Friends of the Children - Boston

Executive Director: Imari Paris Jeffries

Website: www.friendsboston.org

The GreenLight Fund selected Friends of the Children after a rigorous due diligence process that considered the strength, innovation and results of the Friends’ program and found an extraordinary, replicable model that is fundamentally changing the lives of most-at-risk children.

Founded in Portland, Oregon, 12 years ago, Friends of the Children is a prevention/early intervention organization whose mission is to help children living in at-risk communities develop the relationships, goals, and skills necessary to break the cycles of poverty, abuse or violence in order to become contributing members of society. Friends of the Children-Boston (Friends-Boston) identifies vulnerable kindergarteners from one of Boston's most troubled schools and matches them with trained, full-time mentors (called Friends) who work with them for the next 12 years until they graduate from high school. Friends spend a minimum of four hours each week after school and on weekends with each of their eight program children, regardless of how many times children switch schools or where they move in the Boston area.

The results have been phenomenal. Across the country, the huge majority of program children outperform their peer group in elementary, middle and high school. These were the children identified by their elementary school teachers as most likely to fail.

• 98% of all program children are in school
• 97% have passing grades
• 98% have never been incarcerated
• 97% do not use drugs or alcohol on a regular basis
• Fewer than 10% are involved in gang activity