Seedling Foundation

The goal of our program is for 100% of students served by Seedling to build resiliency and achieve the protective factor of a close, sustained mentoring relationship with a caring, adult role model. Our Mentor Program increases social-emotional learning and promotes positive attitudes toward school through innovative, research-driven, school-based mentoring. Through a cost-effective model of partnering with school personnel, the program implements nationally recommended standards around mentor training, mentor/mentee monitoring, and support to achieve the two hallmarks of quality mentoring: relationship closeness and match longevity.
In 2016-2017, Seedling served 591 children across 116 schools in central Texas. According to our 2016-2017 independent program evaluation, 93% of Seedling mentees rated their relationships as “close” and 83% of mentees experienced postiive dscipline outcomes in school. Mentees also rated even with a similar population group academically.

New mentors are recruited through businesses or self referral, screened, and undergo a comprehensive background check. New mentors receive a 2.75 hour mandatory orientation designed and facilitated by Seedling using the most current research around mentoring best practices. The volunteer meets with the child one day a week at school, during lunchtime, during the academic school year. During these one-to-one visits, the mentor serves as a good listener, a sounding board, and a nonjudgmental friend. The time may be spent allowing the child freedom to read, play games, complete craft activities, or engage in conversation, according to the child’s choice. The talk may be about commonplace matters, about current events, or about school, social or family problems the child is facing including those that may result from the shame and stigma they feel. Through these visits, mentors are helping the student identify and nurture strengths and to develop their own goals and aspirational thinking.

Seedling Foundation was founded in 1998 to provide support for Austin ISD. The Seedling Mentor Program was launched in 2006 in Austin ISD in response to requests by school principals concerned with the unique needs of the growing population of children in their schools with a parent in prison and the lack of support services available to help. Seedling now focuses on providing children impacted by parental incarceration with research-based practices proven to positively affect their life outcomes. Seedling's professoinal staff averges 21 years of experience in youth service delivery. The Executive Director has over 24 years of not for profit management experience. Seedling is widely recognized by state and national mentoring organizations for its model, research based approach. Seedling features partnership with CIty of Austin, Travis County, Hays County and several state organizations which view Seedling as a solid, reputable organization.

Annually, Seedling contracts an evaluation of the Seedling Mentor Program. The purpose of the evaluation is to identify program areas of strength and challenge and to use the results for ongoing program development.
The program evaluation is designed to determine whether the Seedling Mentor Program met expected outcomes related to three major program objectives:
1. The Seedling Mentor Program will implement structures and employ strategies to provide mentees with positive, close relationships with nurturing and competent adult.
2. Seedling mentees will experience positive changes in resilience, self-regulation skills, self-efficacy, and school connectedness.
3. Seedling mentees will experience academic outcomes (e.g., attendance, discipline and STAAR results) similar to or better than those of similar non-participants.

Next is a plan to grow the mentoring program to serve 1000 children by the 2022-23 school year, add schools, and provide increased opportunities for older children.