Section 1. Building Youth Mentoring Programs - Community Tool Box MENTORs Research In Action Series In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. This is where active listening comes in. Get involved SUCCESS Mentoring SUCCESS Mentoring works to help struggling youth thrive socially and academically by pairing them with adult mentors who provide support. Resources for Mentoring. 9329930). Mentoring can help youth as they go through challenging life transitions, including dealing with stressful changes at home or transitioning to adulthood. Philadelphia, PA: Mecartney, C.A. The Community Tool Box is a service of the. to submissions@unitedway.org. If the strained relationship between you and your protg has become a barrier to your protg reaching their goals, or if your protg has serious problems that are beyond your ability to help, it's time to end the relationship. Research has demonstrated that as many as one in five children/youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Philadelphia, PA: Public/Private Ventures. Your protg doesn't want to be pitied, but they do want to feel like you understand. Public/Private Ventures. Washington, DC: Child Trends. The Tool Box needs your help Also, it offers specific suggestions around creating and strengthening mentoring programs in a Program Planning & Management section. Youth Mentoring - California Dept. of Social Services In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Section 1. It explains key research and characteristics of effective mentoring, in addition to sharing best practices that have come out of United Way mentoring programs. Mentoring Immigrant Youth: A Toolkit for Program Coordinators (2009) Similarly, this resource from MENTOR provides hand-on training exercises and tools to help mentors over the age of 50 be prepared to be a good mentor. Cavell et al. Girls participate in 1:1 mentoring as well as other activities that may . [7] Mentoring programs and youth development: A synthesis. Resource Manual for campus-based youth mentoring programs. Campus Partners in Learning. Don't let preconceived ideas about your protg's race/culture/class act as a barrier to your relationship! Trained mentoring professionals work with the girls to improve their lives by offering a wide variety of services, from empowerment workshops to STEAM opportunities to literacy training. Mentoring provides youth with mentors who can develop an emotional bond with the mentee, have greater experience than the mentee, and can provide support, guidance, and opportunities to help youth succeed in life and meet their goals (DuBois and Karcher, 2005). Learn how to determine if a mentoring program is what you need. It is also important that the needs of the youth recruited for the program match the services that the program can provide. Positive attitudes. Elements of effective practice in mentoring. All Rights Reserved. If you routinely "tune out" your protg, trust will be eroded and you may not meet your protg's needs. Nearly 30,000 youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year 2009, which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. A parent's place: Parents', mentors' and program staff members' expectations for and experiences of parental involvement in community-based youth mentoring relationships. Youth Mentoring Project Award Announcement. Make matches based to encourage sustained relationships. Statistics reflecting the number of youth suffering from mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders highlight the necessity for schools, families, support staff, and communities to work together to develop targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive transition plans for young people with a history of mental health needs and/or substance abuse. Also, if you suspect your protg is experiencing an abusive home environment, a substance use problem, or a mental illness, notify program staff as soon as possible, so your protg can be referred to the appropriate agency for help. Resources for Mentoring. Guides, Handbooks, & Tools | NMRC Donate now. Even though goals vary from program to program, organized mentoring is anchored in the belief that we can "reinvent" ourselves. Respect your protg's right to make theirown choices, even when you disagree with those choices. There are many benefits of such programs for both the mentor and the protgs: Mentor programs set up learning/helping relationships between two adults, between an adult and an adolescent, or between two adolescents. That kind of idealism can be infectious, and when paired with tangible service, real change can . Research indicates that young people who are surrounded by a variety of opportunities for positive encounters engage in less risky behavior and ultimately show evidence of higher rates of successful transitions into adulthood. "So the security guard accused you of stealing the shirt, and called you a liar when you said it was paid for. to remain available. & DuBois, D.L. (1994, Winter). This comprehensive fourth edition report from MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership provides practitioner-approved and research-informed Standards for developing and sustaining high-quality mentoring programs and relationships. The Mentoring Effect: Young Peoples Perspectives on the Outcomes and Availability of Mentoring (2014) The kindness of strangers: adult mentors, urban youth, and the new volunteerism. This resource from MENTOR serves to equip staff of mentoring programs with the tools and knowledge necessary to most effectively recruit, train, and support mentors over the age of 50. MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership has set a goal of serving 15 million youth. Mentorship is a mutually beneficial relationship between seasoned professionals (mentors) and those with less experience in a certain field (mentees).. Interactive Skills Program: Helping Through Listening and Influencing, Hedlund and Freedman, Cornell University Cooperative Extension Service, l981. Close, healthy, supportive relationships between mentors and mentees that last for a significant portion of time (i.e., more than one year) are central to success. Your contribution can help change lives. How To Start A Mentorship Program: A Complete Step-By-Step Guide - Forbes To practice your active listening skills, see the Tools section for an exercise on active listening. Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood. Eliminating mismatches between mentor and mentee expectations can help diminish the chance that the mentoring relationship ends prematurely, and ensure that it is a positive experience for both the mentor and the mentee. This study, conducted by the Association for Psychological Science, is a meta-analysis of 73 independent studies of mentoring programs conducted between 1999-2010. It primarily shares young peoples thoughts on mentoring in the following three focus areas: 1) mentorings connection to outcomes and aspirations, 2) mentors value, and 3) mentors availability. As a mentor, the most important thing you'll contribute to your protg, besides helping the protg reach their goals, is a trusting relationship. Mentoring programs and youth development: A synthesis. A Mentor manual: for adults who work with pregnant and parenting teens. It draws conclusions around the benefits youth can derive from mentoring relationships based on youths risk profiles. They will be very important to your mentoring relationship. But believe it or not, no one is a born communicator. Washington, DC: Child Trends. This report provides a unique look into mentoring children of incarcerated parents. Ethical Principles for Youth Mentoring Relationships (2011) A parent's place: Parents', mentors' and program staff members' expectations for and experiences of parental involvement in community-based youth mentoring relationships. The supportive, healthy relationships formed between mentors and mentees are both immediate and long-term and contribute to a host of benefits for mentors and mentees. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. When thinking about whether or not to establish a mentor program in a school, workplace, or neighborhood, answering the following questions can help you decide if it is the right idea for you. Basualdo-Delmonico, A. M., & Spencer, R. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.srcd.org/sites/default/files/documents/20-3_youth_mentoring.pdf(PDF, 20 pages), Tierney, J. P., Grossman, J. Youth Programs. How to Build a Successful Mentoring Program Using the Elements of Effective Practice (2005) ", "If I understand you, you feel this situation is unfair and your first reaction was to get angry. Respecting your protg's cultural beliefs is only one of many steps you can take toward gaining their trust. For older youth, regular participation in an afterschool program may also reduce risky behaviors and help them gain college and career -needed skills. Project BELONG: Final report. How to Build a Successful Mentoring Program Using theElements of Effective Practice for Mentoringis a planning toolkit with tools, templates and advice for implementing the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring publication. Research focused on mentoring and mentoring programs is still relatively new (DuBois, Doolittle, Yates, Silverthorn, & Tebes, 2006) and findings seem to suggest that many factors influence the success of the mentoring program and the mentor-mentee relationship. One-on-one instruction, or mentoring, is one of the oldest forms of teaching. Think before you speak, and take responsibility for your own feelings and actions before you project them onto others. Then, the report gives recommendations to improve the impact of mentoring by engaging community, state, and national partners. While a trend toward improved academic performance has been found through research on mentoring programs, Jekielek, Moore and Hair (2002) indicate that studies of mentoring programs do not show consistent improved academic outcomes. May 29, 2023 2 0 Mentorship Mentoring programs for youth have grown increasingly popular in recent years. Building Youth Mentoring Programs, Implementing Promising Community Interventions, Section 2. Federal Understanding of the Evidence Base, Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program (Funding Opportunities), School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) (Funding Opportunity), Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) (Funding Opportunity), Children and Youth Resilience Challenge (Funding Opportunity), Family Counseling and Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Center for Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities (R/ED) in Juvenile Justice (Funding Opportunity), Second Chance Act Training and Technical Assistance Program (Funding Opportunity), Trauma-Interventions for Children and Youth in Foster Care with Complex Mental, Behavioral, and, Transitioning Gang-Involved Youth to Higher Education Program (Funding Opportunity), 2023 Juvenile Justice Emergency Planning Demonstration Program for Juvenile Justice Residential, Transformative Research in the Education Sciences Grants Program (Funding Opportunity), Using Longitudinal Data to Support State Education Policymaking (Funding Opportunity), http://www.mentoring.org/downloads/mentoring_1233.pdf, http://www.mentorwalk.org/documents/mentoring-synthesis.pdf, Department of Justice Awards More Than $136 Million to Support Youth and Reform the Juvenile Justice System, Report: Mentoring in Juvenile Treatment Drug Courts, Report: Promoting Healthy Futures: Afterschool Provides the Supports Parents Want for Childrens Well-Being, Resource: $63 Million to Expand Community Schools and Increase Social, Emotional, Mental Health, and Academic Support for Students, Educators, and Families, Resource: Building Educator Pipelines Through Service, Resource: Financial Aid Toolkit for Counselors, Resource: How to Help Children and Teens Manage Their Stress, Resource: Mentoring as a Component of Reentry, Resource: Mentoring for Enhancing Career Interests and Exploration, Resource: Mentoring for Enhancing School Attendance, Academic Performance, and Educational Attainment, Resource: Mentoring for Preventing and Reducing Substance Use and Associated Risks among Youth, Resource: Resilience, Opportunity, Safety, Education, Strength (ROSES) Program, Resource: The Mentoring Toolkit 2.0: Resources for Developing Programs for Incarcerated Youth, Resource: Tools for Mentoring Organizations to Strengthen Match Support and Closure, Resource: We Meet Them Where They Are: The Importance of Mentoring as a Component of Youth Gang Violence Intervention, Resources for Professionals and Others Supporting Young People During Times of Uncertainty, Review: Mentoring for Children of Incarcerated Parents, A Match Made in Pittsburgh Cultivates a Young Girl's Strengths, Engineering students mentor at middle school with STARBASE, Secretary Duncan Hosts First Meeting with National Council of Young Leaders, Youth Speakers Share Their Hopes for the Future, Juvenile Mentoring Program: 1998 Report to Congress, Juvenile Mentoring Program: A Progress Review, Mentoring-A Proven Delinquency Prevention Strategy, My Brothers Keeper Task Force Report to the President, Report: My Brothers Keeper 2016 Progress: Two Years of Expanding Opportunity and Creating Pathways to Success, Best Practices Guide on Mentoring Youth with Disabilities, Tip Sheet for Mentors: Supporting Children Who Have an Incarcerated Parent, Become a Mentor - Etienne & Don'Trae 30 Second PSA 2014, Watch: Youth Describe Their Most Meaningful Relationships, How Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Planning Makes a Difference for Youth with Disabilities, Youth Transitioning to Adulthood: How Holding Early Leadership Positions Can Make a Difference, How Trained Service Professionals and Self-Advocacy Makes a Difference for Youth with Mental Health, Substance Abuse, or Co-occurring Issues, Young Adults Formerly in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions, Coordinating Systems to Support Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Needs, Civic Engagement Strategies for Transition Age Youth, Successful Mentoring Relationships and Programs. You've chosen to take on one of the most difficult, often frustrating, and ultimately rewarding responsibilities in the world: Acting as a mentor to an adolescent in need. Identifies and labels the feelings a speaker experiences, Listens for undercurrent feelings not explicitly expressed by the speaker. Congratulations! For example, youth participating in the Across Ages mentoring program showed a gain of more than a week of classes attended, compared with those youth not participating in the program (Jekielek et al., 2002). target youth that will benefit most from mentoring, namely those most at risk; have clearly defined and articulated goals and expectations; include a level of flexibility that accommodates the diverse personalities and needs of mentors and mentees; have mentors with previous relevant experience in helping others and who are committed to at least 12 months of participation; incorporate activities that facilitate relationship building; support and involve parents and families; coordinate with other services and supports as needed; provide some structure to allow for careful matching between mentors with mentees; provide training for mentors both before and after they are matched with youth; have rigorous and reliable screening practices for mentors in order to protect children; provide consistent oversight, training, and support including early problem detection to ensure that needs of mentees are being met and concerns are being addressed effectively; and. How Effective Are Mentoring Programs For Youth? Statistics reflecting the number of youth suffering from mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders highlight the necessity for schools, families, support staff, and communities to work together to develop targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive transition plans for young people with a history of mental health needs and/or substance abuse. The Center is intended to be a sharing platform for ideas and research regarding youth mentoring programs, and it focuses on methods of effective evidence-based practices in the field. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. It's very important, though, that you be conscious of any preconceived notions you have about your protg based on these things, and avoid letting any prejudices you have color your relationship. Philadelphia, PA: Public/Private Ventures. The National Mentor Partnership's Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring publication details research-informed and practitioner-approved standards for creating and sustaining quality youth mentoring programs and consequently, impactful mentoring relationships. Have a resource you want to share? First and foremost, give your protg time to trust you. (Herrera, Sipe, & McClanahan, 2000). Mentors goals and expectations for the mentor/mentee relationship, Mentors obligations and appropriate roles, Ethical issues that may arise related to the mentoring relationship, Effective closure of the mentoring relationship, Sources of assistance available to support mentors. It explains the potential for mentoring to strengthen the lives of at-risk children, overcome national challenges, and improve the nations economy. By labeling the youth - in any way - you run the risk of overlooking everything he or she has to offer the relationship. Your protg will internalize and copy your actions, so it's important that you take your own actions seriously. Deutsch, N. L., & Spencer, R. (2009). While initial training can be helpful for mentors, continuous ongoing support is also essential. BBBS of the Greater Twin Cities Measure progress in small steps and by how much your protg has accomplished, not by how much you have left to do. (1994). The Wisdom of Age: A Handbook for Mentors (2009) There are currently 10 issues in this series that cover an array of important topics within mentoring; each issue includes research, tools, and additional resources. Be patient and help your protg through the storm and stress of adolescence! It discusses the need for long-term volunteers as well as the role motivation plays in retaining volunteers, concluding that it is imperative that the way a program markets itself needs to match what the actual experience will be like in order for volunteers to continue. (PDF, 71 pages), U.S. Department of Labor. Teachers of students in the BELONG mentoring program reported that students participating in mentoring were more engaged in the classroom and also seemed to place a higher value on school than students who did not have mentors (Blakely, Menon, & Jones, 1995). There are a number of factors that go into building a youth mentoring relationship. (PDF, 2 pages), Cavell, T., DuBois, D., Karcher, M., Keller, T., & Rhodes, J. Better school attendance. But like any other relationship, a successful relationship between you and your protg won't just happen. Included are youth facts, funding information, and tools to help you assess community assets, generate maps of local and federal resources, search for evidence-based youth programs, and keep up-to-date on the latest, youth-related news. Strengthening mentoring opportunities for at-risk youth. 1994-2023The University of Kansas. Nearly 30,000 youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year 2009, which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. Qualities of Successful Mentoring Programs | TechDev Academy MENTOR also suggests that mentees should be screened. Public/Private Ventures. Academic School to career Positive youth development Determine where the mentoring sessions will occur. An active or attentive listener: The process of active listening also includes response, body language, and empathy. Mentoring in the juvenile justice system. B., & Resch, N. L. (1995). Younger generations have always inspired the rest of us to better our world. MENTOR suggests that characteristics of the mentor-mentee should be considered during the matching process. You and your protg may experience insurmountable cultural differences, communication problems, or a lack of common interests, or you may simply not get along. What will youngsters, employees, or community members gain from having a mentor? It then describes a variety of youth outcomes that result from having natural mentors, and it concludes that the development of natural mentoring relationships may be made easier by strong involvement and commitment from communities. You must trust yourprotg, and show this trust to them, in order to foster a productive relationship. A Systematic Assessment of the Evidence (2011) 1994-2023The University of Kansas. Few components of an inter generational program are as vital to its success as strong personal relationships. It includes tools, trainings, and templates to help organizations tailor programs to meet specific needs of immigrant youth and achieve the most programmatic success. The Role of Risk: Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth with Varying Risk Profiles (2013) Theymay be wary at first, and may have trouble believing you'll be there when he or she needs you. Learn more about adults who mentor and the key attributes associated with successful mentoring. If you're considering a workplace mentorship program for your workplace, here are a few successful examples from California to New York to Boston that you can use to inspire your program. The GIRLS Group Mentoring HOPE is a 12-week program that prepares girls in grades 4th-12th to meet the challenges of adolescence and young adulthood through a coordinated, progressive series of high-quality activities and learning experiences that help them to achieve social, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being. Children And Youth Services Review,616-14. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.11.021, Rhodes, J., Liang, B., & Spencer, R. (2009). The listener does not make suggestions or give advice to the speaker; rather, theyhelpher understand the root cause of the problem and construct alternative solutions. 10+ Examples of successful mentoring programs Despite the popularity of mentoring, research suggests that many current programs may be failing youth. To meet the challenges of this new relationship, you'll need an abundance of patience, creativity, and good humor. MENTOR suggests that the screening process include an application, time commitment of at least one year and one face-to-face meeting per week, a face-to-face interview, a reference check, and a criminal background check. Be a Middle School Mentor It shares the stakeholder input and the research from the Listening Session, and it also provides recommendations that can advance the effectiveness and availability of mentoring for children whose parents are incarcerated. Asuccessful mentor program helps break down barriers and creates opportunities for success. Recruiting Mentors for Your Programs, Section 4. This transition can be challenging for youth, especially youth who have grown up in the child welfare system. PDF Foundations of Successful Youth Mentoring