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Mentoring programs

1

WHAT MAKES A GOOD MENTOR

Before becoming a mentor, here are a few things to understand about the role of mentoring. Most of us have had a teacher, supervisor or coach who has been a mentor to us and made a positive difference in our lives. Those people wore many hats, acting as delegators, role models, cheerleaders, policy enforcers, advocates, and friends. Mentors assume these different roles during the course of a relationship, and share some basic qualities:

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  • A sincere desire to be involved with a young person

  • Respect for young people

  • Active listening skills

  • Empathy

  • Ability to see solutions and opportunities

  • Flexibility



 

2

BENEFITS

Mentoring relationships are a shared opportunity for learning and growth. Many mentors say that the rewards they gain are as substantial as those for their mentees, and that mentoring has enabled them to:

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  • Have fun

  • Achieve personal growth and learn more about themselves

  • Improve their self-esteem and feel they are making a difference

  • Gain a better understanding of other cultures and develop a greater appreciation for diversity

  • Feel more productive and have a better attitude at work

  • Enhance their relationships with their own children

 

Above all, a good mentor is willing to take the time to get to know their mentee, to learn new things that are important to the young person, and even to be changed by their relationship.

 

Become A Mentor

Mentoring is a relationship by which one person shares knowledge, skills, information, and perspective to foster the personal and professional growth of someone else. Mentoring can be either informal (whereby an older person typically takes a younger person under his or her wing and advises him or her) or a more formal or structured approach.

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BENEFITS OF HAVING A MENTOR

Participants see improved school performance:

  • higher grades (GPA)

  • fewer skipped classes

  • fewer absences

  • completing schoolwork with more competence

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"These mentoring programs have a big effect … in having children go to school, keeping them in school, and promoting their absorption into society as full-functioning healthy members."

 

                                           — JAMES HECKMAN
                                                Nobel Prize Winner

3

GET STARTED

You have made a wonderful and very important decision in choosing to become a mentor. If you’ve reached this conclusion, you’ve done enough research to have an idea how different each mentoring situation can be. ​ Before you start to look at the programs that are available, think about and identify your own interests and needs.

​Finding a mentoring program you’re excited about and comfortable with can require some time and thought, but the good news is that there’s something for everyone. The following steps will help walk you through the process of choosing a mentoring program that is right for you. ​ To help you decide which type of mentoring program you want, ask yourself the following questions:

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  • What time commitment can I make?

  • What age of youth would I like to work with?

  • Would I like to work with one child or with a group of children?

  • Would I like to team with other adults to mentor a child or a group of children?

  • What types of activities interest me? Do I want to help a youth learn a specific skill, pursue an interest, help with schoolwork or just be a caring adult friend?

  • What mentoring location would I prefer?

 

While thinking about these questions, remember to be open and flexible to all the different mentoring programs and focus areas that are out there.

 

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