Jacksonville, FL (October 11, 2017) – The ILRC Youth Services will be hosting a mentor-mentee event with the Freedom Boat Club at the Julington Creek Marina on Monday, October 16th to celebrate Disability Mentoring Month.
This day-long adventure will include activities at the Marina, an excursion down the St. Johns River, and a picnic at Metro Park. The boat rides to and from Metro Park were donated by the Freedom Boat Club. Twenty mentors and mentees from the ILRC Youth Services mentoring program are expected to participate.
The Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program (RAMP) is a high-tech, career-focused mentoring program for youth involved with or at risk of becoming involved with the juvenile justice system. The RAMP model uses a combination of group, peer, and individualized mentoring to promote the successful transition of all youth, including those with disabilities, to employment, continued learning opportunities, and independent living.
“At the ILRC our mission is to empower people with disabilities in our community to live independently,” said Tyler Morris, Executive Director of the ILRC of Northeast Florida. “Mentor-mentee activities go a long way in creating lasting bonds of friendship while also establishing that anything is possible for someone with a disability.”
Of the students that participate in the RAMP program, 96% stayed in school, 93% had a non-offense rate, 90% completed the year-long RAMP program, and 69% improved school attendance.
For more information about the services of the ILRC of Northeast Florida visit www.theILRC.org. There are over 400 Centers for Independent Living that operate nationwide, 16 of which are in the state of Florida. Their mission is to empower people with disabilities to live independently. The ILRC assists individuals who have disabilities with skill development in areas such as financial literacy, independent living goal setting, accessing the community, obtaining medical equipment, and employment readiness.
