By Jean Rhodes
“When I was in high school, my guidance counselor did not do any of this…I saw my guidance counselor when I was applying for college.” (Jacquelyn Indrisano, ninth grade guidance counselor at East Boston High, quoted in … Read the rest
By Jean Rhodes
Although the U.S. continues to account for the largest proportion of youth mentoring programs, many others have emerged across the globe, most notably in Israel, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and, more recently, continental Europe. … Read the rest
By Jean Rhodes
When I wrote Stand by Me: The risks and rewards of mentoring today’s youth more than 15 years ago, I assumed that it would be my final, book-length manuscript on youth mentoring. As I complete yet a … Read the rest
“The pieces I am, she gather them and gave them back to me in all the right order.”
Toni Morrison, Beloved.
by Jean Rhodes
Although youth mentoring programs should continue to target the full range of issues (e.g.., academics, college … Read the rest
by Jean Rhodes
I maintain an email file of the student excuses I’ve received in my 20 years as a professor at UMass Boston. Some are predictable for college students, “I spilled coke on my computer and it turned off … Read the rest
by Jean Rhodes
Transference is what happens when someone redirects unconscious feelings about one person onto someone else. In mentoring, a mentee might redirect his or her feelings, such as anger/disappointment with a parent, frustration with a teacher, ambivalence toward … Read the rest
Why did you do all this for me?” [Wilbur] asked. “I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for you.” “You have been my friend,” replied Charlotte. “By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift my life a trifle. … Read the rest
By Jean Rhodes
In his recent best-selling book, Winner Takes All, writer Anand Giridharadas sheds light on the complexities and potentially self-serving nature of focusing on individual solutions and one-off opportunities in an unjust world. Through this lens, private … Read the rest
by Jean Rhodes
Here’s a story for graduation season. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a commencement address at Princeton University. The speaker, writer Michael Lewis, described a study in which researchers divided UC Berkeley students … Read the rest
by Jean Rhodes
In 1936, psychologist Saul Rosenzweig coined the term “Dodo Bird Verdict” to illustrate the frequent claims that all helping relationships are roughly equivalent in terms of their effectiveness. Rosenzweig evoked a scene in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, … Read the rest
MENTOR: The National Mentoring PartnershipNovember 12, 2014 - 
Academic Web PagesAugust 6, 2012 -