If you are considering starting a mentoring program here is a 7 step plan to get you started. The first three steps provide you with information to familiarise you with the concept of youth mentoring and help you make an informed decision about whether or not implementing a youth mentoring program is the right direction for your community. The resources here are by no means an exhaustive list but rather a starting point.
Together with the National Youth Mentoring Benchmarks these documents give you an overview of what is involved in creating a successful and effective youth mentoring program.
For the purpose of the Youth Mentoring Network, mentoring aims to provide a structured and trusting relationship that brings young people together with caring individuals who offer guidance, support and encouragement aimed at developing the competence and character of the mentee (Adapted from Mentor/National Mentoring Partnership and Robyn Hartley's "Young people and mentoring: towards a national strategy" 2004 Report).
TYPES OF MENTORING PROGRAMS Community Based Mentoring Community based mentoring is usually one to one mentoring where the mentor shows the mentee different social experiences with their local community. These activities can include, going to the movies, parks, playing sport, career exploration, assisting with their homework and teaching them life skills.
School Based Mentoring School based mentoring takes place at the mentee's school either during school hours or immediately after. School based programs usually target students at risk of leaving school early, though some schools do open the program to anyone wanting to participate. The activities the mentoring pair partakes in can include tutoring, career exploration, playing games and sports.
Faith Based Faith based programs are usually attached to a religious organisation or place of worship. The values of the religion are reflected in the programs mission and purpose. The activities that take place in these programs are those similar to community based programs. While the programs may be affiliated with a religious organisation most will include participants from the whole community and not only form within their congregation.
Business mentoring Business mentoring programs work with companies who want to give something back to the local community in which they are working in. The programs usually take place in the work place and include activities such as tutoring, job shadowing, and career exploration.
For more research about youth mentoring, please visit the Research page!
Role Models for Young People: What makes an effective role model program? A report to the National Youth Affairs Research Scheme in 2002 by Judith MacCallum and Susan Beltman
This report explores the extent and use of role model programs and their effectiveness, with the aim of informing the development of role model programs for young people. The findings from a literature review, survey and case studies suggest that the common features of effective role model programs include young-people-sensitive administration/management of programs; flexibility; the development of networks; mechanisms for ongoing feedback and evaluation; and sufficient resources for programs to achieve their aims.
Mentoring in Schools by Members of the Community Written by Judith MacCallum and Susan Beltman
Centre for Curriculum and Professional Development Murdoch University This report identifies models of good practice of mentoring in school settings and looks at issues associated with the implementation of mentoring programs in these settings and makes key recommendations for consideration by Australian schools and education systems.
In consultation with the community demonstrate a need for the proposed program.
Based on the results of the needs analysis, research successful models of mentoring that best respond to the target population
The Community Tool Box The website explains how to conduct a needs analysis of your community and provides you with resources to help you complete analysis.
Download the Benchmark Checklist for this section to ensure you don’t miss a step It is at this stage that you choose your program structure and the finer details of the program.
Tools to help you design the program Below are a series of Australian and international tools to help you develop your programs.
Planning your program
Australian Resources
Starter Kit Watch this space! Exciting new tool coming soon!
Thirty Mentoring Questions by Lesley Tobin, Dusseldorp Skills Forum This document provides anyone considering setting up a program with 30 key questions they need to consider before they can get implement a mentoring program.
A Guide for Effective Practice for Mentoring People (2006) Department of Victorian Communities – Office for Youth
In consultation with stakeholders, the Office for Youth has produced "A Guide to Effective Practice for Mentoring Young People (2006)". This publication is aimed at community organisations establishing, running, or wishing to improve the effectiveness of their mentoring programs. It is a practical resource that details what practitioners and research tell us about the effective features of mentoring programs for young people including good practice principles, program management and checklists and resources.
A Guide to Supporting Effective Programs for Mentoring Young People (2007) Department of Victorian Communities – Office for Youth
“A Guide to Supporting Effective Programs for Mentoring Young People (2007)” has been produced as a practical resource for those involved in funding and supporting mentoring programs for young people.
This Guide is a companion document to A Guide to Effective Mentoring for Young People (2006) which was produced to assist mentoring practitioners to develop and implement mentoring programs based on good practice. The Guide also covers some common knowledge and practical guidance on the development of quality mentoring programs but has a particular focus on program development and management undertaken by funding bodies and other organisations supporting formal mentoring programs.
Mentoring: The Guide - ideas, advice and practical help for planning and running mentoring programs that work (2007) by Judith MacCullum, Susan Beltman and Cameron Tero
The guide book was put together over 2006 and 2007 using some of the latest research about what makes mentoring programs work well. It is detailed and easy to read and understand, and gives practical ideas about planning a program, and training mentors as well as finding useful resources to make programs run well.
The guide book comes with a handy CD that contains material useful for planning and implementing projects. Resources include documents related to planning and evaluation, as well as ideas for liaising with parents, community groups and other key stakeholders. The authors of the book have worked as both researchers and practitioners and brought a wide range of mentoring experience to the task.
Mentoring program Development: A Start- up tool Kit By Mark Fulop, National Mentoring Centre
This document breaks down mentoring into the key area, development, planning, recruiting, screening etc and asks the user key questions to help them determine the type and nature of their program.
Yes, You Can: A Guide for Establishing Mentoring Programs to Prepare Youth for College While this document does have strong focus on preparing youth for American colleges, the key principals it works through are still the same no matter the focus of your program.
Starting a Mentoring Program by Dustianne North, Jerry Sherk and Judy Strother, The Evaluation, Management and Training Group
This document asks the user a series of questions in order form them to develop a clear understanding of what is involved in establishing a mentoring program and what their program will do under certain circumstances.
How to Develop An Operations Manual For Your Mentoring Program Developed by Jerry Sherk, M.A.
This document is a practical how to tool kit which takes you through each of the steps required to create an operations manual. While it is based on the American Benchmarks it can easily be adapted to meet the needs of the Australian Youth Mentoring Benchmarks. This document can be found on The Evaluation, Management and Training Group’s website.
'Effectiveness of mentoring programs for youth: A meta-analytical review' By DuBois, D.L., Holloway, B.E., Valentine, J.C. and Cooper, H. (2002), American Journal of Community Psychology, 30 (2), 157-197.
Making a Difference: An Impact Study of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Reissue of 1995 study By Tierney, J.P; Grossman, J.B & Resch, N.; (2000); Philadelphia, PA Public/Private ventures.
Download the Benchmark Checklist for this section to ensure you don’t miss a step
Policies and Procedures
Generic Mentoring Programs Policy and Procedures Manual By Linda Ballasy, Mark Fulop and Michael Garringer, revised September 2007, National Mentor Centre
** UPDATED**
This document provides a step by step tool to help create a mentoring specific policies and procedures manual. It includes an online template and a sample policy and procedures manual of a fictional mentoring program.
Foundations of Successful Youth Mentoring: A Guidebook for Program Development by Michael Garringer and Patti MacRae, revised September 2007, National Mentor Centre
** UPDATED**
This document works through the fundamentals any program should have in order for it to be successful. For each section it provides the relevant theory, self assessment questions and a list of resources. It also provides a checklist for programs to assess you program's strengths.
Download the Benchmark Checklist for this section to ensure you don’t miss a step
To help you implement your program we have dedicated whole pages to each of the specific steps. These are located within the Tools and Resources section of this site. Quick links to the pages can be found below:
