A child’s teenage years can be a time of great change and confusion. These years are a critical period for the healthy growth of a young man or woman into an adult. A healthy and stable living environment with a strong network of friends, family or people who care ensures that an adolescent’s mental and physical growth reaches it’s full potential. Without a proper support system, a youth may fall victim to stress or low self-esteem, which in turn may negatively affect growth. The risk of depression, drug and alcohol abuse, self harm, teenage pregnancy, and homelessness all greatly increase under the influence of factors such as low self-esteem or stress.

Unfortunately, many young girls living in urban and metropolitan areas lack the full support necessary for a healthy transition into adulthood. These young woman are especially at risk for life-altering maladies or events such as teen-pregnancy or poverty; for the year 2010 in DC alone, the teen birth rate neared 45 pregnancies for every 1000 girls, and a study of Baltimore homeless or unstably housed youth for the period of December 2010 to January 2011 showed that 60.9 percent of polled individuals were female.

My Girlfriend’s House’s mentoring program serves to provide such less fortunate young women in the D.C. metropolitan area with a helping hand, an inviting shoulder and an attentive ear. Built on the Girl Talk mentoring curriculum, the mentorship includes workshops on career and education planning, health and beauty advice, and relationship and network building. However, it’s the knowledge that someone understands and cares for them that has the biggest impact on their lives.

Studies have long shown that mentorship for a youth provides a host of benefits for the mentee. In fact, the relationship goes both ways, with mentors receiving a number of positive benefits as well.

Recent studies have even gone so far to show that adolescents without a role model of their own gender are “67 percent more likely to be unemployed than their counterparts.”

Many girls begin the program withdrawn or volatile. Perhaps one of their parents forced them into the program, or years of bullying made them afraid to reach out to others. Engaging the students and encouraging participation is a difficult — but critical — aspect of the program.

Opening lines of communication between the girls is just the first step towards improving each girl’s view of themselves — there is much work to be done afterwards. However, teaching each girl that there are others out there just like themselves, and that there are those who do care about them builds a safety net of trust that allow these girls to fall — and stand, again and again.