MentorPRO Partners with Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy to Strengthen Mentoring for At-Risk Youth

Boise, ID — April 17, 2026 — MentorPRO, an evidence-based mentoring platform, today announced a partnership with the Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy, a program of the Idaho National Guard dedicated to helping young people build the skills, discipline, and resilience needed for long-term success. Through this partnership, the Academy has integrated MentorPRO into its cadet mentoring model, bringing structure, visibility, and consistency to mentoring relationships during a critical transition period.

“The Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy sets a powerful standard for what it means to invest in young people who are ready to change the trajectory of their lives,” said Jean Rhodes, PhD, Co-founder of MentorPRO and Director of the Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring at UMass Boston. “We are thrilled to support their team with a science-backed platform that helps mentors stay closely connected with cadets, sustain the gains of the residential experience, and translate that momentum into stronger educational and life outcomes.”

The Idaho Youth ChalleNGe Academy operates a rigorous, military-modeled residential program focused on academic progress, leadership development, and character formation. Mentoring plays a central role in the program’s post-residential phase, where cadets are paired with volunteer mentors to support their return to their communities.

MentorPRO enhances this work by ensuring relationships are structured, goal-oriented, and aligned with evidence-based practices. With MentorPRO, staff gain real-time visibility into mentoring engagement, goal progression, and relationship health. Automated alerts surface when additional support is needed, enabling proactive intervention. Cadets and mentors engage through a mobile-first experience designed to keep communication consistent and outcomes-focused.

This partnership reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that gains made during the residential experience translate into sustained, long-term impact, supported by peer-reviewed research linking MentorPRO engagement with stronger academic performance, a greater sense of belonging, and improved mental health and well-being for students

Learn more about our evidence-based mentoring platform here