ABSTRACT
Although lacking a clearly identified theoretical and empirical foundation, programs designed to establish and support formal mentoring programs for at-risk youth have grown in popularity since the 1980s (Freedman, 1993). In 1989, the William T. Grant 5 Foundation Commission on Work, Family, and Children recommended that multiple mentoring programs for youth be developed, evaluated, and refined. By 1990, organizations such as Chrysler, Proctor & Gamble, IBM, the United Way of America, the National 10 Urban League, and the National Education Association were involved in supporting mentoring programs. Several states, including Rhode Island, New York, and California, established public offices and governmental task forces on mentoring high-risk youth (Freedman, 15 1993).
