Posts

Research highlights the importance of connection at high school

By Monika Raniti, Divyangana Rakesh, & Susan M. Sawyer, Reprinted from The Conversation About one in five young Australians will experience a mental health problem like depression or anxiety each year. The COVID pandemic has only intensified mental health concerns in young people. In Australia, decades of investment in early intervention and treatment services have […]

Christensen Institute report: How technology can personalize learning and build students’ relationships

By Thomas Arnett, Reprinted from the Christensen Institute In the wake of the pandemic, most schools have doubled down on ensuring each and every student receives the support needed to thrive both mentally and academically. As part of this increased call-to-action, strategies around accelerated learning, personalized learning, and building students’ relationships have dominated headlines and […]

Teen Girls Are Faring Worse Than Boys on Nearly All Mental Health Measures—Here’s Why

By Anita Slomski, Reprinted from JAMA Network Child and reproductive psychiatrist Misty Richards, MD, MS, puts it bluntly: “Our teen girls are not okay.” The program director for UCLA’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship recently cared for a girl who attempted suicide after receiving a college rejection letter. “Her self-worth was measured in achievement and […]

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 […]

[Webinar] Successful Mentoring Program Expansion: Breaking the Mold

Date: Apr 20, 2023, 01:00 PM EST How can organizations sustain or bolster their services while simultaneously addressing the diminishing presence of staff members, mentors, and mentees due to burnout, COVID-19 concerns, and other related stressors? Join this workshop to learn more about new approaches that promote program expansions that thrive. To register for the […]

WT Grant Foundation: Reducing Educational Inequality After the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Adam Gamoran and Richard J. Murnane, reprinted from the William T. Grant Foundation When President Barack Obama declared in December 2013 that the stifling combination of growing inequality and lack of upward mobility constituted “the defining challenge of our time,” he pointed to education as a pathway to economic opportunity (Obama, 2013).1 Nevertheless, the […]

The impact of a technology-enhanced peer mentor referral system on college freshmen

Werntz, A., Jasman, M., Simeon, K., Gunasekaran, H., Yowell, C., & Rhodes, J. E. (2023). Implementation of a technology-enhanced peer mentor referral system for first-year university students. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-023-00303-8 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Although a college degree offers many benefits, evidence indicates that 30% of students drop […]

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 […]

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 […]