Entries by Emily.Buss001@umb.edu

How Confident Leadership Affects Program Outcomes

/in , , /by

Griffith, A. N., & Larson, R. W. (2015). Why trust matters: How confidence in leaders transforms what adolescents gain from youth programs. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 26(4), 790–804. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12230 Introduction Youth programs often credit “supportive relationships” as their active ingredient, but Griffith and Larson (2015) ask a sharper question: How does trust specifically change […]

The Science of Effective Encouragement

/in , , /by

Asaba, M., Santos, M., Jara-Ettinger, J., & Leonard, J. A. (2025). Adolescents report being most motivated by encouragement from people who know their abilities and the domain. Developmental Psychology, 61(9), 1793–1807. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001920 Introduction In a useful corrective to “one-size-fits-all” positivity, Asaba and colleagues (2025) argue that encouragement motivates adolescents only when it comes from someone […]

When Mentoring Ends: The Hidden Emotional Toll on Youth

/in , , /by

Keller, T. E., McCormack, M. J., Miranda-Diaz, M., Drew, A. L., & Spencer, R. (2025). “I wished I could have said bye”: Exploring youth reactions to formal mentoring relationship endings. Children and Youth Services Review, 179, 108594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108594 Introduction Keller and colleagues (2025) explored the emotional impacts of mentoring relationship closures among youth. While mentoring […]

It Takes a Campus: Collective Responsibility for Student Wellness

/in , , /by

Burwell, S. M. (2024, April 17). A public health approach to the campus mental health crisis. LearningWell Magazine. https://learningwellmag.org/article/a-public-health-approach-to-the-campus-mental-health-crisis Introduction College campuses are experiencing historic surges in student mental health needs. Sylvia Burwell (2024) of LearningWell Magazine explored how institutions are shifting from reactive, clinic-based responses to community-based, population-level strategies rooted in public health frameworks. […]

Price and Policy Confusion: Why College Still Feels Unaffordable

/in , , /by

Loudin, A. (2024, February 1). The information gap in college affordability. LearningWell Magazine. https://learningwellmag.org/article/the-information-gap-in-college-affordability Introduction In her 2024 article, Amanda Loudin (2024) explored why so many students—especially from low-income families—perceive college as unaffordable, even amid expanded financial aid and “free college” policies. This misperception persists not just due to poor communication, but also because of […]

From Struggle to Strength: A Shared Path for Students with Learning Disabilities

/in , , /by

Williams, C. J., Chen, J. M., Quirion, A., & Hoeft, F. (2024). Peer mentoring for students with learning disabilities: The importance of shared experience on students’ social and emotional development. Frontiers in Education, 9, Article 1292717. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1292717 Introduction Students with learning disabilities (LDs) face barriers beyond academics—challenges that impact emotional well-being, self-esteem, and life transitions. […]

Negotiating Language Ideologies in Adolescent Bilingual Peer Mentoring

/in , , /by

Yohimar Sivira-Gonzalez & Melanie Jones Gast (25 Jul 2025): Negotiating Language Ideologies in Adolescent Bilingual Peer Mentoring, Journal of Language, Identity & Education, DOI: 10.1080/15348458.2025.2516472 Introduction Sivira-Gonzalez and Gast (2025) explore how bilingual adolescent mentors conceptualize language and academic success in a high school peer mentoring program for ESL-designated students. Grounded in raciolinguistic and language […]

New Evidence Spotlights Benefits and Barriers of Youth-Initiated Mentoring

/in , , /by

Duffy, L., & Brady, B. (2025). A rapid review of current evidence of youth-initiated mentoring: Future directions for research and practice. Child Care in Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/13575279.2025.2581996 Introduction Youth-Initiated Mentoring (YIM) empowers young people to nominate trusted adults from their existing social networks as mentors. Duffy and Brady (2025) present a rapid review of 14 studies […]

Beyond One Mentor: How Constellations Strengthen Faculty–Student Relationships

/in , , /by

Vandermaas-Peeler, M., & Moore, J. L. (2025). Exploring mentors’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges of mentoring in a constellation model. International Journal for Academic Development, 30(2), 186–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2023.2279306 Introduction Vandermaas-Peeler and Moore (2025) examine how faculty experience mentoring within a constellation model—a framework in which students engage with multiple mentors offering different types of […]

Guiding Through Barriers: How Undocumented Youth Fight Oppression with Mentor Support

/in , , , /by

Sánchez, B., Garcia-Murillo, Y., Monjaras-Gaytan, L. Y., Thursby, K., Ulerio, G., de los Reyes, W., Salusky, I. R., & Rivera, C. S. (2022). Everyday acts of resistance: Mexican, undocumented immigrant children and adolescents navigating oppression with mentor support. Journal of Research on Adolescence. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12755 Introduction Sánchez et al. (2022) explore how Mexican immigrant children and […]