Nomination Guidelines -2010

							Nomination Guidelines for the FYSB Outstanding Mentor Award:
Thank you for your interest in the FYSB Outstanding Mentor Award. To process your
nomination, a complete nomination packet (postmarked no later than February 12, 2010)
must be submitted to the Family and Youth Services Bureau at the address listed below.
Late applications will not be reviewed.

Please send your nomination packet to:

                  Mentoring Children of Prisoners Award Nomination
                 Administration on Children Youth and Families/FYSB
                          1250 Maryland Ave SW 8th Floor
                               Washington, D.C. 20024
                             ATTN: Oluwatoyin Akintoye

Selection of the FYSB Outstanding Mentor Award will be based on the contents of the
nomination submission. Please review all of the guidelines and review criteria before
preparing your nomination.

Purpose:
Through the Mentoring Children of Prisoners (MCP) Program, The Family and Youth
Services Bureau (FYSB) awards grants to community and faith-based organizations that
provide children and youth of incarcerated parents with Mentors. Each mentoring
program is designed to ensure that Mentors provide young people with safe and trusting
relationships; healthy messages about life and social behavior; appropriate guidance from
a positive adult role model; and opportunities for increased participation in education,
civic service, and community activities. The FYSB Outstanding Mentor Award is an
opportunity to recognize the outstanding commitment of Mentors in changing the lives of
America’s youth.

Who is Eligible to Nominate a Mentor?
FYSB will only accept nominations from current MCP grantees. MCP Grantees may
recommend up to two Mentors from their organization for this award. It is the
responsibility of the MCP grantee to select from internal nominations and to complete
and submit a recommendation form and application packet for each nomination.

Who may receive these Awards?
These awards will be presented to up to five mentors from all MCP program
nominations; mentors will be selected for demonstrating outstanding commitment to
mentoring and who meet the selection criteria below.




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Selection Criteria:
Nominees must be current mentors in a MCP program that adheres to the following
guidelines:

  The Mentor must be committed to working with their Mentee for at least one hour a
   week for a period of 52 weeks.

  The Mentor must be paired with a youth who was between the ages of 4 and 18 at the
   time of the mentoring match.

  The Mentor must be a paired with a youth who has, or had at the time of the match, an
   incarcerated parent(s).

  The nominating MCP grantee must have satisfactory progress towards meeting the
   programmatic goals of the MCP program.

Additional items to consider when putting forth a nomination may include:

  Length of time the Mentor/Mentee have been together;

  Whether there have been extraordinary circumstances in the Mentor/Mentee
   relationship;

  How the Mentor has assisted youth in achieving any milestones or goals;

  The Mentor’s commitment to mentoring (as determined by length of time mentoring,
   number of Mentees, or participation in other program activities);

  The positive impact the Mentor has had on the youth (i.e. changes in academic
   performance or family functioning);

  The Mentor’s leadership in engaging other people to become Mentors; and

  The Mentor’s ability to create a meaningful connection to his/her Mentee

When submitting nominations please also consider the needs of different age groups in
your program and the impact of age on mentoring relationships, as a mentor’s
relationship with a five year-old may be substantially different from his/her relationship
with a 13 year-old. It is important for FYSB to honor relationships that represent the full
spectrum of youth served by the MCP program.

Organizations should develop their own procedures to determine which two mentors to
nominate to FYSB. However, when reviewing internal nominations for selection,
organizations should consider the selection factors described above.



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What is included in the Nomination Packet?
The nomination package that the grantee organization submits must include the
following:
    1. A completed nomination form with a description of the match relationship;
    2. A one-page letter from the Mentee describing why their Mentor should be
       selected for the Mentoring Excellence Award;
    3. A statement of recommendation from the nominating agency signed by the
       Executive Director;
    4. A dated photo of the Mentor/Mentee (to be used for publicity purposes); and
    5. A signed photo release form.

Though not required, agencies may submit supporting documentation of the
mentor/mentee relationship that addresses the selection criteria above. For example,
newspaper articles, a letter from a caregiver or the incarcerated parent describing the
mentoring relationship, or a log of mentoring activities.

All materials must be included with the original packet. Material sent under separate
cover will not be considered. Audio and video tapes cannot be reviewed as part of the
selection process. The complete nomination packet should not exceed 12 pages per
nomination (including required forms and any supporting documentation). Only two
nominations per organization will be reviewed. Additional nominations will not be
reviewed. All materials become the property of the Department of Health and Human
Services.




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