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Implementing a Mentoring
Program:How Does it Work?
Although there is no one right way to go about developing a school-based mentoring program, there are a number of steps schools need to take in order to get a program off the ground and running smoothly. The following sections outline some basic steps and strategies for putting together a successful mentoring program that addresses the specific needs of schools and communities.
1. Getting started
The importance of careful planning cannot be emphasized enough. In fact, appointing a steering committee to be in charge of planning the mentoring program is one of the first steps you’ll need to take. Be sure to give the planning committee plenty of time to develop program goals, solicit support, and locate staff for the mentoring program before making contact with potential mentors and mentees. Issues to discuss early in the planning process include:
Goals and objectives—Assess school needs and identify the program’s target group and objectives (Smink, 1990). This is a good time to review current publications on mentoring and look at how mentoring has been used to benefit students at other schools. See Appendices A and B for lists of guidebooks and internet resources for developing school-based mentoring programs.
Infrastructure—Think about program structure and staff needs. Who will coordinate the program? What kind of support will the program coordinator(s) need? Depending on the size and scope of the program, it may take more than one full-time staff person to recruit mentors and mentees, conduct trainings, facilitate matches, support mentors, solicit funding and oversee daily program operations. Larger, multi-school programs may need
to designate site coordinators for each campus in addition to an overall mentoring program director (Crockett & Smink, 1991). Keep in mind that running an effective mentoring program will require a great deal of time, skill, and energy—relying solely on the goodwill of volunteers to run the program is likely to burn people out and quickly compromise the mentoring program’s effectiveness (Freedman, 1993; Sipe, 1996).
Logistics—Discuss what the mentoring relationship will look like: how long will relationships last? When, where, and how often will students and mentors meet (Faddis et al., 1988)? Note that it often takes up to six months for mentoring relationships to develop—for greatest effectiveness, mentors and mentees should meet for an hour or more each week for at least one full school year (Freedman & Baker, 1995).
Liability—Having students and mentors meet on school grounds under the supervision of program staff is the easiest way to
limit liability. However, this also limits the privacy and the range of activities available to mentors and mentees (Crockett
& Smink, 1991). If students and mentors will be meeting off-site, carefully work out insurance and liability issues with administrators, lawyers, and the district insurance agency (Glasgow, 1996). Ensure that the school, program staff, students, and mentors will be covered in case of accidents, incidents and accusations of abuse, and other emergency situations. Depending on your school’s insurance policy, you may be able to address liability issues through informed consent—discuss transportation and other risks with parents and then ask them to sign a consent form agreeing to allow their child to participate (Crockett & Smink, 1991). Many school districts already have coverage for similar off-site activities built into their insurance policies
(athletic and work experience programs, for example)—you may be able to use these as models for extending insurance coverage to mentor/mentee meetings (Glasgow, 1996).
Funding—Calculate program costs and identify funding sources. Whether program funding comes from the school district or in the form of grants from foundations and local businesses, ensure that it will be stable and adequate to cover costs for the duration of the mentoring program (Sipe, 1996).
After the planning committee has mapped out the mentoring program’s basic goals and structure, the next step is to solicit support for the program from parents, teachers, administrators, and the community. Providing an inservice for teachers and administrators is a good way both to garner support and give teachers an opportunity to identify students who would be appropriate for the program (Lengel, 1989).
2. Recruitment and screening
Once you have identified the program’s target group and objectives, you will need to devise strategies for recruiting and selecting appropriate participants.
Recruiting mentees:
- Develop a system for identifying and selecting mentees. For example, if the program will target low-performing students, you will probably want to ask classroom teachers and counselors to identify students with low grades and test scores (Crockett & Smink, 1991).
- Hold a meeting for parents and potential mentees outlining the program goals, structure, and expectations (Lengel, 1989; Smink, 1991).
- Weed out students who are unlikely to benefit from the program. If students are unwilling to participate or are unable to commit to meeting regularly with a mentor, they probably won’t get much out of the program (New York State Mentoring Program [NYSMP], 1991).
- Ensure that parents are willing to cooperate with the program and will make their child available for meetings with the mentor (Crockett & Smink, 1991).
- Have parents and mentees sign an agreement that states they understand the program and consent to participate
Recruiting mentors:
- Identify the qualities you are looking for in mentors and what your expectations of them will be: how much time will mentors need to commit to the program? what skills and experience should they possess?
- Decide where you will look for mentors. Do you want to recruit mentors from within the school (teachers, administrators, and older students), from the community (volunteers from local businesses, churches, community organizations, and colleges), or from both the school and the community (Smink, 1990)?
- Solicit volunteers. Advertising on the radio and in area newspapers, posting fliers around the community, and speaking to community groups are all good ways to attract volunteers (NYSMP, 1991).
- Hold an informational meeting for prospective mentors outlining the program goals and objectives (Lengel, 1989).
- Carefully screen volunteers. Ask applicants to provide information on their experience working with young people, their motivation for becoming a mentor, and the types of students they are interested in working with. It is also important to check applicants’ references and criminal histories (Crockett & Smink, 1991).
- Choose volunteers who have good communication and interpersonal skills and who can commit to meeting regularly with their mentee for the duration of the program (Crockett & Smink, 1991; Faddis et al., 1988).
- Don’t be afraid to turn away volunteers who are unqualified or who can’t make the time commitment. Pairing a young person with an unskilled or inappropriate mentor can be discouraging and damaging to the mentee (Freedman & Baker, 1995).
3. Training mentors
Quality orientation and training for mentors is essential to the success of any mentoring program (Grossman & Garry, 1997; Sipe, 1996). Important topics for mentor training include:
- Mentoring program goals and objectives (NYSMP, 1991)
- Strategies for developing effective mentoring relationships
- Methods of building trust with mentees (Crockett & Smink, 1991)
- Listening and communication skills, including training on different styles of communication (Smink, 1990)
- Basic information on youth development: what is reasonable to expect from mentees, how students of specific age groups learn and communicate, and what challenges and issues students targeted by the mentoring program may be facing (Crockett & Smink, 1991)
- Cultural awareness and diversity training (National Mentoring Partnership [NMP], 1991)
4. Matching mentors and mentees
For greatest success, consider the following when pairing
students with mentors:
- Student needs: Matches should be made with each student’s individual needs in mind. Mentors should be able to empathize with their mentee and tailor activities according to the mentee’s interests and goals (McPartland & Nettles, 1991; Smink, 1990).
- Common interests: While it is not necessary for students and mentors to have similar personalities, it is important that they share some common interests (Crockett & Smink, 1991).
- Convenience: Students and mentors must be available to meet at the same times and live within reasonably close proximity of each other or their meeting place if they will be meeting off campus (Crockett & Smink, 1991).
- Race and gender: Although researchers disagree on whether same-race and same-gender matches are more beneficial to mentees than pairing students with mentors of a different race or gender, they note that same-race and same-gender matches often make parents feel more comfortable and avoid cultural misinterpretations and misunderstandings between students, mentors, and parents (Project PLUS, 1990).
- Background: In programs designed to provide mentees with successful role models, it is best to match students with mentors who are from similar backgrounds or who have successfully overcome obstacles similar to those the mentees are facing (Freedman, 1993; Project PLUS, 1990; Mosqueda & Palaich, 1990).
No matter how careful program staff are in matching students and mentors, however, some matches just won’t work out. If, after the first few meetings, mentors and mentees still don’t seem to "click," the program coordinator should meet with both parties separately to discuss this. The problem may be worked out by providing the mentor with more training or simply by reminding the pair that it takes time and effort to build a relationship (Crockett & Smink, 1991). However, if it seems unlikely that the pair will hit it off—or if there is any evidence of inappropriate behavior on the part of the mentor—do not hesitate to find the student a different mentor (Mosqueda & Palaich, 1990). It is important that the mentoring relationship be positive and productive, even in the early stages as mentors and mentees begin to get acquainted (Sipe, 1996).
5. Ongoing program management and supervision
After mentors and mentees have been matched, there is still much work to do. To keep the program running smoothly,
program staff will need to:
- Decide where, when, and how often mentors and mentees will meet. Ideally, pairs should meet for an hour or more per week for at least a year. Regular, frequent meetings help students and mentors develop the trust and friendship necessary for successful mentoring relationships (Crockett & Smink, 1991; Freedman & Baker, 1995).
- Arrange and confirm off-site mentor/mentee meetings. While students and mentors should have some input into where and when they meet, it is important that program staff contact participants on a weekly basis to confirm that they are meeting regularly (Crockett & Smink, 1991).
- Check in frequently with mentors, mentees, and parents to ensure that the mentoring relationship is positive and productive (Sipe, 1996). If a match doesn’t appear to be working out after the first few meetings, assign the student a different mentor (Mosqueda & Palaich, 1990).
- Provide adequate support and communication structures for mentors. Hold regular meetings in which mentors can discuss their experiences, voice concerns, and get feedback from program staff and fellow mentors (Saito & Roehlkepartain, 1992).
- Recognize mentors and mentees for their achievements and participation in the program (NMP, 1991).
- Facilitate positive closure of mentoring relationships. At some stage, mentoring relationships will come to an end. Whether this is due to mentors and mentees choosing to leave the program, moving from the area, or reaching the end of the planned mentoring program, it is important that program staff provide activities to address final concerns and help bring a positive end to the relationship (McCarthy & Knox, 1993).
- Conduct program evaluations frequently (Crockett & Smink, 1991). Being able to demonstrate program effectiveness is essential in soliciting funding and other support for the program (Harjan, 1994).
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© 2001
Date of Last Update: 09/19/2001
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