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A potential alternative mentoring intervention for youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Karoff, M., Tucker, A. R., Alvarez, T., & Kovacs, P. (2017). Infusing a peer-to-peer support program with Adventure Therapy for adolescent students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Experiential Education, 40, 394-408. doi:10.1177/1053825917727551 Summarized by Renée Klein Schaarsberg Notes of Interest: This article provides preliminary support for a way to increase social competence and decreasing […]

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Today’s special: Friendship, with a side of purpose and direction

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Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction. John F. Kennedy by Jean Rhodes Although most youth interventions are developed in response to particular needs or goals, mentoring programs were conceived more broadly as an extension of informal helping relationships. For nearly a century, most volunteer mentors were tasked simply with building friendships […]

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From “out of the park” mentoring relationships to consistent, evidence-based approaches

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by Jean Rhodes For years, I was stubbornly convinced that formal mentoring programs should focus mostly on creating and maintaining deep, emotional bonds. I saw attempts to scale back on relationship length and strength, or to rely on curricula, as existential threats to the field–destined to reduce already modest effects. But, evaluations and meta-analyses of […]

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Foster care youth speak: We need career mentoring!

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Hudson, A. (2015). Career mentoring needs of youths in foster care: Voices for change. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 26, 131-137. Background Once young adults age out of the foster care system they are more likely than their non-fostered peers to experience homelessness, poverty, incarceration, and a variety of mental health issues. According […]

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New study examines the mentoring experience of unaccompanied refugee minors

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Raithelhuber, E. (2019). ‘If we want, they help us in any way’: how ‘unaccompanied refugee minors’ experience mentoring relationships. European Journal of Social Work, 0(0), 1–16. doi:10.1080/13691457.2019.1606787 Summarized by Cyanea Poon Notes of Interest: Mentoring youths is an international movement, but little is known about the process of mentorship for unaccompanied refugee minors. This study […]

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Research applies sociological concepts to mentoring programs

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Stanton-Salazar, R. (2016). Contributions of social capital theory and social network models in advancing the connection between students’ school-based learning and community-based opportunities for pursuing interest-driven learning. Paper presented at Power Brokers: Building Youth Social Capital through Connected Learning. University of California, Irvine.   Summarized by Justin Preston In a paper presented in the Fall […]

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Study Finds Positive Physical and Mental Health Outcomes for Mentored Foster Care Youth

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Ahrens, K. R., DuBois, D. L., Richardson, L. P., Fan, M. Y., & Lozano, P. (2008). Youth in foster care with adult mentors during adolescence have improved adult outcomes. Pediatrics, 121(2), e246-e252. Summarized by Elyssa Weber, UMB clinical psychology doctoral student Introduction: Young adults in foster care are more likely to have poorer physical and […]

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Creating a Culturally Relevant Mentoring Program for Girls of Color

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By Bernadette Sanchez, Ph.D. Not too long ago, my colleagues and I created a mentoring program, called GirlPOWER!, for African American and Latina early adolescent girls. Our goal was to ensure that the program was gender specific as well as culturally and developmentally appropriate. We created the program in collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters […]

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Profiles in Mentoring: A conversation with Torie Weiston-Serdan on Critical Mentoring

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Written by Vera van den Berg  Torie Weiston-Serdan is the founder of the Youth Mentoring Action Network— a non-profit organization that focuses on youth mentoring. Moreover, Torie Weiston-Serdan is the author of “Critical mentoring: A practical guide”. She examines how marginalized and minority youth are served by mentoring and mentoring organizations. Critical mentoring, central to […]

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New research investigates the different mentor roles taken on by sports coaches

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White, J. S., Schempp, P. G., McCullick, B. A., Berger, B. S., & Elliott, J. M. (2017). Mentoring relationships in sport from the protégé’s perspective. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 15(1), 152-168. Summarized by Julia Mancini Notes of Interest: This article explores the effectiveness of the functions and roles in mentoring relationships […]

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