The MANA Hermanitas® Program is a national mentoring program that provides young Latinas ages 11-18 with educational and skill-building opportunities, leadership development, mentoring and peer support. The program is designed with cultural competence and addresses the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual needs of Latina youth.
Hermanitas® (Little Sisters) are matched with trained mentors from their home communities referred to as Madrinas®. Madrinas® commit to 110 hours of mentoring and activities over the course of one year. Local Hermanitas® Programs follow a standardized curriculum that has been vetted by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
An independently-evaluated, national, three-year MANA study published in the Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy (Volume 19, 2006-2007) assessed the impact of the national Hermanitas® Program and found that Hermanitas® who participated in the program achieved the following outcomes:
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- Maintained consistent levels of self-esteem,
- Displayed lower rates of depression than national averages,
- Displayed an increasingly negative view of drugs and alcohol, and
- Displayed a growing positive attitude toward school and higher education.
Since 1991, the MANA Hermanitas® Program has been meeting the needs of young Latinas encouraging the pursuit of high academic goals, healthy attitudes, and safe practices. We continue to assess our program to ensure we remain on top of the issues affecting young Latinas and develop resources and tools to help prepare them for the future.
