Turning Point & Connections Mentoring Program

Everybody Needs Somebody to Look Up To

Of the 13,000 youth who are incarcerated in Santa Clara County each year, 91% report not having a positive adult role model in their lives. How can at-risk youth make the right choices if they don’t even know whom to turn to or where to begin?

“My situation was similar to Guillermo’s with my parents working day and night. Without spending a lot of time with parents, you can fall under the wrong influence if you don’t have another way to go. The way I grew up, a lot of Hispanic families are in the same boat. I want to help kids realize that there’s more for them. Not just Hispanic kids but all kinds of kids.”

– Jose Palacios, ARCC Mentor

Turning Point Mentoring provides an opportunity for members of the community to share their positive experience and help change the lives of young people at risk of going down the wrong track. Students in Turning Point attend Foothill Continuation High School. The value cannot be overstated of having a successful and involved role model who is willing to share life lessons and teach young people how to meet their school goals. Each young person in the program is mentored for a year; mentors spend at least two hours at a time with their mentees, who are matched based on common interests, ambitions and dreams. An investment of a few hours a month, spread over the course of a year, can have a significant impact on the life of a child.

Since 1996, Turning Point has been providing quality mentoring services to at-risk, low-income youth living in East San Jose. Mentors work with each teen to set individual and educational goals and provide support. Mentees who need additional support services are connected to ARCC’s continuum of care system, where their needs are addressed. A school-based mentoring program, Turning Point program activities include field trips, community service projects, and weekly life skills classes offered by ARCC staff on the school campus. ARCC’s structured group activities, mentor training and support, and family engagement enhance one-on-one mentoring. Relationships are built that can provide positive reinforcement throughout the life of a student. 

Connections Mentoring Program

The Connections Mentoring program serves middle-school students, with mentors providing young people guidance and encouragement while conveying life and academic skills. Students live in East San Jose and attend Ocala and Lee Mathson middle schools. These young people live in households affected by economic and social stressors and need the participation of positive role models in their lives. Both the Turning Point and Connections programs achieve their outcomes by creating the opportunity for youths to build their developmental assets, acquire life skills, and engage in safe, productive behaviors. The programs foster responsibility and accountability, a sense of purpose, a desire to succeed in school and a positive view of their personal futures.

To find out more about this program please call (408) 294-0500