Frequently Asked Questions

RPF enters into a partnership with local organizations. An individualized agreement will be arranged based on the organization's needs. Quarterly funds will be sent to partnering organizations to disperse as needed to run the Mentor Site.

RPF enters into an individual agreement with each partner organization based on their needs, so the funds could be used differently from one group to another. However, funding negotiations begin with salary for the Site Mentor, facility needs, insurance, and wifi and general needs.

Site Mentors work for the partnering organizations, so their specific hours are decided by the employing organization. RPF requires that each Mentor Site meet with students at least 4 days a week for at least 4 hours a day. A thriving Mentor Site will fully meet the needs of students, so extra hours may be required some weeks to ensure student success. Further, there are some responsibilities of the Site Mentor that will need to be done once students leave for the day. These include but are not limited to tasks such as updating Student Files, contacting parents, and planning events.

The Site Mentor works for the partnering organization, so their specific job responsibilities will be set by the employing organization. To qualify for RPF Funding, a Site Mentor must work with their RPF Regional Coordinator to work through the Phases of Growing a Local Mentor Site. Once the Mentor Site is established, Site Mentor’s work with Site Leaders to maintain their Mentor Site and to update Student Files.

The Site Leader is a second adult responsible for the success of the Local Mentor Site. Site Leaders will work closely with the Site Mentor to monitor students and make adjustments as needed to the Site Design. The Site Leader is over academic achievement and will work for the partnering school or be provided with specialized training on the school’s Learning Management System. Site Leaders will begin working with their Site Mentor during July to fully prepare for the start of the school year.

The Site Design is the written plan for the Local Mentor Site. This is one of the early Phases of Growing a Local Mentor Site. This will be written by the Site Mentor and reviewed with the RPF Regional Coordinator. As the Site Mentor and Site Leader learn more about their mentees, RPF will guide them in updating their Site Design to better serve the students in their care. The Site Design will be used to begin funding discussions.

Local Mentor Sites are uniquely designed to serve the whole student. Groups are purposely small. 20-30 students have two adults in addition to their course teachers, school staff, and parents. The Site Mentor and Site Leader work closely to monitor each student’s progress and the success of the group as a whole. The Site Leader is over academic achievement while the Site Mentor monitors goal setting and skill development. Data is updated weekly within the Student Files and tracked by RPF staff. The goal is to create an environment where each mentee is seen, valued, and supported.

The Restoration Project Foundation brings two years of experience running this model to each local community. RPF plays a guiding role each step of the way. Early in the process, partnering organizations are given the Phases of Growing a Local Mentor Site Guide. Their RPF Regional Coordinator walks the Site Mentor through the phases. Each phase opens up new resources like the Marketing Support Packet, the Recruitment Stipend, the Meet and Greet Stipend, the Set-Up Stipend, and eventually Quarterly Funding. The Restoration Project Foundation provides self-paced training and in-person training to help the Local Mentor Site thrive. During the school year, the RPF Regional Coordinator will track the progress of the Local Mentor Site and provide guidance as needed.

There are many dedicated individuals across many walks of life that are doing good work for kids. We see the value in a quality education that teaches a student how to learn and think. The value of mentorship is undeniable. When adults outside the immediate family pour into young people, lives are changed.

We decided to join these two powerful elements. And, it works. RPF has seen the depth of impact increase when traditional mentoring is coupled with school. We’ve run this model for 2 years and have learned a lot. Everything we learn is added into our ever evolving framework of support. While we are proud of where we are currently and feel that our model is ready to be reproduced in other communities, we do not claim to be done learning. The Restoration Project Foundation is partnering with organizations to continue and refine our answer to a simple question: What helps young people reach their full potential when traditional settings aren’t working? Partnering with RPF is joining the mission of answering that question and continuing to answer it.

A key to our approach is the flexibility built into our framework. One size fits all is rarely a good fit for anyone. This is why we partner with local organizations and work with a local Site Mentor. Our approach is just a framework and resources. Each local community is supported as they build the Mentor Site needed for those 20 kids. We look forward to the day that we have multiple groups in each of the 46 counties in South Carolina. Our approach is different because we plan to scale small and with intentionality.

Yes. The Phases of Growing a Mentor Site includes gaining community support and building relationships with families. The role of parents will ultimately be designed by the Site Mentor and partnering organization. However, we have seen great success when parents are active.