Advancing Equity through MFC's 3-Phase Mentorship

Youth economic advancement

East LA South LA Central LA

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

MFC believes successful youth economic advancement is rooted in strong relationships. However, many youth lack the mentorship and the social-emotional support needed to reach their academic and career goals. Through 12 years of building relationships with youth in Los Angeles, we learned that the everyday struggles of first-generation, low-income (FGLI) and unhoused youth are rooted in (1) intergenerational poverty, (2) lack of access to higher education/career resources, and (3) disconnection from social networks. These intersectional challenges form external and internal barriers to educational and economic mobility. In our service communities, approximately 30-46% of the population live in poverty, nearly 35-45% of adults do not have a high school diploma, and only 11-14% have obtained their bachelor’s degrees.
MFC is dedicated to breaking cycles of poverty and creating clear pathways to post-secondary education and career success for FGLI and unhoused youth in Los Angeles.

The LA2050 grant awarded to MFC in 2024 enabled us to expand our mentoring services to increase enrollment across all of our mentorship programs. As such, MFC created a 3-phase mentorship process in order to scale our impact while maintaining fidelity to our model and high-quality mentoring services.
DreamMentor - Phase 1 (9th-11th grade): Connects youth with professionals in their desired career fields, providing 1-1 relationship-oriented mentorship, social-emotional support, and hands-on learning experiences through job site tours, personal development workshops, and Community Impact Projects that engage youth in leadership.
CollegeMentor - Phase 2: (12th grade): Supports HS seniors through college admissions, financial aid, and scholarships while developing critical thinking, personal branding, and essay-writing skills. Mentors continue advising youth through college and graduate admissions, ensuring long-term success.
Youth Advisory Board Paid Internships - Phase 3: Provides paid internships for members of MFC’s Youth Advisory Board (YAB), ensuring MFC remains youth-led and continues to innovate solutions to remove barriers to economic mobility. YAB members are exclusively graduates from the DreamMentor and CollegeMentor programs, and are educated on leadership skills and financial literacy, preparing them for long-term economic success.
By fostering relationships and leadership through every phase of MFC's mentorship program, we empower FGLI and unhoused youth to thrive.

MFC’s youth begin as individuals seeking support and grow into leaders empowered to lend their strength to others. Through mentorship, youth gain belief in their own self-efficacy as students, professionals, and leaders. This is a collective work forged through the deep partnership between MFC’s mentees and a diverse community of caring mentors.
Grounded in equity, MFC’s programs ensure that all youth, regardless of background, have access to mentorship that fosters academic success, emotional well-being, and career readiness. With guidance and care, youth in LA are empowered to envision and create a future where they thrive as confident and capable leaders in their families and communities. Through advocacy and mentorship, MFC equips youth to become multipliers of change, where youth not only overcome personal barriers but go onto mentor others, engage their community, and drive systemic transformation across LA. Within one generation, MFC’s youth are breaking the cycle of poverty.