Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Smith-Wade-El: Nearly $500K to expand Lancaster’s Bench Mark Program

Smith-Wade-El: Nearly $500K to expand Lancaster’s Bench Mark Program

Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus    April 15, 2026 | 4:38 PM

LANCASTER, April 15 –The Bench Mark Program will receive $499,000 in grant funding to expand its after-school mentoring program for high-risk youth in Lancaster City, state Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El announced today.

The competitive grants, approved today by the School Safety and Security Committee under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, is part of more than $64 million awarded to organizations across the state.

The Bench Mark Program’s “Back to School” initiative uses mentoring to stop high-risk adolescents in Lancaster from slipping from chronic absenteeism into school disengagement, juvenile justice involvement, and community violence. The project targets approximately 180 students each year, ages 13-18, who are truant or trending toward chronic absenteeism and are referred by McCaskey High School or Magisterial District Court at the early stages of school withdrawal.

“More of Lancaster City’s vulnerable youth will be able to benefit from Bench Mark Program’s holistic mentorship program thanks to this funding,” said Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster. “Kids need to know someone has their backs and is there to help them build the skills they need to handle life’s challenges. Bench Mark’s team of dedicated mentors have repeatedly proven that they’ve been there for our kids since 2014.

“I am grateful to the PCCD for recognizing and supporting Bench Mark’s life-saving work among our youth in Lancaster City.”

In Bench Mark’s Open Gym program, participants are paired with dedicated mentors, have daily check-ins, and receive cognitive behavioral and problem-solving skills building. They are also connected to a broader continuum of structured, pro-social supports, including physical fitness, leadership development, workforce exposure, creative projects and peer networks, all aimed at stabilizing attendance, strengthening protective factors and reducing exposure to high-risk environments during critical after-school hours.

The Bench Mark Program will use the funding to hire three full-time prevention mentors/attendance intervention specialists as well as cover cognitive therapy training costs and staff travel costs.