We would like to speak about our mentoring program.....
DEFINITION OF MENTORING
"Mentoring" signifies different things to different people. Some think of mentoring as a kind of
apprenticeship in which a young person learns a trade. Others think of mentoring as a
process in which an individual teaches and guides another through life. Mentoring can include
those dynamics, and many more. However, in the interests of establishing a standard
meaning for the purposes of this document, the following discussion is offered: According to
the Connecticut Mentoring Partnership "Mentoring" is defined as:
“A relationship over a prolonged period of time between two or more people
where an older, caring, more experienced individual provides help to the
younger person as he/she goes through life.”
WHAT MENTORING IS
• Mentoring is a natural part of child development; most youth identify an adult or older
person as a source of support and guidance outside the family.
• Mentoring is a distinct approach to addressing the many needs of youth.
• Rather than enabling the at-risk young person to focus on the negative aspects of
his/her life, effective mentors will help the mentees figure out how to solve their own
problems, expanding their horizons and exposing them to opportunities to which they
might not otherwise have been exposed.
WHAT MENTORING IS NOT
• Mentoring is not a treatment strategy.
• Mentors are not intended to be therapists.
• Mentoring does not include assuming the role of parent, social worker, psychologist,
cleric, or "cool" peer.
• The mentor is not a source of a "free ride," gifts or loans.
• Relationships between the mentor and mentee don't always "click." Sometimes the
match doesn't work well, and that's not a sign there is "something wrong" with either the
mentor or the mentee.
Because mentors tend to be kind, compassionate, caring individuals, the tendency when faced
with a young person who is embroiled in the poly-problematic dynamic of adolescence or
pre-adolescence, is to try to "fix" those problems. However strong the temptation is, mentoring
does not involve solving life problems for the mentee.
TYPES OF MENTORING PROGRAMS
FORMAL MENTORING
Formal mentoring is relatively structured and programmatic. It involves a prolonged
relationship between a caring mentor and young person (mentee), the goal of which is to
provide the mentee with long term guidance and support.
Formalized youth mentoring is now being encouraged, not only in urban and suburban areas,
but in rural areas as well, to ensure that the mentoring relationship is a socially positive
experience. Formalized mentoring counters the potential effects of harmful mentors and peer
relationships, and reinforces pro-social bonding with the help of a caring, committed adult.
Formal Mentoring typically:
• Takes place for a minimum of 6 months,
• Involves frequent and regular contact between mentor and mentee,
• Is assisted by an organized service or organization,
• Focuses on providing life-guidance and support,
• Includes support and/or supervision for the mentee and the mentee's family,
• Involves screening and training as well as ongoing support and/or supervision of the
mentor.
Formal Mentoring Programs fall into one or more of the following categories:
• Group Mentoring programs involve one or more adults mentoring a group of two
or more young people.
• Team Mentoring programs involve two or more adults mentoring one young
person; each mentor provides individual time with each youth as well as
participating in a group activity such as tutoring or job readiness. Another team
approach allows youth access to any of several adult mentors, depending on the
special expertise needed or on mentor schedule and availability.
• One-to-One Mentoring programs involves one adult mentoring one young person.
The one-to-one contact of this type of mentoring can be achieved either through
an individual-to-individual relationship or through a team approach.
Informal Mentoring, on the other hand, is identified as involving a relationship between a
caring individual and young person, which is formed during the course of regular life events,
and in which the adult provides guidance and support to the young person.
Informal Mentoring:
• Involves no minimum time requirement,
• May or may not involve frequent or regular contact between the mentor and mentee,
• May or may not include assistance by an organized service or organization,
• Involves guidance and support to young person only as a bi-product or secondary focus
of the relationship,
• May or may not involve support and/or supervision for the mentee and the mentee's family,
• Exists in the form of: Youth Programs, Athletics, Youth Groups, Religious Instruction,
and School Volunteers.
Some activities, such as Tutoring and School-to-Career programs, involve a mixture of both
formal and informal mentoring activities.
Because of Put Em Downs focus on research-based, best mentoring practices, the remainder of this
document will deal with Formal Mentoring activities only.
MENTEES AND MENTORS
WHAT IS A MENTOR?
For the purposes of this document, mentors are positive influencers who act as teachers,
listeners, and advocates to younger individuals through matched relationships.
"Mentors are screened and trained volunteers who provide support and
challenge to mentees with whom they interact. Mentors are emotionally
mature, committed to human development, prudent, responsible and
adaptable."
THE ROLE OF A MENTEE IS:
• To develop a positive relationship with a mentor
• To set and achieve goals
• To develop self-respect, self-esteem, and responsible behavior
• To develop confidence and competence in academic, professional, and social skills
• To make positive decisions about the future
• To have fun while working with a mentor
THE ROLE OF A MENTOR IS:
• To develop a positive relationship with a mentee
• To help an individual develop competence
• To be sensitive to a diversity of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences
• To gain experience which will prove useful in other areas of life
• To become energized through a helping relationship
• To communicate the mentor's life experiences and insights to the mentee
• To develop a network of support for the mentee
• To have fun working with the mentee and other caring adults
To build a trusting relationship takes about six months. To develop trust, the best mentors, let their mentee help
decide how to spend the time; made a commitment to
be a consistent presence in the youth’s life; and sought and used help from program staff.
In matches where mentors adopted these tactics, 90 percent met regularly with their charges,
and only 9 percent ended in nine months time or less.
Note: mentors that step into the mentoring
"match" to be supportive, as opposed to going into it with the intention of "turning this kid
around," are much more successful.
School-based programs have the advantage of a ready pool of youth eligible for mentoring. While
most school-based mentoring programs focus on raising grades, they also may improve the
attitude of youth. Increasing the confidence of youth and their sense of achievement may
benefit many problem areas, including prevention of substance abuse. School-based
mentoring is one of several promising new approaches to mentoring. According to
Public/Private Ventures, school-based programs were able to recruit not only the typical
mentoring volunteer, but also individuals who are busier than those making a traditional
mentoring commitment, and younger (high school and college students) than is typical in other
mentoring programs.
Community-based programs are likely to have the most experience in recruiting, training, and
supporting volunteers. A community-based program can be set in a nonprofit organization, a
church, or a public social service agency. It also is likely to have a broader range of mentoring
options available, working with children and youth at different levels on a variety of activities
which take place in community settings, such as movies, the mall and the park.
Mentors are recruited from a range of organizations. Often recruited through school volunteer offices or
community organizations that are clearinghouses for volunteers, mentors can be senior
citizens, parents, older students, or other adults in the community. Media announcements,
fliers, organizations, and word-of-mouth have often served as outreach approaches for
recruitment. Business involvement also has been widely used, with recruitment achieved
through company-wide campaigns tied to corporate objectives of employee morale, civic duty,
and community leadership.
Depending on the intensity of mentoring activities, recruitment may involve extensive screening
measures and testing.
