WASHINGTON D.C., DC — In an effort to curb youth violence in the District, At-Large Councilmember Robert White has introduced a legislative proposal that would establish a professional mentorship program for kids and teens and increase the mentor pool by including District government employees.
On Thursday, the DC Council Committee on Housing, chaired by Robert White, held a hearing to discuss the Youth Mentorship Through Community Engagement Act of 2024.
"In 2023, over 2,000 youth were arrested for crimes ranging from assault to homicide, and we saw children as young as 9 years old committing robbery," White said during his opening statement.
The mentorship proposal focuses on youth under 18 who have faced adverse childhood experiences. Through the program, the teen would be paired with a paid, professional mentor who they can meet with for at least three hours a week for a minimum of three years, or until high school graduation.
"For most of my time in school, I was a failing student and I had a few people, who when most people were telling me I wasn't going to succeed, they said 'Robert, you can do it.' I want to make sure all of our students have those voices in their ears," White told WUSA9.
The bill would also expand the mentor pool by allowing eligible District government employees to take a service leave to volunteer as a mentor or tutor for a young person.
"That's about 40,000 professionals helping students across the city preventing them from going down the wrong path," Robert White told WUSA9.
The proposal is part of a greater legislative package known as the Safer Today, Safer Tomorrow which also includes:
- The Vocational Education for a New Generation Act of 2024 would expand career and technical education. This proposal would require any program funded through the DC's Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) to result in an industry certification so that students can enter the job market right after high school.
- The Truancy Reduction for Student Success Act of 2024 would require OSSE to increase student attendance reporting and start to post data monthly by school on their website. Currently, public school officials report truancy once the school year has ended.
Non-profit groups testified in support of the bill during Thursday's hearing including D.C.'s Black Swan Academy, an organization that focuses on Black youth through civic leadership and engagement.
Ceon Dubose, a lead organizer for Black Swan Academy, shared in part how joining a mentorship program as a middle schooler turned into a career path.
"During that time I was actually going through a lot of house hopping. I was back and forth between my mom and grandma, which also had a very big impact on my schooling and how I am showing up."
At 22 years old, Dubose now helps youth going through similar experiences.
"I just use the things that I have seen growing up in DC. Knowing that the youth are still experiencing that, and be like, my goal is you're better and you're doing okay," Dubose added.
Some witnesses voiced concerns about ensuring that the mentorship program included an extensive vetting process for the participating adults and others recommended that the bill include a portion that allows other teens to serve as tutors and mentors.
When asked how White would incentivize participating in the mentorship program, he told WUSA9, "I think we need to have the right mentors. The right mentors are going to encourage students."
White says success would be measured by attendance, graduation rates, and whether students and mentors stay in the program. During the hearing, witnesses offered other ways to measure success including student-to-student recruitment and overall behavior changes in the youth.