Bridging the Divide: A Pioneering Culturally-Specific Mentoring Intervention to Increase Support for At-Risk Youth

Launched by THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER, HOUSTON · Jun 25, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a special mentoring program designed to support young people who may be facing challenges with their emotions, social skills, and overall well-being. The program is tailored to reflect the cultural backgrounds of the participants, aiming to help them build stronger social connections, improve their mental health, and do better in school. Researchers also want to hear from everyone involved—youth, caregivers, and community members—to make the program even better.

Young people who might join this study are those who are part of community groups like the Boys and Girls Clubs, identify as part of a racial or ethnic minority (such as Black or Hispanic), and can speak English along with their caregivers who agree to participate. The study does not include youth who are already in other mentoring programs or those with severe cognitive disabilities that would make it hard to take part. Participants will be involved in mentoring activities and group discussions, and their progress in social skills, behavior, and school will be observed. This study is not yet recruiting, but it hopes to offer a supportive space that respects cultural identity while helping at-risk youth thrive.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • actively enrolled in the partnering community organization (e.g., Boys and Girls Clubs)
• • Participants and their caregivers must be able to provide informed assent/consent in English. Parental Consent: Participants must have parental or guardian consent to participate in the study.
• • Self-identifies as a racial-ethnic minority (i.e., Black/African American, Hispanic, etc.)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Current participation in another mentoring program: To avoid confounding the results, youth currently involved in other mentoring or structured socio-emotional support programs will be excluded.
• • Severe cognitive or developmental disabilities: The study will exclude participants with mental impairments that prevent meaningful engagement in focus groups or intervention activities.