What is mentoring?
Mentoring provides a structured and trusting relationship that brings young people together with caring individuals who offer guidance, support and encouragement (adapted from Mentor/National Mentoring Partnership and Robyn Hartley's "Young people and mentoring: towards a national strategy" 2004 Report).
The mentor is not a replacement for a parent, nor are they a counsellor or teacher. They are a sounding board and confidant to the young person.
How does mentoring help?
There has been a great deal of international research carried out on the benefits of mentoring to a young person. Research by Joseph P. Tierney and Jean Baldwin Grossman (Making a difference: an impact study of Big Brother/Big Sisters) and David L Dubois et al ('Effectiveness of mentoring programs for youth: A meta-analytical review', American Journal of Community Psychology), has shown that young mentees are:
- Less likely to become involved in criminal activity,
- Less likely to become involved in drug taking and alcohol abuse and
- Lesl likely to leave school early
- More likely to have improved academic performance
- Have better relationships with their teachers and family compared to their peers who are not mentored.
What are the different types of mentoring?
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.
E-Mentoring
Electronic mentoring uses technology to connect the mentor and the mentee. These programs are used in situations were the mentees are in isolated areas or where there are time constraints. The mentors and mentees communicate through messages using a system similar to email. Messages are monitored by the program.
