Youth Mentoring
This topic explores how mentoring provided to youth by caring adults can help youth and adults with professional development, growth, and support, and how it can benefit the overall community.
Introduction
Mentoring, as defined by the U.S. Department of Labor, is an "…educational process that provides opportunities for professional development, growth and support for both mentor, or teacher, and the mentee, or student, involved" (United States Department of Labor, 2000). Youth mentoring involves the pairing of youth with caring adults, or more experienced peers, who serve as role models, friends, and
guides. Mentoring occurs in both one-on-one situations and in groups, with various combinations of mentor/mentee matches.
Mentoring can take place through personal meetings, e-mail exchanges, telephone conversations, letters, or any other form of correspondence. It is a regular, ongoing relationship that focuses on the growth and development of the protégé, but may also offer the mentor opportunities to grow and learn. Mentors typically experience satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment in making a positive difference in the lives of students. Mentoring can focus solely on the development of a relationship and personal development of the mentee, or it can focus on specific topics, such as career awareness, social skills, or technical skills (National Mentoring Partnership, n.d.).
Research has demonstrated that mentoring is an excellent opportunity for helping youth develop skills, knowledge, and motivation to successfully
transition from high school into adult living (Moccia, Schumaker, Hazel, Vernon and Deshler, 1989; Rhodes, Grossman, and Resch, 2000; Sipe in Grossman, 1999).
Of all groups of young adults, youth with disabilities have the highest unemployment rates, the lowest participation in postsecondary training and education programs, and the highest likelihood of remaining dependent on public
assistance programs following high school. Individuals with disabilities also continue to face attitudinal barriers to employment.
Effective mentoring programs can change these outcomes by breaking down some of these barriers and encouraging people with disabilities to take an active role in planning and pursuing career goals (Moccia, et al., 1989). In addition, by participating in mentoring programs, employers are able to access potential employees as well as increase their awareness and understanding of disability in the workplace (United States Department of Labor, 2000).
References
Moccia, R.E., Schumaker, J.B., Hazel, J.S., Vernon, D.S., & Deshler, D. (1989). A mentor program for facilitating the life transitions of individuals who have handicapping conditions. Reading, Writing, and Learning Disabilities, 5, 177-195.
National Mentoring Partnership. (2002, January).
What’s in it for mentors? Research Corner Topics
[online]. Retrieved January 29, 2002, from http://www.mentoring.org/research_corner/jan_background.adp.
Rhodes, J.E., Grossman, J.B., & Resch, N.L. (2000). Agents of change: Pathways through which mentoring relationships influence adolescents’ academic adjustment. Child Development, 71, 1662-1671.
Sipe, C.L., Roder, A.E. (1999). Mentoring
school-age children: A classification of programs. Retrieved
January 31, 2002 from Public/Private Ventures Web Site at http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/34_publication.pdf.
United States Department of Labor. (2000). Mentoring. Retrieved August 16, 2006, from http://www.dol.gov/odep/archives/ek00/mentoring.htm.
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