By Julia Freeland Fisher, Christensen Institute Last spring, I had the chance to speak with Jean Rhodes, a leading researcher in the world of mentoring, and author of the book Older and Wiser: New Ideas for Youth Mentoring in the 21st Century. For schools managing yet another year of pandemic upheavals, Rhodes’ findings offer a […]
by Jean Rhodes In an influential chapter, mentoring researchers Timothy Cavell and Chris Elledge (2014) argued that the field of youth mentoring needs to move from the common “relationship as intervention” model (i.e., the friendship model where the primary goal is form a close bond) to a “relationship as a context for intervention” model. In this latter […]
By Julia Freeland Fisher, Reprinted from The Christensen Institute How does students’ social capital impact their resiliency, agency, and access to new opportunities? I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with researcher and entrepreneur, Brian Lightfoot, who’s one of my favorite thinkers on this topic. The full video of our conversation is below, but […]
by Jean Rhodes Chances are you’ve heard about the pedestrian on 57th Street who sees a musician getting out of a cab and asks, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” Without pause, the musician replies “Practice.” Indeed, when it comes to any skill, from music and sports to academics and social-emotional learning, practice makes […]
by Jean Rhodes I think we can all agree that a good working relationship is a necessary ingredient of all successful mentoring. It can provide a safe, supportive foundation for learning new skills and navigating challenging topics and tasks. In one mentoring program, for example, high school seniors who had expressed an interest in college, […]
By Valerie Threlfall, Joseph E. Luesse, and Kim Sabo Flores, Reprinted from Youth Today Young people have a long history of pushing societal boundaries, helping us grow and evolve by promoting social, racial and political justice, often speaking up when adults do not have the courage or will to do so. In fact, they have […]
Kanchewa, S., Christensen, K. M., Poon, C. Y. S., Parnes, M., & Schwartz, S. (2021). More than fun and games? Understanding the role of school-based mentor-mentee match activity profiles in relationship processes and outcomes. Children and Youth Services Review, 120, 105757. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105757 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Although evidence suggests that matched mentoring activities can […]
by Jean Rhodes Well, 2020 was not the year we anticipated. From the killing of George Floyd to the wildfires that rampaged California, to a particularly bitter political campaign that continues to divide us with baseless claims of voter fraud, and a global pandemic, 2020 will go down as one of the most difficult years […]
By Laura Furr, Reprinted from Youth Today How different would today look if people most affected by decisions held equal power in making those decisions? If public health decision-makers included Black, Indigenous and Latinx patients who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and suffer the effects of racially biased health care? If police accountability review boards, […]
By Jean Rhodes The end of the pandemic may be on the horizon, but its impact on mentoring program practices will be felt well into the future. Sadly, many relationships were disrupted just when youth needed them most. The loss of face-to-face contact was particularly painful as youth struggled with the isolation and anxiety. A […]
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