MentorHub

Teaching to fish: New study highlights the value of building students’ social capital

By Jean Rhodes A growing number of innovative mentoring programs have emerged in recent years that involve both “teaching youth to fish” for mentors (i.e., to recruit natural mentors) and “stocking the pond” (i.e., expanding the availability of high-social capital adults in marginalized youth’s lives). For years, the National Guard Youth Challenge Program, an intensive […]

Promoting relational equity with science mentoring programs

Klein, E. R., & Bell, P. (2023). Distributing expertise and building relationships: Designing for relational equity in youth–scientist mentoring interactions. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 27(1). https://openjournals.libs.uga.edu/jheoe/article/view/2771 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Despite the potential science mentoring programs have in promoting interest in STEM, traditional approaches have some limitations in enforcing […]

Supporting mentors in cross-racial matches with Black youth: Insights from Dr. Kristian Jones

A new study has been published highlighting the experiences of mentors in cross-racial matches with Black youth. Megyn Jasman interviewed leading author Dr. Kristian Jones, Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Washington, on findings and recommendations for mentoring programs supporting cross-racial matches. Q: Program components and support are crucial […]

New meta-analysis of after-school programs sheds light on moderators that affect reported youth outcomes

Christensen, K. M., Kremer, K. P., Poon, C. Y., & Rhodes, J. E. (2023). A meta‐analysis of the effects of after‐school programmes among youth with marginalized identities. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology. Summarized by Ellen Parry Luff Notes of Interest There is a growing consensus that after-school programs (ASPs) are a positive resource for […]

Mentoring Latinx youth seeking technology careers

Denner, J., & Torres, D. (2023). How natural mentoring is used by Latinx youth at a community technology center. Journal of Latinos and Education, 22(1), 339-356. Summarized by Ellen Parry Luff Notes of Interest Despite the rapid growth of the technological workforce in America, Latinx are underrepresented in the field of technology.  Evidence shows that mentoring […]

National Bureau of Economic Research report explores how natural mentors contribute to students’ long-term academic success

Kraft, M. A., Bolves, A. J., & Hurd, N. M. (2023). How informal mentoring by teachers, counselors, and coaches supports students’ long-run academic success. National Bureau of Economic Research. © 2023 by Matthew A. Kraft, Alexander J. Bolves, and Noelle M. Hurd Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Schools are institutions that foster academic skills that […]

How do informal mentoring networks for foster youth students change over time?

Gowdy, G., Hogan, S., Roosevelt, K., Saastamoinen, M., & Levine, S. (2023). Informal mentoring for foster youth students: Core and capital mentors over time. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 40(2), 221–236. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-022-00899-5 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Many youths involved in the foster care system experience hardship before, during, and after their care placement. Evidence […]

Questions for Dr. Rebecca L. Stelter: A randomized controlled trial of enhanced mentoring program practices for children of incarcerated caregivers

Interviewed By Saniya Soni 1. Several meta-analyses have found that targeted mentoring programs have better outcomes. Your recent paper looked at a targeted mentoring approach for COIP and found that it was indeed more effective for COIP. Why do you think programs are hesitant to become more targeted when the research clearly points to better […]

Finding purpose during times of adversity: The MentorOn program

Patel, K. N., Lincoln, B., Gomez, L. A. M., Lopez, A. C., Ting, T., Lund, T. J., & Liang, B. (2023). MentorOn: A peer mentoring program developed for COVID‐19 times. Journal of Community Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.23030 Summarized by Megyn Jasman and Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought up several concerns about youth […]

New study explores the effects of white mentors’ beliefs about discrimination

Simpson, S. B., Hsu, T., & Raposa, E. B. (2023). Trajectories and impact of White mentors’ beliefs about racial and ethnic discrimination in a formal youth mentoring program. American Journal of Community Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12664 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Evidence indicates that American mentoring programs are more accessible and less stigmatizing for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, […]