Contributors

Should mentors be compensated? Two experts weigh in

Professor Timothy Cavell is the  Director of the Center for Research on Aggression and Victimization (CRAV). Primarily, CRAV’s researchers are interested in the development of effective interventions for school age children that may be on their way to having problems as they grow. Sometimes it makes sense to compensate mentors Do you think that mentors […]

The messenger matters: New research shows peers better than teachers at academic motivation

Posted by Andy Henion “Why do I have to learn this?” is a common question among young adults. New research suggests an answer from their peers has more weight than one from their teachers. University students who received a rationale for why learning is important from people similar to them—in this case actors posing as young professionals—wrote […]

Commentary on CDC Report Finds Alarming Levels of Mental Health Symptoms in High School Students

By Alexandra Werntz, Ph.D. On February 13, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  results of a survey conducted with American high school students in the fall of 2021. According to the data, the kids are not alright.   More specifically, the report highlights three major takeaways:  “New CDC report raises urgency to invest in […]

How Mentors Support Young Adults as They Gain Awareness of Societal Inequality and Engage in Social Action

Authors: Lidia Y. Monjaras-Gaytan & Bernadette Sánchez Young people have been at the forefront of many sociopolitical issues — whether they are protesting, getting involved with community organizing, sharing their views on social issues on social media, or simply challenging their friends’ racist opinions. They are demonstrating that at a young age, they are becoming […]

On Methods: What’s a meta-analysis, anyways?

  by Adar Ben-Eliyahu, Assistant Professor, University of Haifa There is often considerable fanfare when a new meta-analysis is published. What’s the excitement about anyways? Don’t most meta-analyses seem to be saying things we already know from previous research? This is somewhat true, as meta-analyses summarize previous research findings. However, in contrast to a review, […]

The youth mental health crisis is real, but teachers can’t solve it alone

By David B. Shapiro and Stephanie M. Jones, Reprinted from The Hill The U.S. surgeon general this month issued a stark warning about the state of mental health among America’s youth. Citing mounting evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to social isolation, feelings of hopelessness, and self-harm among adolescents, his public health advisory urged […]

When COVID robbed children of their friendships, learning suffered

By Caitlin McDermott-Murphy, Reprinted from The Harvard Gazette After the pandemic closed schools last year, hospitals saw a surge in mental health-related emergency visits among children 18 and under. The statistics have been grim enough that a large cohort of the nation’s top pediatricians recently declared a “national emergency” in child and adolescent mental health. […]

Schrauth and Shapiro: Virtual Mentoring Was Invaluable During the Pandemic. Keeping It Going Can Close the Gap for the 1 in 3 Students Who Need a Mentor’s Help

By Kate Schrauth & David Shapiro, Reprinted from The 24 Early on, it seemed mentoring could be another casualty of the pandemic, the developmental relationships so many young people depended on for guidance and stability dissipating right when they were needed most. The COVID-19 crisis not only had the potential to disrupt learning, it threatened […]

15 Strategies and Tips to Guide Youth in the Months Ahead

By Robin Cox, Reprinted from Mentoring Matters Recently I shared research on the impact of the pandemic and lockdowns on youth with some local mentors. While the impact will vary from country to country, there were some common themes which I will share in this blog, ending with some strategies and tips anyone guiding youth […]

When relationships come first in schools, success follows

By Jean Eddy and David Shapiro, Reprinted from Youth Today After more than a year of disrupted school for most of the country, we know that meaningful relationships are a powerful part of our young people’s lives. Based on our work and research, we also know they play a key role in helping kids explore […]