Tag Archive for: Goal Setting

New “mega-analysis” points to valuable role for mentors: Practicing skills with mentees

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Christensen, K. M., Assink, M., van Dam, L., Stams, G.-J., Poon, C. Y. S., Astesano, J., & Rhodes, J. E. (2023). Youth interventions with and without supervised practice: A second-order meta-analysis. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-023-00921-4 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Many prevention interventions (e.g., psychotherapy and universal prevention programs) recently started transitioning […]

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Like compulsive gold miners: Reflecting on five (and counting) new meta-analyses

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By Jean Rhodes My colleagues and I began conducting meta-analyses of youth mentoring programs around five years ago and we can’t seem to stop. Like compulsive gold miners, we find ourselves returning to this method, again and again, hoping to uncover yet another helpful nugget. A meta-analysis combines the results of multiple evaluations to determine […]

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

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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 […]

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Even older and wiser: Guessing again about how to improve mentoring

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  Good tests kill flawed theories; we remain alive to guess again. Karl Popper By Jean Rhodes “Older and wiser: New ideas for mentoring in the 21st Century ” was released in paperback last week. As I reflect on this milestone, I must acknowledge that, in the 2.5 years since the book was published, some […]

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Finding a balance: The benefits of integrating youth- and goal-focused approaches in youth mentorships

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Werntz, A., Poon, C. Y. S., & Rhodes, J. E. (2023). Striking the balance: The relative benefits of goal- and youth-focused approaches to youth mentoring relationships. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01751-4 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Evidence suggests that targeted, goal-focused mentoring approaches are more effective than non-specific mentoring approaches in promoting a variety […]

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Human support for digital mental health interventions: a promising approach

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Werntz, A., Amado, S., Jasman, M., Ervin, A, & Rhodes, J. (2023). Providing human support for the use of digital mental health interventions: Systematic meta-review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25. https://www.jmir.org/2023/1/e42864 Summarized by Megyn Jasman Notes of Interest: Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) are popular because research has shown that many are effective. However, many […]

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Commentary on CDC Report Finds Alarming Levels of Mental Health Symptoms in High School Students

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By Alexandra Werntz, Ph.D. On February 13, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  results of a survey conducted with American high school students in the fall of 2021. According to the data, the kids are not alright.   More specifically, the report highlights three major takeaways:  “New CDC report raises urgency to invest in […]

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The value of career mentoring programs for justice-involved youths

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Varghese, F. P., Bihm, E. M., Gibbons, C., Bull, C., Whitmore, J., Nolan, J., & Tomas Flores, L. (2022). Pilot Study of Career Mentoring Program for Juveniles. Psychological Services. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ser0000689 Summarized by Charlotte Styron and Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Employment plays an important role in preventing recidivism among adults involved with the justice […]

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The importance of engagement for adolescents in afterschool programs

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Sjogren, A. L., Zumbrunn, S., Broda, M., Bae, C. L., & Deutsch, N. L. (2022). Understanding afterschool engagement: Investigating developmental outcomes for adolescents. American Journal of Community Psychology, 69, 169– 182. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12554 Summarized by Charlotte Styron and Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Evidence suggests that participating in high-quality after-school programs promotes positive youth development & academic outcomes. […]

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

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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 […]

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