Tag Archive for: Volunteers

Using mentorships to promote agency and a sense of belonging among asylum seekers

Amitay, G. (2022). From helpless rage to loving resistance: Resistance to othering and practices of agency in mentoring children of asylum seekers in Israel. Child & Youth Care Forum, 51(4), 705–727. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-021-09649-7 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  More than 30,000 African refugees and asylum seekers (AS) live in Israel. AS in Israel endure restrictive […]

Beyond academics: How after-school programs play an essential role on youth development & learning

Philp, K. (2022). More than homework help: The critical role of afterschool programs for youth learning and development. Theory Into Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2022.2107344 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Despite the growing popularity of after-school programs (APS) in America, their impact and funding are still controversial. This journal article reviews findings about after-school programs to highlight […]

Creating safe spaces for youth boys of color through mentoring relationships

Sánchez, B., Pinkston, K. D., Cooper, A. C., Luna, C., & Wyatt, S. T. (2018). One falls, we all fall: How boys of color develop close peer mentoring relationships. Applied Developmental Science, 22(1), 14–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2016.1208092 Summarized by Maggie Bayly Notes of Interest Mentoring relationship quality – more specifically, relationship closeness – is linked to positive […]

Supporting student success through joint decision-making in schools

Lyons, M. D., Edwards, K. D., & Fallavollita, W. L. (2021). Promoting mentoring relationships through joint decisions: Evidence from a national mentoring program. School Psychology, 36(4), 214–223. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000440 Summarized by Maggie Bayly Notes of Interest: A strong mentor-mentee relationship is established through a personal and emotional connection with a nonfamilial adult. The quality of the […]

Why mentor?: New study has surprising implications for mentor recruitment and retention

Jean Rhodes Despite strenuous efforts, many mentoring programs  struggle to recruit enough volunteers for all of the youth who need them.  A major barrier is the fact that, unlike other forms of volunteering, mentoring requires a sustained and relatively intensive  commitment. In some mentoring programs, for example, volunteers are expected to meet with their mentees […]

Mentoring and youth depressive symptoms: New associations with mentoring relationship quality.

Browne, R., Jarjoura, G. R., Keller, T. E., Tanyu, M., Herrera, C., & Schwartz, S. E. O. (2022). Mentoring and depressive symptoms of youth: Examining prospective and interactive associations with mentoring relationship quality. American Journal of Community Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12608 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Depression is associated with a variety of issues that can negatively […]

How to Give Back to Your Mentor

By Joshua Bowen and Chaveso Cook, Reprinted from the Harvard Business Review During a recent phone call, a long-distance mentee asked one of us a familiar question: “Josh, how do I make our relationship more reciprocal? I feel like you’ve helped so much with my career, but I have nothing to offer in return.” We’ve […]

New study identifies predictors of youth mentorship termination

Lyons, M. D., & Edwards, K. D. (2022). Strategies for monitoring mentoring relationship quality to predict early program dropout. American Journal of Community Psychology.  https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12585 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Despite the popularity of mentoring in America, many studies on these interventions have small to moderate effect sizes. Assessment data have the potential […]

Why do some mentoring relationships “click” while others fail?

by Jean Rhodes Even the most caring, consistent mentors may struggle to connect with certain youth, while other matches just seem to click from the start. Researchers have found that the quality of adult-youth relationships is conditioned by a wide range of individual, family, and contextual influences, including: 1.  Interpersonal History Children and adolescents who […]

CZI Supports Racial Diversity in Education to Improve Outcomes for All Students

Bolstered by continued research showing the positive impact of a racially and culturally diverse educator workforce on student learning, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative today announced another series of grants to expand the pipeline of diverse teachers, administrators, and education leaders nationwide. Totaling more than $9 million, these grants support organizations with bold initiatives to ensure […]