Posts

Mentoring Then and Now

Melvin Simensky, Co-Chair The New York County Lawyers’ Association When mentoring was first used in a legal context, it described two main circumstances which also prevail today. One is the establishment of an amicable relationship between a senior attorney and young people such as high-schoolers interested in later pursuing a legal career. The second main use […]

Can you schedule fun? Implications for Mentors

Written by Erika Ebsworth-Goold-WUSTL Life moves fast, and finding enough hours in the day to get everything done is, at times, a seemingly impossible task. Scheduling—whether keeping a calendar, a to-do list, or setting a smartphone reminder—is a saving grace for many people trying to accomplish as much as they can, as efficiently as they […]

It Takes a Community to Heal Traumatized Youth, and Formal and Natural Mentors Have a Part to Play

By Cathy Anthofer-Fialon, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange Juvenile justice is a delicate dance between the court, families and the community. Juvenile justice began as a recognition that youth/children are different from adults and benefit from the rehabilitative nature of the court system. However, communities can demand youth be “taught a lesson” and pressure may be […]

2016 European Summit On Mentoring: Press Release

Author: European Council. The following press release was issued by the Presidency of the Council of the EU on March 17, 2016 9:07 am. Mentoring is a proven tool, not only in tackling youth unemployment, early school leaving and the low level of interest in vocational education, but also for contributing to academic and entrepreneurial […]

How To Talk To Kids About Tragic Events

Written by Kelly Wallace, CNN After a horrific event like the terrorism in Brussels or the Paris attacks, parents are faced with this dilemma: What do I tell my kids? How can I talk to them about something so senseless and indiscriminate? About something that we can’t make sense of ourselves? “When we feel ourselves […]

Brief Mentoring, Big Effects: Evaluation of a Short-Term, School-Based Mentoring Intervention

McQuillin, S., Strait, G., Bradley, S., & Ingram A. (2015). Brief instrumental school-based mentoring for first- and second- year middle school students: A randomized evaluation. Journal of Community Psychology, 43(7), 885-899. Summarized by Jessica Cunningham   Introduction School-based mentoring programs are one of the fastest growing types of mentoring programs across the United States, but […]

Part 2: A Novel Program Provides a Network of Support for At-Risk Youth

How a Tapestry of Care Helps Teens Succeed By David Bornstein In the second installment of a two-part series on Thread, the Baltimore-based social support program, author David Bornstein revisits the organization and examines the structural aspects of its programmatic success. From the author’s description of Thread’s programming, “The organization works with public high school […]

The power of stories in youth mentoring

By Jean Rhodes There’s a familiar pattern to the many mentoring events that I have attended over the years. After the networking, thanks, and announcements, attendees are often introduced to a bright young person and his or her triumphant, odds beating story. Oftentimes, we meet the kind volunteer mentor who, through thick and thin, stayed by the young person’s side. I’m […]

A Novel Program Provides an Entire Network of Support for At-Risk Youth

In the first of a two-part series in the New York Times, author David Bornstein puts the spotlight on a novel mentoring program being run in Baltimore City Public Schools. The organization, Thread, marshalls volunteer support for at-risk ninth graders. While the idea of utilizing volunteers to provide assistance to at-risk youth is not unique […]

How Adults Can Step Up in Youth Social Activism

Bernadette Sanchez In a recent example of youth social activism, Meggie Noel and Kylie Webster-Cazeau started a campaign via YouTube videos and social media (#BlackAtBLS) to expose the racially hostile environment at their Boston elite public school. They gave examples of teachers who either engaged in racial microagressions and blatant racism and administrators who were […]