshops and career skills days.