(1) The department must award grants to community-based not-for-profit organizations incorporated under chapter 617 to offer mentorship programs for at-risk male students. These grants must:(a) Assist at-risk male students who are in middle school or high school in developing social, emotional, and cognitive skills to prepare them for future success.
(b) Provide an opportunity for small not-for-profit organizations to receive training and technical assistance that will strengthen their capacity to provide high-quality, effective services and obtain additional nonstate funding in the future.
(2) A community-based not-for-profit organization must have organizational management and a board of directors reflective of the community served by the organization in order to be eligible to receive a grant under this section.
(3) Grant recipients must:(a) Recruit and train mentors for eligible at-risk male students.
(b) Provide mentorship, social and academic support, life skill development, and other opportunities for eligible at-risk male students.
(c) Use trauma-informed practices and interventions to address adverse childhood experiences of eligible at-risk male students.
(d) Be inclusive of eligible at-risk male students who have a disability.
(4) Prioritization of applicants for a grant must, at a minimum, be based on:(a) Unemployment rates, incarceration rates, housing instability, the number of single-parent households, the number of public benefit recipients, graduation rates, and levels of academic achievement in the geographic area in which mentorship services would be provided.
(b) The number of at-risk male students that the applicant plans to serve through the grant and the projected costs for the new or expanded mentorship program.
(c) The applicant’s current revenues and organizational capacity, experience and demonstrated effectiveness in serving at-risk male students or providing mentorship programs, and commitment to organizational development through the training required under subsection (7) in order to achieve the goal specified in paragraph (1)(b).
(5) The department may award grants that are between $25,000 and $250,000 per year, and the grants may be awarded to a community-based not-for-profit organization for no more than 3 years, contingent on continued eligibility, compliance with grant requirements, and adequate performance. The department shall create categories of grants based on the annual revenues of the community-based not-for-profit organizations that are applying in order to maximize the opportunities for small not-for-profit organizations to receive grants.
(6) Grant recipients must submit reports to the department in a format and at intervals prescribed by the department. At a minimum, grant recipients must report on the number of at-risk male students served and their ages, the number of mentors providing mentorship services, and the outcomes of the at-risk students served, including, but not limited to, improved academic success, decreased involvement in the juvenile justice system, and enhanced readiness for and involvement in postsecondary education, as appropriate.
(7) The department shall contract for the provision of technical assistance and training in nonprofit management, outcomes measurement, and positive youth development for grant recipients. Within 6 months after receiving a grant, a grant recipient must complete such training as required by the department in order to achieve the goal specified in paragraph (1)(b). The contracted provider shall determine the specific training needed by grant recipients and directly provide or subcontract for such training and technical assistance.
