Youth struggle with many challenges like alcohol, drug use, teen pregnancy, educational failure, gangs and violence. Despite these challenges, several experiences all over Europe have shown that there is an effective strategy to counter and even reverse the harmful effects. This strategy is called "mentoring".

The object of mentoring is to encourage the total growth of a younger, less experienced person whose needs and interests are the mentor's primary consideration. There is solid evidence that well-run mentoring programmes can change youth's life trajectories, reduce drug and alcohol use, and improve academic behaviour. The mentor indeed has an important role, being a person, particularly a volunteer, capable of favouring social inclusion for those who are, or are at risk of, disaffection or exclusion from society, school and labour market, since he/she can improve their self-confidence and self-esteem, increase motivation, broaden horizons and raise achievements as well as aspirations.

Mentoring is not as a panacea for youth's problems, but as a life-changing strategy for assisting young people to be not merely risk-free, but to go further and realize their full potential as self-confident, productive individuals. To borrow a phrase of an acknowledged leader in the field of Youth Development, "to be problem free is not to be fully-prepared."

The partnership has been selected according to the project goals since the partners developed previous experiences and knowledge in their countries following different approaches and methods in fighting social exclusion, so to collect the most interesting best practices and to benefit from their experiences gained. It is formed by:

• Amitié (co-ordinators) (I)
• CHAMBRE REGIONALE DE COMMERCE ET D'INDUSTRIE DE BRETAGNE / EUROCRIF (FR)
• IAL Toscana (I)
• ISFOL - OSSERVATORIO SULL'INCLUSIONE SOCIALE (I)
• KEMOP (GR)
• SCIENTER España (E)