The Alberta Mentoring Partnership

Program Description

The “R.I.S.E” In-School Youth Empowerment Program
Redefining Hope. Igniting Purpose. Strengthening Futures.

The RISE Program is El Shama CARES Foundation’s signature after-school empowerment initiative, a transformative experience for high school youth across Edmonton. Meeting once a week from 3:00–6:30 p.m., the program provides a safe, inspiring, and structured space where young people gather to connect, reflect, and grow, academically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Built on our Foundation’s three pillars, Safe Spaces & Housing Stability, Mental Health & Wellbeing, and Community & Career Integration. RISE is more than a program. It’s a movement for upward mobility, designed to equip youth to rise above barriers and build meaningful, purpose-driven lives. To maximize reach, schools are grouped into regional clusters. Youth from surrounding schools meet at a host high school within their cluster. For schools in rural or remote areas, students are referred to our community-based sessions, ensuring that no young person is ever left behind.

Our Purpose

RISE was created to meet the urgent need for holistic youth development in Edmonton’s schools, particularly among Black, racialized, and marginalized youth who face systemic barriers to success. Our goal is simple but profound: to create a culture of belief, belonging, and becoming.

We aim to:

• Improve graduation rates by fostering resilience, accountability, and vision.
• Reduce absenteeism by building meaningful connections that make school feel like a second home.
• Prevent crime and risky behavior through mentorship, life skills coaching, and constructive alternatives.
• Increase college and university enrollment by nurturing confidence, purpose, and preparedness.
• Advocate for youth ensuring every young person has a voice, a plan, and a champion.

R.I.S.E. Framework

R - Rebuild & Restore
We begin by rebuilding confidence and restoring hope.
Youth learn to heal from trauma, rediscover self-worth, and re-imagine their stories.
This reflects our Safe Spaces & Housing Stability pillar, a foundation for safety, belonging, and emotional grounding.
I - Inspire & Ignite
We inspire youth to dream boldly and ignite their intrinsic purpose.
Through mentorship, mental-wellness coaching, and faith-based empowerment, they find motivation from within, not just to survive, but to thrive. This connects directly to our Mental Health & Wellbeing pillar.
S - Strengthen & Support
We strengthen resilience and provide consistent, wrap-around support.
Youth gain practical life, leadership, and academic skills while building meaningful relationships with mentors and peers. This embodies our Community & Family Systems approach, because growth happens through connection.
E - Elevate & Empower
We elevate youth into opportunities and empower them to take charge of their futures.
From career exposure and education planning to advocacy and civic engagement, RISE prepares every participant to stand tall in their purpose. This reflects our Community & Career Integration pillar, lifting youth toward lasting independence and leadership.

Program Pillars and Focus Areas

1. Safe Spaces & Family Systems
RISE provides a therapeutic and nurturing environment after school, where youth can rest, talk, and be heard. Even when home feels uncertain, RISE becomes their new family and support system. Through guided conversations and peer support circles, students explore real-life issues like self-esteem, conflict resolution, peer pressure, family relationships, and identity.

2. Mental Health & Empowerment Coaching
Each session is anchored in mental wellness, self-discovery, and intrinsic motivation. Youth engage in individual and group mentorship, therapy-informed conversations, and empowerment coaching that awaken their belief in themselves and their potential. This focus on mental health and hope-building is what makes RISE radical, restorative, and results-driven.

3. Community, Life & Work Integration
We believe in preparing youth not only to survive, but to thrive. RISE connects students with community mentors, entrepreneurs, tradespeople, and professionals who share lived experiences and success stories. From career exploration and job simulation to college planning and financial literacy, our youth gain access to worlds and opportunities once out of reach.

Our Approach

RISE is youth-led, mentor-supported, and community-powered.
Our sessions are designed to be interactive, expressive, and inspiring, blending creativity, mentorship, academics, and life skills into one powerful experience. Each week includes:

• Circle Talks – guided peer discussions on real-life challenges and triumphs.
• Mentor Moments – mentorship sessions with professionals and community leaders.
• Skill Labs – practical workshops on leadership, communication, budgeting, and goal setting.
• Wellness Time – movement, meditation, or journaling to connect body and mind.
• Vision Mapping – personal and academic goal tracking to support graduation and career planning.

Areas of Focus