The INDIANA EXPANDING ACCESS AND SUCCESS IN EDUCATION (EASE) Project has graduated its first cohort of educational mentors working with court involved and child welfare involved youth in Lake County. The training was collaboratively developed by a group of faculty from Purdue University Calumet, Indiana University Northwest, Ivy Tech Community College and Calumet College of St. Joseph. Staff from Campagna Academy, St. Monica’s Home, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana participated in the training. The newly trained educational mentors attended five sessions during the months of May and June. Trainers included Thomas Pavkov and Sesen Negash of the Institute, Rick Hug of IUN, and Elizabeth Guzman-Arredondo of Calumet College. The training included content related to general mentoring and maintaining a mentoring relationship, child and adolescent development of at-risk youth, supporting youth towards educational success, and resources available to at-risk youth who desire to attend college and/or training programs. Feedback was collected from individuals participating in the initial training indicating high levels of satisfaction and enthusiasm. This feedback is currently being used to plan the second and third rounds of training scheduled for the Fall of 2008. Additionally, a survey is being conducted of existing mentoring programs in Lake County to better understand the training needs that challenge existing programs and those who wish to create mentoring programming.  The project continues to obtain generous financial support from the Legacy Foundation and the Coalition of Community Foundations for Youth.