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LA Johnson/NPR

How The Barber, And Other Caring Adults, Help Kids Succeed

Anya Kamenetz, nprED In a working-class city in southeast Michigan there’s a barbershop where kids get a $2 discount for reading a book aloud to their barber. “Any help these kids can get with reading and … comprehension is a big thing,” said Ryan Griffin, the veteran barber who instituted the program. “You know, maybe someday […]

The critical ingredient of youth programs –natural mentors

Schwartz, S. E. O., Chan, C. S., Rhodes, J. E. & Scales, P. C. (2013). Community developmental assets and positive youth development: The role of natural mentors. Research in Human Development, 10(2), 141-162. Summarized by Jessica Cunningham, B.A. Lab Manager, Center of Evidence-Based Mentoring Introduction: Ironically enough, many people who would fit the definition of […]

Research illuminates important factors in informal mentoring relationships

Meltzer, A., Muir, K., & Craig, L. (2016). Being trusted: The perspectives of trusted adults about engaging with young people. Children and Youth Services Review, 63, 58-66.   Summarized by Rachel Rubin   Introduction: As young people move away from home, they often form relationships with trusted adults to help guide them in their newly independent lives. […]

The Coach’s influence off the field

By ELIZABETH BERNSTEIN Wall Street Journal Aug. 1, 2016 1:52 p.m. ET There is a special man who’s changed my life recently, and he says these things to me: “You rock!” “Great job in difficult circumstances.” “You should be really proud of yourself.” He’s my scuba instructor. A great sports instructor or coach builds us […]

There’s no substitute for someone who gets you

by Laura Yoviene and Jean Rhodes We like people who “get” us–those friends and family members who seem to understand who we are at an intuitive level and yet love and appreciate us all the same. Students gravitate toward teachers, guidance counselors, and other adults who get them, which creates opportunities for these caring adults to influence students’ career choices and […]

The power of many: Why schools are embracing broader formal and informal mentoring networks

Written by Alyza Sebenius, The Atlantic In her job as a “dream director,” Jessica Valoris is tasked with unleashing the potential of disadvantaged students at an inner-city high school in Washington, D.C. Her employer, a New York-based nonprofit called The Future Project, embeds mentors like Valoris in public schools, characterizing her role as a “midwife […]

Over 100 votes, and the winner is…..

      The results are in and the term caring adults won by a very small margin. Everyday mentors and natural mentors were edged out by only a couple of votes, and if combined, there still does appear to be a strong consensus around using the term “mentor,” despite some objections from formal mentoring programs. The term […]

On sparks, purpose, and natural mentors

Reflections on Natural Mentoring Conference by Peter Samuelson, Director, Research & Evaluation, Thrive Foundation If we want to increase the number of caring adults in the lives of youth, where might they be found? In the mentoring field, the metaphor of “fishing” has been used to illustrate mentoring. To increase the presence of caring adults […]

Sherpas, Anchors, and VIPS: Do we need a new term for “natural mentors?”

by Jean Rhodes What do you call a caring adult who helps young people in their everyday lives? This isn’t a riddle, it’s a question that perplexed experts and led to a lot of debate at a recent mini-conference on “natural mentors.” The volunteers who are trained and supported through programs are formal mentors, but the term natural mentor can […]

The Long-Term Economic Benefits of Natural Mentoring Relationships for Youth

 Timpe, Z. & Lunkenheimer, E. (2015) American Journal of Community Psychology. Sep2015, Vol. 56 Issue 1/2, p12-24. 13p. 3 Charts. DOI: 10.1007/s10464-015-9735-x from the abstract: Natural mentors have been shown to help improve psychological and educational outcomes of youth, and may serve an important role for youth experiencing risk in the home. Using data from […]