Fostering Achievement Through Mentoring Education (FAME)

Recognizing that families are the foundation of our society, there is a critical need to ensure the survival of youth, teen parents, and fragile families. These identified groups need an established support system that provides the encouragement, education, and mentoring necessary for family well-being. Project FAME seeks to establish relationships with local educators, agencies, and community service organizations in an effort to address the challenges faced by struggling families. Community involvement and the support promoted and encouraged through this project enable needy families to have greater access to health care, childcare, housing, education, and employment training so desperately needed in sustaining communities.

A mentoring relationship is a supportive alliance established between two or more individuals to facilitate educational, social, emotional, and personal growth. FAME educators endeavor to strengthen urban and rural youth, families and communities through educational programs and services that support healthy lifestyles and an improved quality of life.

Specific project objectives are to:

1. collaborate with educators, community leaders, and local agencies to identify mentors and service providers to promote the general well-being of youth and families;
2. establish community support systems for young parents learning to cope with parenthood while pursuing educational and career goals;
3. provide non-traditional job shadowing opportunities for youth with special emphasis on youth entrepreneurship; and
4. establish mentoring groups or organizations to provide positive role models in urban communities in support of positive youth development.
   

---

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University).

---