Practice

What Is the ‘Mentoring Gap,’ and How Can Schools Help Close It?

By Evie Blad, Reprinted from EducationWeek Adults under 40 are more likely to say they had a mentor growing up than their peers in older generations. But that promising trend has hit some turbulence in recent years as members of Generation Z are less likely to report having had a mentoring relationship than millennials. That’s […]

Four Ways to Better Support Young Adults Transitioning out of Foster Care

By Michael Pergamit and Marla McDaniel, Reprinted from the Urban Institute Congress established the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood, known as Chafee, in 1999. That means the program, which provides support to assist young adults transitioning out of the foster care system, is now 23, the same age when […]

Three Steps toward Implementing Equity-Centered Student Supports and Engagement Practices

By Amanda Briggs, Reprinted from the Urban Institute Many students of color seek out career and technical education (CTE) programs, particularly programs offered online, to further their education and increase their earnings potential. But previous research has demonstrated that grade point averages, CTE program completion rates, and earnings after program entry are lower for Black […]

How Mentorship and Support Can Help Opportunity Youth Reach their Goals

By Abigail Ellis, Reprinted from the National Mentoring Resource Center The novel coronavirus pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption in the lives of young adults. In particular, opportunity youth—those aged 16–24 who are not in school or employed—have been disproportionately affected by the economic downturn resulting from this crisis. Without the required education or skills, this […]

How educators can overcome barriers to building relationships

Reprinted from the Search Institute Schools are a place for learning, and a place for relating. Search Institute’s decades of research shows us that young people’s development is rooted in their community and in their relationships. When young people have high-quality, positive relationships with parents, teachers, mentors, coaches, and peers, they are more likely to […]

4 Simple Ways to Build Relationships With Your Students

High school students benefit from meaningful relationships with adults at school, and teachers can foster those ties in little ways every day. By Alex Brouhard, Reprinted from Edutopia Last year, my school’s social and emotional learning staff distributed a survey to every student, asking how connected they felt at school. Eighty-four percent reported feeling connected […]

Mentoring Children with Traumatic Experiences

By Dana M. Sox & Helen Min, Reprinted from Youth NEX Highlights: Research suggests there is a potential increase in child adversity exposures, or trauma, post-pandemic. In general, mentoring relationships may help because they can lead to greater self-esteem, stronger connections to school, peers, and family, lower levels of depression, and less involvement in bullying […]

Supporting Young People to Help Them Feel Seen, Heard, and Valued

Reprinted from the Search Institute Today many in schools, afterschool programs, and families are asking, how can we support young people to ensure they feel seen, heard, and valued? The answer lies in a comprehensive and intentional approach to creating positive skills and values, as well as close connections with adults and peers. This helps […]

Fostering Connections Promotes Positive Youth Development

Reprinted from the Search Institute Nurturing relationships are at the heart of what youth need to learn, grow, and thrive. Fostering connections between supportive adults and young people builds resilience and the ability for them to envision and create a positive future, even in cases of poverty, discrimination, COVID-19 isolation, substance abuse, neglect, or other […]

Helping Young People Develop Social Capital for a Successful Future

Reprinted from Search Institute Social capital consists of the resources that arise from a web of relationships that people can access and mobilize to help them improve their lives and achieve their goals. But how do you help young people to build their social capital? And why is it important? Social capital is one of the […]