Entries by Jean Rhodes

Laughter can encourage self-disclosure and closeness with mentees

by Jeremy Dean Laughter encourages people to open up and this is the secret to how to make friends, a new study finds. People in the study were more likely to disclose something personal about themselves after laughing together, although they didn’t realise it. Self-disclosure is usually critical to how to make friends, as the study’s […]

The Hidden Costs of Growing up in the Shadow of Wealth for Low-Income Children

By Candice Odgers, Ph.D. (posted on WTGrant.Org) William T. Grant Scholar Candice Odgers describes findings from her recent study, which suggests that living among affluent neighbors predicts antisocial behavior among low-income boys.   One of New York City’s newest luxury apartment buildings has just started accepting applications for low-income renters who will use what some have […]

Our disconnected working class

By Michael Gerson  Much about the future health of the republic depends on Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam being wrong. Given the track record of Harvard social scientists, this might appear a reasonable bet. But, in this case, Putnam’s diligence and thoughtfulness make for very bad news. Putnam has spent much of his academic life as […]

The William T. Grant Foundation releases a new report on disparities in youth’s use of health and mental health services in the U.S.

Originally posted on the WT Grant Foundation WTGrantfoundation.org Mental health is recognized as a central determinant of individual well-being, family relationships, and engagement in society, yet there are considerable variations in mental health and mental health care according to race and ethnicity among youth in the U.S. In their new report, Margarita Alegría and colleagues […]

Mentoring and Egocentrism: Do people overestimate their ability to provide emotional support over email?

Kruger, J., Epley, N., Parker, J., & Ng, Z. (2005). Egocentrism over e-mail: Can we communicate as well as we think?. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 89(6), 925-936. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.89.6.925 summarized by Evan Cutler, Assistant Director, Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring  Introduction: Kruger, Epley, Parker, & Ng (2005) conducted five studies to explore how people communicate with a […]

New report explains how supportive relationships strengthen the foundations of resilience

Decades of research in the behavioral and social sciences have produced substantial evidence that children who do well despite serious hardship have had at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive parent, caregiver, or other adult. These relationships buffer children from developmental disruption and help them build key capacities, such as the ability […]

New MentoringU podcast introduces you to Renee Moss: 30 year veteran of mentoring!

In this exclusive iTunes MentoringU podcast, Renee Moss, program director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County, describes her journey from teaching to mentoring and ultimately to BBBS. She has been with the organization for over 30 years. Renee is passionate about forging community partnerships and collaborations. A result of her drive is the country’s only Adoption Mentoring […]

MENTOR is hiring a new Senior Director of Development

Position Summary: MENTOR is currently seeking an experienced leader to serve as the Senior Director of Development. He/she will lead all aspects of development during an exciting phase of organizational growth. Reporting to and working closely with the CEO and other members of the senior leadership team, the Senior Director of Development will build from […]