Entries by Jean Rhodes

New questionnaire captures the key processes in youth mentoring

Tolan, P. H., McDaniel, H. L., Richardson, M., Arkin, N., Augenstern, J., & DuBois, D. L. (2020). Improving understanding of how mentoring works: Measuring multiple intervention processes. Journal of Community Psychology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22408 Posted on August 25, 2020by youth-nex By Julia Augenstern Highlights: Mentoring programs are essential resources in many communities and one of the best supported approaches for fostering […]

It’s election season: Should mentors talk politics with their mentees?

Linus: “There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin.” Do you think it is appropriate for mentors and mentees to discuss politics? With recent conventions and the open tensions of a particularly acrimonious U.S. election, politics are everywhere. How should a mentor approach conversations about politics […]

Sneak preview: An excerpt from Older and Wiser!

By Jean Rhodes Yesterday my new book, “Older and Wiser: New Ideas for Mentoring in the 21st Century,” hit the stands – the culmination of 30 years of research and several years of writing and reflection. Today, I’m thrilled to share with you the introduction. If you’d like to order copies for your staff, please […]

How cognitive biases shape our beliefs about mentoring

by Jean Rhodes When we hear the word  “bias,” we instinctively think of such things as racial prejudice or slanted news coverage, but our brains are actually remarkably susceptible to all sorts of cognitive biases (Yagoda, 2018). Indeed, cognitive biases are very much at work in the field of youth mentoring. As I discuss in […]

Mentoring in the context of inequality, injustice, and a global pandemic

By Jean Rhodes When asked how he felt about the timing of his forthcoming movie, comedian and commentator Jon Stewart replied “it’s like showing up to a plane crash with a chocolate bar. There’s tragedy everywhere, and you’re like, ‘‘Uh, does anybody want chocolate?’’ It feels ridiculous. But what doesn’t feel ridiculous is to continue […]

Book review by Prof. Richard Lerner: Older and Wiser: Rethinking Youth Mentoring for the 21st Century

by Richard M. Lerner, Bergstrom Chair in Applied Developmental Science, Professor and Director, Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University Albert Einstein once famously said that, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” In this superb book, Professor Rhodes has demonstrated why she is regarded as our nation’s, and […]

Meeting youth where they are: Why social-emotional skills and cultural responsive mentoring is critical for college and career readiness

 Joana Ortiz, Manager of Marketing and Communications, Mass Mentoring Partnership July 25th, 2018 Posted In: Campaigns, Education, Mentoring Partnership I knew something was off when I couldn’t focus in my courses, the weight of my head was too much to bear, and getting out of bed was increasingly difficult as the days passed. I couldn’t articulate this at […]