AYA Forward Flagship Mentoring Program
A relationship with enough structure to help someone move.
AYA RELATE is a structured mentoring model that combines consistency, practical guidance, honest accountability and usable tools so participants can clarify goals, navigate barriers and act with increasing independence.
Weekly 60-minute sessions · 90-day reviews · Participant-owned goals · Founder-led demonstration phase
The destination
Greater agency.
Stronger next steps.
R
Relationship
E
Encouragement
L
Learning
A
Accountability
T
Tools
E
Empowerment
Purpose · Progress · Possibility
The Power of RELATE
Strong relationships create stronger pathways.
Sometimes the next step becomes possible when someone helps you see it—and stays long enough to help you take it.
Organizations
Groups
Individuals
How RELATE Works in Practice
RELATE combines consistent connection with practical guidance. Participants identify one or two meaningful goals and work with a mentor to build clarity, strengthen communication and problem-solving skills, connect with resources, follow through on action steps, and recognize progress along the way.
The work is personal, but it is not unstructured. Every mentoring relationship is grounded in clear expectations, participant voice, appropriate boundaries, and 90-day progress reviews.
The RELATE Framework
Six elements.
One purposeful relationship.
RELATE is not simply the program name. It is the operating method for how the mentoring relationship is built, how progress is supported, and how independence remains the destination.
R
Element 01
Relationship
Trust through consistency, respect and clear expectations.
E
Element 02
Encouragement
Honest affirmation and realistic hope that recognizes strengths and responsibility.
L
Element 03
Learning
Every goal becomes a chance to build knowledge and transferable skills.
A
Element 04
Accountability
Choose commitments, review follow-through and adjust without shame.
T
Element 05
Tools
Use practical resources—plans, scripts, résumés, applications and decision supports.
E
Element 06
Empowerment
Build the confidence and capacity to act with increasing independence.
The goal is not dependence on a mentor. The goal is a stronger ability to move forward.
How RELATE Works
Consistency creates the conditions for movement.
RELATE may extend for up to 12 months across four 90-day phases. Continuation is never automatic; each benchmark asks whether the relationship is still useful and what should happen next.
Apply or Be Referred
Potential participants identify what they hope to change, accomplish or better understand. Accessible interview-based entry options are available when writing is a barrier.
Explore Readiness + Match
AYA reviews goals, participation readiness, program fit, safety considerations and available mentoring capacity.
Set the Relationship Agreement
Mentor and participant establish expectations, communication boundaries, privacy limits and one or two participant-owned goals.
Meet Consistently
Weekly 60-minute sessions combine check-in, progress review, current problem-solving, practical skill/resource work and a clear next step.
Review + Recalibrate
Every 90 days, mentor and participant review progress, barriers, support needs and whether mentoring should continue, adjust, pause or conclude.
Build for Independence
RELATE concludes with reflection, stronger support connections, a sustainability plan and clear next steps beyond the mentoring relationship.
The 12-Month Rhythm
Relate
Build trust, define goals and establish the working relationship.
Build
Strengthen skills, habits, resources and follow-through.
Move
Translate learning into increasingly independent action.
Sustain
Prepare for continued progress beyond the mentoring relationship.
Review cadence
Every 90 days.
What Participants May Work On
Who RELATE Serves
One program. Three entry points.
For Organizations
Add the consistent relationship that helps other supports connect.
AYA RELATE complements education, reentry, workforce, leadership-development, family-support, and community-based services. The model gives selected participants structured, goal-directed mentoring while providing organizations with clear implementation standards, safety boundaries, participation information, and responsible progress reporting.
For Potential Participants
Your goal matters. Your next step can start here.
You do not need to have everything figured out. RELATE is for people who are willing to explore what they want, meet consistently, and take honest steps toward progress. A mentor can help you think, plan, practice, write, connect with resources, and remain accountable—but the goals and decisions remain yours.
Learn About Eligibility and ApplyFor Families, Referrers & Support Professionals
Refer someone who may benefit from consistent, goal-directed support.
A referral begins a fit and readiness process; it does not guarantee placement. AYA considers participant interest, mentoring goals, program scope, permissions, safety, and available capacity. Whenever possible, the participant should understand and agree to the referral before it is submitted.
Start a ReferralTrust, Safety, and Scope
Clear relationships begin with clear boundaries.
Scope of Service
AYA RELATE provides mentoring, educational and career guidance, practical skill development, encouragement, accountability, and resource navigation. RELATE does not provide psychotherapy, mental-health diagnosis or treatment, clinical case management, crisis counseling, or legal advice.
Privacy
Mentoring conversations are treated as private, but they are not absolutely confidential. AYA may need to share information when required to protect safety, respond to suspected abuse or neglect, meet legal or institutional reporting obligations, or coordinate participant-authorized support. Participants receive a complete explanation of these limits before mentoring begins.
Capacity
RELATE is intentionally selective during its founder-led demonstration phase. Initial mentoring placements are limited so every participant receives consistent attention, appropriate documentation, and meaningful follow-through. Qualified applicants may be placed on a waiting list or connected to another resource when capacity is reached.
RELATE Across AYA Forward
One mentoring model. Multiple pathways forward.
AYA Family Forward
Mentoring for justice-involved youth and adults, reentry participants, and people navigating family reconnection or major disruption.
First demonstration application — NOCAP & juvenile servicesExplore Family ForwardAYA Lead Forward
Mentoring for emerging leaders, aspiring administrators, and professionals moving through career or leadership transitions.
Future expansion pathwayExplore Lead ForwardAYA Legacy Forward
Mentoring and purposeful connection for older adults and intergenerational participants navigating life transitions, advocacy, or renewed purpose.
Future expansion pathwayExplore Legacy ForwardWhat Participants Can Expect
A structured six-element framework — Relationship, Encouragement, Learning, Accountability, Tools, Empowerment
Weekly 60-minute sessions with regular 90-day reviews and honest feedback
Founder-led demonstration phase with limited placements — quality over scale
Clear scope and boundaries — RELATE is mentoring, not clinical therapy
Take the Next Step
A meaningful future begins with a relationship
strong enough to support the next step.
Whether you are an institution exploring a partnership, a professional making a referral, or someone ready to take a meaningful step forward—RELATE begins with a conversation.
Purpose • Progress • Possibility