Additional Program Information

Developer and contact

This program is no longer active and has no current developer or contact information.

Scope of use

Twelve Together was developed and implemented in the early 1980s by the Metropolitan Detroit Youth Foundation as a program to serve at-risk ninth graders in Detroit public schools. The program operated in 20 Detroit high schools before ending in the early 1990s. In the late 1980s, the June Burnett Institute brought Twelve Together to southern California and adapted it for middle school use. The institute operated the program in the late 1980s and 1990s in nine middle schools and one high school in Chula Vista and one alternative high school in San Diego. Its current scope of use is not known. Additional information about the program model and the implementation experience of the organizations that used it can be found in Dynarski et al. (1998) listed in the "References" for this report.

Description of intervention

Twelve Together is a peer support and mentoring program for middle and high school students. The one-year voluntary program offers weekly after-school discussion groups. Each group consists of about 12 students, who are a mix of students at high risk of academic failure and others at lower academic risk. Groups are led by two trained volunteer adult facilitators who moderate discussions. Topics, chosen based on student interest, focus on personal, family, and social issues. In addition to attending discussion sessions, participants agree to study regularly, not to skip classes, and to work to improve their grades. Facilitators, usually college students, also provide homework assistance. To promote group cohesion and develop teamwork skills, the program begins with a weekend camping outing. It also provides other activities such as visits to college campuses and social events.

Cost

Independent researchers estimated the cost of Twelve Together in Chula Vista, California, to be $307 a student per month of program participation. ³