Informal Mentoring

Promoting a sense of purpose and meaning through natural mentoring

White, A.E., Lincoln, B., Liang, B., Sepulveda, J., Matyjaszczyk, V., Kupersmith, C, Hill, N.E.,  & Perella, J. (2020). “My Mentor Thinks That I can Be Someone Amazing”: Drawing Out  Youths’ Passions and Purpose. Journal of Adolescent Research, 1 – 26. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558420942481  Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Although young people have more career paths to […]

Natural mentors can buffer the effects of racial discrimination on African American youth

Editor’s Note: Recent events and protests have sparked a national dialogue around race and the role of racial discrimination in the lives of young African Americans. This study suggests that both parents and mentors can play an important role in attenuating some of the negative effects and keeping young people focused on school.  Cooper, M. S., […]

The impact of natural mentors on developing youth in foster care

Greeson, J. K. P., Weiler, L. M., Thompson, A. E., Taussig, H. N. (2016). A First Look At Natural Mentoring Among Preadolescent Foster Children. Journal of Communit Psychology. DOI: 10.1002/jcop.21788 Summarized by Karina DeAndrade and Harry Bayly Notes of Interest: This study focused on the effects of natural mentors and their impact on preadolescent foster […]

Sexual minority youth natural mentoring experiences differ from those of heterosexual youth

Johnson, D., Gastic, B. (2015). Natural Mentoring in the Lives of Sexual Minority Youth. Journal of Community Psychology, 43(4), 395-407. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.21692 Summarized by Karina De Andrade Notes of Interest: Sexual minority youth were less likely than heterosexual youth to identify family members as mentors, and more likely to identify school adults as mentors. Sexual minority youth […]

New study on barriers to forming natural mentoring relationships in Latinx youth

Monjaras-Gaytan, L. Y., Sánchez, B., & Smith Carter, J. (2020). Developing natural mentoring relationships among latinx youth: the roles of trust in adults and stressors. Applied Developmental Science, 1-12. Summarized by Cyanea Poon   Notes of Interest: Latinx youth face social inequalities that may impede them from becoming adults who can achieve their educational and career […]

All the tech in the world: School closures and the loss of natural mentoring

  “Ultimately you can have all the tech in the world, but really great learning is a human endeavor. It’s about the teacher and student relationship.” Todd Rose, Harvard Graduate School of Education and co-founder of Populace   By Jean Rhodes In addition to lost learning opportunities during COVID-19, many students are also losing vital […]

Parents’ and caretakers’ perceptions of informal youth mentorships

Weiler, L. M., Keyzers, A., Scafe, M., Anderson, A., & Cavell, T. A. (2020). “My village fell apart”: Parents’ Views on Seeking Informal Mentoring Relationships for Their Children. Family Relations, n/a(n/a). https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12436 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Although evidence has proven the benefits of having non-parental figures involved in children’s lives, many youths […]

Which young people have access to informal mentoring?

Gowdy, G., Miller, D. P., & Spencer, R. (2020). Expanding and deepening our understanding of  which young people are most likely to have an informal mentor. Children and Youth Services Review, 108, 104490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104490 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Approximately 50% of young people do not have an informal mentor There’s a lack of […]

Identifying attributes of natural youth mentoring relationships

Deutsch, N. L., Mauer, V. A., Johnson, H. E., Grabowska, A. A., & Arbeit, M. R. (2020). “[My counselor] knows stuff about me, but [my natural mentor] actually knows me”: Distinguishing characteristics of youth’s natural mentoring relationships. Children and Youth Services Review, 111, 104879. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104879 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Despite the evidence that […]

How informal mentoring may benefit the educational resilience of sexual minority youth

Gastic, B. & Johnson, D. (2009). Teacher-mentors and the educational resilience of sexual minority youth, Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 21:2-3, 219-231, DOI:10.1080/10538720902772139 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: “Teacher-mentors and the Educational resilience of Sexual Minority Youth” is the first research study that analyzes the advantages of informally mentoring sexual minority […]