Tag Archive for: Volunteers

OJJDP-sponsored research yields important findings on youth mentoring

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DuBois, D. L., Alem, F., Silverthorn, N., & Stewart, K. (2020). Synthesis of OJJDP-sponsored mentoring research. National Mentoring Resource Center. https://nationalmentoringresourcecenter.org/index.php/news-category-blog/468-synthesis-of-ojjdp-sponsored-mentoring-research-2019-update.html Summarized by Monica Arkin Notes of Interest: Nearly one in five experimental/quasi-experimental studies found that youth participation in mentoring programs yielded statistically significant outcomes. Multiple studies reported difficulties with consistent program implementation. Six out […]

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Program evaluation is critical to determine whether children’s needs are adequately addressed

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Axford, A., Bjornstad, G., Matthews, J., Whybra, L., Berry, V., Ukoumunne, O. C., Hobbs, T., Wrigley, Z., Brook, L., … & Warner, G. (2020). The effectiveness of a community-based mentoring program for children aged 5–11 years: Results from a randomized controlled trial. Prevention Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-020-01132-4 Summarized by Monica Arkin Notes of Interest: This randomized controlled […]

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How cognitive biases shape our beliefs about mentoring

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by Jean Rhodes When we hear the word  “bias,” we instinctively think of such things as racial prejudice or slanted news coverage, but our brains are actually remarkably susceptible to all sorts of cognitive biases (Yagoda, 2018). Indeed, cognitive biases are very much at work in the field of youth mentoring. As I discuss in […]

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Recommendations for applying a social justice lens to youth mentoring

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Albright, J. N., Hurd, N. M., & Hussain, S. B. (2017). Applying a Social Justice Lens to Youth Mentoring: A Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Practice. Society for Community Research and Action. DOI 10.1002/ajcp.12143. Summarized by Karina DeAndrade and Harry Bayly Notes of Interest The authors reviewed literature on youth mentoring initiatives that […]

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What motivates volunteer mentors?

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Shier, M. L., Larsen-Halikowski, J., & Gouthro, S. (2020). Characteristics of volunteer motivation to mentor youth. Children and Youth Services Review, 111, 104885. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104885 Summarized by Kirsten Christensen Notes of Interest: Although mentor volunteers are critical in promoting positive youth outcomes, programs often struggle to recruit and retain skilled mentors. This qualitative study examined 22 […]

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How interpersonal dynamics impact mentee-perceived outcomes

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Shier, M. L., Larsen-Halikowski, J., & Gouthro, S. (2020). Interpersonal Dynamics Shaping Positive Mentee and Mentor Relationships. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-020-00660-w Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:   Despite the growing literature on mentoring, there’s still a lack of research on youth’s interests and priorities in mentoring, as well as the effectiveness and […]

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The effectiveness of online peer mentorship programs for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disabilities

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Saxena, S., Mitchell, J., Ehsan, A., Majnemer, A., & Shikako‐Thomas, K. (2020). Online peer mentorship programmes for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disabilities: A systematic review. Child: Care, Health and Development, 46(1), 132–148. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12726 Summarized by Ariel Ervin  Notes of Interest: Youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities may have differences in how they are able to participate in and […]

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Identifying key features of mentor self-disclosure in the context of youth mentoring

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Dutton, H., Deane, K. L., & Bullen, P. (2020). Opening up: An exploration of youth mentor self-disclosure using laboratory-based direct observation. Children and Youth Services Review, 108, 104654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104654 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Self-disclosure helps strengthen existing relationships as well as help create new ones Despite the importance of having close mentoring […]

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Youth mentoring: the motivation of volunteering and the validity of the volunteer function inventory

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  Teye, AC,  Peaslee, L. (2020). Why mentor? A validation study of the volunteer functions inventory for use in youth mentoring. Journal of Community Psychology, 1– 19. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22326 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Examines the validity of the Volunteer Functions Inventory, as well as the functional motivations of youth mentoring program volunteers  473 participants/mentors were […]

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When mentors and mentees communicate, what role does self-disclosure have?

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Dutton, K.L. Deane, P. Bullen, Opening up: An exploration of youth mentor self- disclosure using laboratory-based direct observation, Children and Youth Services Review (2019), doi: https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104654 Summarized by Jeremy Astesano Notes of Interest: These authors sought to understand how communication, a crucial element of building strong relationships, occurred in a mentoring context. Specifically, they […]

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