Resources for Working with Mentors

There is a body of solid research regarding the value of mentoring programs. Sipe (1996), in her study of mentoring research conducted by Public/Private Ventures (PPV)², found that mentoring has the following advantages:

• Mentoring approaches show promise in the prevention of substance abuse.
• Mentoring relationships appear to reduce some negative youth behaviors.
• Participating in mentoring promotes positive social attitudes and relationships.

Overall, PPV found that youth participating in mentoring relationships experience positive academic outcomes, have fewer unexcused absences from school, demonstrated more positive attitudes toward school, and were more likely to pursue higher education than their peers who did not have mentors. Jekielek, Moore, and Hair (2002)³ found through a synthesis of research that youth who participate in programs that include stand-alone mentoring or mentoring as one component of a comprehensive intervention have the following positive outcomes compared to similar youth:

• Significant reductions in school absence
• Higher college participation
• Better school attitudes and behavior
• Less drug and alcohol use
• Lower likelihood of aggressive behaviors
• Lower likelihood of committing misdemeanors or felonies and major offenses
• More positive attitudes toward their elders and toward helping
• Improved parental relationships and support from peers

As Job Corps institutes more rigorous and relevant academic and career technical curricula, mentors will support students to ensure high levels of achievement and to guide them to a solid and sustainable career pathway.

The Role of the Mentor

Mentors play a wide variety of roles. First and foremost, a mentor’s role is to be caring and supportive. Listening, engaging in conversation, or participating in recreational activities may comprise the whole extent of the relationship (especially at first). Many youth desire a relationship with a caring adult or an older or more experienced peer that does not include confrontation, authority, control, or moralizing. At an appropriate time later on, the relationship may evolve into a more substantial one that helps a student to develop as a learner, worker, and leader.

A mentor’s primary role is to serve as a trusted, caring adult. Although some relationships do not extend beyond this, these relationships can still be mutually beneficial. This is especially true in situations where the mentor spends limited time in contact with an individual mentee (such as in e-mentoring or in some school-based or group mentoring setting). When a mentor has extended contact with an individual mentee (more than a few hours per month) and the bond of trust is strong, the relationship can move beyond the companionship phase and lead into activities that can help the youth in reaching developmental objectives. Depending on the relationship, these activities can be formal and structured, or more informal with less structure.

The Benefit of Mentoring to Others

Mentoring programs improve the performance of students, support instructors in the classroom, improve staff morale, make connections to the community at large and to the business community, increase volunteer involvement in other areas, and serve as a selling point to parents who have a choice in schools.

One of the goals of the National Director of Job Corps is to increase industry and employer involvement in the Job Corps program. STARS is a key avenue for centers to reach out to their local communities and to develop partnerships. The benefit of such partnerships is not one-sided, however. Research indicates that when mentors are recruited from local companies, the companies enjoy the following benefits:

• Mentoring builds employee morale, thereby improving company morale.
• Mentoring develops the same skills needed for successful and effective company managers.
• Mentoring enhances the image of the company.
• Mentoring allows for participation by the company in the total educational process.
• Mentoring recognizes the competence of employees.
• Mentoring prepares employees to take on greater responsibilities in the corporation.
• Mentoring helps the company revitalize the community.
• Mentoring assists in the development of a competent future workforce.

These benefits should be highlighted to potential STARS volunteer organizations during the recruitment process.

The Benefit of Mentoring to Students

Although no mentoring program can resolve all the challenges that youth face, a well-designed program can help youth in the following ways:

• Communicating with parents or other family members who may not recognize a youth’s emerging independence or who lack high expectations for the youth’s transition into adulthood
• Aiding in the improvement of academic skills
• Promoting opportunities for youth to explore career interests
• Improving and increasing socialization opportunities with their peers
• Providing information and guidance about how to navigate the adult service system

Social competencies comprise one set of skills and knowledge that youth need in order to navigate the transition into adulthood effectively. Making career choices and preparing for work have been identified as key areas in which youth need to develop knowledge during this period. To foster achievement of these competencies, mentoring programs that serve this age range should include opportunities for youth to engage in constructive peer relationships as well as one-on-one interchanges.

Establishing a Mentoring Program

Mentoring a student is not terribly difficult; Job Corps staff mentor students every day. Students appreciate mentors who are supportive, caring, and willing to assist them with activities that support academic, career, social, and personal goals. Trust is crucial to all mentoring relationships. Youth in mentoring relationships are not as likely to connect with or trust someone who seeks to cure or solve perceived problems, who assumes a parental role, or who is overly judgmental or critical.

While mentoring takes many forms, there are four common characteristics centers should keep in mind when establishing the STARS mentoring component:

• Mentors and mentees should make a long-term commitment (generally, at least a year).
• Mentors should focus on building trust and respect with their mentees.
• Mentees and mentors should set high, clear, and fair expectations for themselves and their mentoring partner.
• Mentors and mentees should meet or communicate with enough regularity to develop a strong relationship. At a minimum, mentors and mentees should meet at regular intervals for at least four hours per month for at least a year, according to the National Mentoring Partnership⁴. For e-mentoring, 30 to 45 minutes of online time each week for at least one school year is recommended⁵.

Mentoring Approaches

There are four principal approaches to mentoring.

• Traditional One-to-One Mentoring
• Peer Mentoring
• Group Mentoring
• E-mentoring

Centers may wish to employ some or all of these approaches when establishing their mentoring program. The approaches selected should best serve the individual academic, career technical, and social development needs of the students enrolled at the center.

1)    Traditional One-to-One Mentoring

In One-to-One Mentoring, one adult is paired with one young person. Typically, there is an extensive matching process to ensure a strong relationship, and it is expected that the commitment will be for one year or longer.

Recruitment, screening, and training of one-to-one mentors can be difficult and more costly than other models. Because the relationship is more autonomous and often more intense, extreme care must be taken to ensure the safety of participants (both mentees and mentors). Therefore, screening and supervision are essential.

One-to-one mentoring on a Job Corps center would ideally match students with volunteers to spend time during or after the training day. Mentors may spend time in classrooms or career technical areas, in the library or learning resource lab. Although the mentor may spend time tutoring or helping the youth with academic or career technical work, there is generally an expectation for more significant relationship-building and friendship than in a typical STARS tutoring situation.

Designated center staff should supervise the relationship and direct the mentor in working toward goals identified by the student. The mentor may wish to attend center functions or programs, participate with the student in recreation activities, or work with the student on Career Success Standards-related projects and activities. As mentioned above, the relationship should have a fun component to it, and the student should not view the mentor as simply another controlling authority figure.

A center’s mentoring program should not minimize the need for training. Even if a mentor is not also serving as a STARS tutor, it would be useful to know about the learning needs of youth in general and of the mentee in particular. Center staff must ensure that the time the student spends with the mentor does not interfere with classroom time or other academic and career technical activities, and that mentors have well-defined roles when working on center.

2)    Peer Mentoring

Peer Mentoring is a model in which peers from a shared or similar developmental stage provide support and advice to mentees. Peers can be close in age or farther apart, depending on the circumstances. Many centers have established peer mentoring programs. A list of best practices from the STARS pilot centers may prove helpful in establishing a peer mentoring component on center.

In some situations, mentoring can be most effective when peers work together. By definition, peers are people from a like group where members have “equal standing.” Peer mentoring is designed to match participants who share a great deal in common. Closeness in age can be an important part of peer mentoring, but a successful match can be made even if there is an age difference. The goal of peer mentoring is to use the mentor’s experience and knowledge to influence the mentee in a positive way. Academic, personal, career technical, or social issues are usually the basis for initiating a peer mentoring relationship.

Longer-term mentoring with a tutoring component is also a useful strategy. Students are matched based on a mentee’s academic needs. Typically, such tutoring sessions are combined with other activities (recreational or social) that allow the peers to interact personally. Students who serve as peer mentors in this setting may receive some form of recognition from the center. These activities may be incorporated into the training day or into after-hours activities.

At-promise youth such as Job Corps students may benefit from time spent with youth who can relate to the mentee while also serving as a role model. It is useful for everyone involved to have clear, written goals and expectations that set boundaries and responsibilities for all activities related to the relationship. From the outset, all parties should know when the mentoring relationship is to begin and end since ending such a relationship can be very hard on both mentee and mentor.

Connecting with a peer may be helpful when students first enter the Job Corps program and arrive on center. A peer mentor may become involved during Career Preparation (CPP) and assist the new student with orientation to the center, the Career Success Standards, standards of conduct, and other needs of the new student.

3)    Group Mentoring

This form of mentoring matches one or more adults with a group of youth in a structured setting. On a Job Corps center, this approach would likely include an individual or group of adult volunteers working with several students, or a group of employees from one company working with students in a work-based mentoring program.

Group mentoring has become more common, especially in settings in which recruiting a sufficient number of volunteers for one-to-one mentoring is difficult. In this model, one adult is matched with two or more youth, and activities are conducted in small groups. Unlike one-to-one mentoring, many group mentoring relationships focus more on peer interaction, with the mentor acting as a facilitator.

The ratios of mentors to mentees in group mentoring may range from 1:2 to 1:15⁶. Evidence suggests that smaller groups, those with mentor-mentee ratios of 1:4 or less, are more successful than larger groups, especially in community settings (because of scheduling and logistical problems). Some dynamics of group mentoring that should be considered include diversity (for example, in terms of gender, race, religion, and disability), geography, the students’ interests and personalities, peer influence, and the cost of activities. Higher ratios, one mentor to five or more mentees, work best in situations in which socialization and peer engagement are the primary goals.

4)    E-mentoring

E-mentoring is a contemporary model commonly used in schools in which one (or more) youth is matched with a mentor. In ideal circumstances, e-mentoring includes occasional face-to-face meetings to provide a more personal connection. If e-mentoring is used on center, a Job Corps staff person must monitor all correspondence and meetings between the student and his or her mentor.

Electronic mentoring or e-mentoring uses e-mail as the primary communication vehicle between mentors and mentees. While e-mentoring can limit the depth of the relationship shared between the mentor and mentee, it also offers advantages in terms of time and flexibility. Most often, a classroom or a portion of a class is matched with a group of adults from an organization (such as a business, a corporation, or a civic group), and regular correspondence is maintained between the pair. E-mail exchanges are made with some monitoring by the supervising staff person.

Academic lessons may be incorporated into the correspondence depending on the student’s needs and the subject being taught. For example, a Health class may partner with employees at a local hospital to develop specific subject areas for discussion, exchange e-mails and discuss the defined topics regarding the healthcare field. The topic areas should reflect the students’ Training Achievement Records (TARs) and support students in completing them.

Face-to-face meetings with mentors are valuable elements in e-mentoring and should be scheduled (at a minimum) in the beginning and at the end of the program. Many face-to-face meetings may be scheduled in conjunction with other events on center or at the mentors’ place of business. If at a business, mentees can job shadow, take tours, or have a meal with their mentors. These activities should be coordinated with the center’s Work-based Learning (WBL) Coordinator. On center, the mentor may attend class, take part in recreational or dorm activities, or have lunch, for example.

According to the Institute on Community Integration, youth involved in e-mentoring can improve reading and writing skills and gain more comfort using technology⁷. In this way, e-mentoring can help students achieve the Information Management Career Success Standard. Some youth who participate in school-based e-mentoring may also have opportunities for work experiences and internships, which may lead them to develop a more realistic understanding of the business world. Because a company may have many employees involved with e-mentoring, it is likely to develop stronger connections with the Job Corps center.

Mentoring Support to Students

The Forum for Youth Investment identifies five key areas of youth development: learning, working, thriving, connecting and leading⁸. While mentoring relates most directly to the “connecting” development area, it can also play a major role in supporting each of the youth development competencies. Listed below are the types of activities and strategies mentors may use to foster students’ development in these areas.

1.    Learning is based on positive basic and applied academic attitudes, standards, and behaviors.    Developing basic math, reading and creative expression skills

• Practicing and mastering the Career Success Standards
• Improving knowledge and skills in the student’s career technical area
• Improving critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Improving self-assessment of academic and career technical skills and areas of need for further education and training
• Tutoring in academic areas
• Assisting with GED preparation and practice tests
• Reviewing the student’s PCDP and areas for improvement
• Talking to the student before his/her ESP to discuss areas needing improvement
• Supporting the student to participate in assigned Career Success Standards projects or activities

2.    Working with the student to design activities to practice the Career Success Standards

• Helping the student to conduct periodic self-assessments of his/her academic and CTT work
• Working with the student to develop a portfolio of experiences and achievements (test scores, achievements, awards, writing samples, resume)
• Working with the student to explore education and career options upon graduation from Job Corps
• Working focuses on the positive attitudes, standards, and behaviors necessary to meet expectations in the workplace and throughout one’s career. Developing an understanding of the world of work
• Identifying work readiness skills
• Identifying the Career Success Standards that need improvement and working with the student to obtain an “Excels” level
• Identifying strategies to complete academic and career technical training
• Identifying individual strengths and potential opportunities for a meaningful career
• Exploring work-based learning (WBL) opportunities with the student
• Supporting the student throughout his or her WBL experience
• Communicating with the center’s WBL Coordinator about the student’s progress and achievements
• Supporting the student to be involved in career exploration activities such as career fairs, job shadowing, workplace visits and tours
• Working with the student to set and update career goals (PCDP)
• Practicing mock interviews
• Providing assistance with job searches, resume writing, cover letter writing
• Assisting the student with Information Management, including the use of computers and other workplace technology

3.    Thriving focuses on attitudes, standards, and behaviors that are demonstrated by maintaining optimal physical and emotional well-being.

• Assisting the student to articulate personal values
• Helping the student to establish a sense of responsibility to self and others
• Helping the student to assess situations and avoid risky conditions and activities
• Sharing with the student the importance of good nutrition, physical exercise, and hygiene
• Working with the student to not only know the Career Success Standards but to be able to demonstrate them daily
• Encouraging the student to eat well and to understand proper nutrition by assisting him or her with meal planning and preparation activities
• Engaging the student in physical exercise
• Assisting the student with life skills, such as how to manage money, find transportation, shop on a budget, buy a car, and obtain insurance
• Assisting the student in creating a community resources “map” related to physical and mental health, personal physicians, insurance companies, parks, grocery stores, drug stores, etc.

4.    Leading centers on positive standards, attitudes, and behaviors regarding civic involvement and personal goal setting.

• Working with the student on the Personal Growth and Development Career Success Standard and helping them to develop short-term and long-term goals

• Supporting the student with the exploration of leadership opportunities on center or in the community
• Promoting community volunteer opportunities with the student
• Promoting activities with the student and peers that encourage group participation and collaboration with other individuals and groups
• Engaging with the student in problem solving, conflict resolution and self-advocacy
• Providing the student opportunities to practice communication, negotiation and personal presentation

5.    Connecting refers to the development of positive social behaviors, skills, and attitudes.

• Demonstrating the Career Success Standards, particularly Personal Growth and Development, Communications, and Interpersonal Skills
• Discussing and practicing conflict resolution skills with the student
• Assisting the student with understanding key community resources needed in personal and professional life.

Recruiting Mentors

Recruiting skilled volunteers is usually the most difficult and time consuming part of starting and sustaining a mentoring program. However, the activity of recruiting mentors can lead to increased visibility in the community and may help centers to form partnerships and alliances with public and private organizations that did not exist before. Networking with other area programs that have had success in recruiting mentors may also be helpful.

Students can play a major role in the recruitment process. Testimonials from students who have previously participated in STARS can illustrate the value of mentoring to others.

When recruiting, centers should be clear about how the skills and experiences of the mentor will be used to engage the student and the desired outcomes to be achieved. Centers should seek mentors with special skills or experiences that connect best with Job Corps students. Same-race or cross-race matches each have benefits, but should not be made arbitrarily.

Language and other cultural issues are also valid considerations when making matches. When a group of students is to be matched individually with a group of volunteers, Job Corps recommends that matches be made by someone who knows each student well and has spent some time with the volunteers. While application information, such as participants’ interests and backgrounds, can be used to make some preliminary decisions, Job Corps recommends personal contact by the center’s STARS committee or coordinator.

Screening Mentors

STARS staff on center should screen mentors to determine if the volunteer has the personal characteristics needed to be a mentor and if the volunteer can safely work with students. Screening is done by looking at the volunteer’s thoroughly completed application; conducting interviews; doing reference checks, and conducting background checks. Centers should be as diligent in screening volunteers as they are in screening paid staff, particularly if the mentors will be spending time alone with the students.

Despite the overwhelming need for mentors, it is reasonable to turn down a volunteer if the applicant does not have the attributes, skills, and personality to be effective. Mentors are more effective if they:

• have experience or interest in working with youth;
• are patient and tolerant of youthful behavior;
• are good listeners;
• are not judgmental or moralistic;
• are tolerant of diversity; and,
• have a history of staying committed.

Training Mentors

An often overlooked part of mentoring programs is the training of mentors. Many program administrators tend to hurry past training to connect the mentor with the mentee quickly so that they can begin spending time together. This rush can be detrimental in the long run because the mentor may be unprepared to handle some of the unpredictable situations that may arise, or the mentor may be unable to engage the student in a long-term relationship. According to Fulop⁹, mentoring programs should have a structured training program for mentors, mentees, and (if appropriate) parents or caregivers that includes:

• an overview of the program;
• clarification of roles, responsibilities and expectations;
• discussion of how to handle a variety of situations; and,
• concepts and strategies to help build the relationship between the mentor and student.

The amount of training needed depends on several factors:

• The amount of time the mentor will be spending with the student
• The amount of time the mentor and mentee are not supervised
• The range of activities
• The experience of the mentor
• The extent of the student’s needs

This last factor demands particular attention. Because of privacy and confidentiality, mentors should have only limited access to background information concerning the student. However, mentors should, if appropriate, have a thorough understanding of the impact of poverty, culture, disability, or other factors that affect the student’s life.

Confidentiality Between Mentors and Students

The information a student shares with a mentor should be kept confidential. This works to build trust and helps the volunteers and the students attain a true partnership. However, if a volunteer determines a need for intervention because the student has indicated a desire to harm himself or others, the mentor must share this information with the appropriate center staff as designated in the center’s STARS Plan. The mentor will need to let the student know that they will be sharing this information with the STARS representative so that they can maintain trust with the student. The student will be informed that such information will not be kept confidential, so the mentor will not be breaching trust nor negating the written agreement. The STARS Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement should be signed by all volunteers.

²Sipe, C. L. (1996). Mentoring: A synthesis of P/PV's research: 1988-1995. Philadelphia: Public/Private Ventures. Retrieved October 4, 2005, from (http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/40_publication.pdf).

³Jekielek, S., Moore, K. A., & Hair, E. C. (2002). Mentoring programs and youth development: A synthesis. Washington, DC: Edna McConnell Clark Foundation. Retrieved August 19, 2004, from (http://www.childtrends.org/what_works/clarkwww/mentor/mentorrpt.pdf).

⁴MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership. (2005). Elements of effective practice. Retrieved from (http://www.mentoring.org/program_staff/design/elements_of_effective_practice.php?pid=all).

⁵Institute on Community Integration. (2003). Connecting to Success Manual. Retrieved from

(http://ici.umn.edu/ementoring/CTS_Training_Manual.pdf).

⁶MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership. (2005). Elements of effective practice. Retrieved from (http://www.mentoring.org/program_staff/design/elements_of_effective_practice.php?pid=all).

⁷Institute on Community Integration. (2003). Connecting to Success Manual. Retrieved from

(http://ici.umn.edu/ementoring/CTS_Training_Manual.pdf).

⁸Ferber, T., Pittman, K., & Marshall, T. (2002). Helping all youth to grow up fully prepared and fully engaged. Takoma Park, MD: The Forum for Youth Investment.

⁹Fulop, M. (2003). Mentoring program development: A start-up toolkit. Northwest Regional Educational

Laboratory: Portland, OR. Retrieved from (http://www.nwrel.org/mentoring/pdf/startup_toolkit.pdf).