Editor’s Blog

What’s lost when young people turn to AI for support instead of real people?

Jean Rhodes Chatbots are increasingly serving as on-demand…

Who Exactly was Mentor?: A Stunning Revelation

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by Jean Rhodes Books and articles about mentoring often begin…
AYPF Presentation: Referrals to Mentoring for Youth Involved in the Juvenile Justice System - Chronicle of Evidence-Based Mentoring

How Single-Session Interventions Could Transform Mentoring

by Jean Rhodes Single-session interventions (SSIs)--brief,…

“I get it and I care:” The power of validation

By Jean Rhodes The 50th edition of the Harvard Youth Poll,…

Capturing the “Beauty” of Group Mentoring

by Jean Rhodes A practitioner recently made an important…

Navigating the OCEAN: Leveraging the Big Five Personality Traits for Effective Mentor–Mentee Matching

By Jean Rhodes What makes a good mentor-mentee match? Programs…

The need to belong: New meta-analysis highlights the importance of a “sense of belonging”

By Jean Rhodes In these dark and alienating times, it is critically…

Happy Mentors, Happy Programs

By Jean Rhodes Mentors are the lynchpin of successful youth…

Tipping points and a path to more effective mentoring

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By Jean Rhodes In a recent JAMA psychiatry paper, Boston University…

Rates of volunteerism are declining: What can mentoring programs do?

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By Jean Rhodes Recent research indicates a dramatic decline…

New Research Suggests a Smarter Approach to Goal Setting

By Jean Rhodes Recent research has highlighted the benefits…

A momentous week and 10 nuggets

By Jean Rhodes During moments of transition, parents and mentors…

“Brokering” is One of The Most Valuable Things You Can Do In 2025

Brokering is particularly important for more marginalized youth, who face barriers to building networks. They often have limited access to professional mentors and networks, unfamiliarity with workplace norms, and fewer networking opportunities. There's also the problem of connection hoarding. Research has shown the ways that affluent parents’ strategically reserve their social connections to help their own children gain college admissions, secure internships, provide insider knowledge for career advancement, and ensure a smooth transition into the workforce.

The five most popular Chronicle posts of 2024

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by Jean Rhodes This past year has been marked by climate…