Untapped Potential: Empowering Urban Teens as Mentors

Format

Individual Presentation

Location

Vereist

Strand #1

Family & Community

Strand #2

Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

Mentoring has many proven, positive benefits for underserved and/or at-risk youth populations. This workshop educates participants on an extremely beneficial and often overlooked version of mentoring: cross-age peer mentoring programs (CAMP). The model presented in this workshop equips youth serving agencies to implement a CAMP that fosters collaboration between community members, families, and schools.

Brief Program Description

Fact: high-risk youth are influenced by their peers more than anything else. For this reason, cross-age peer mentoring has incredible potential to positively impact youth that many other programs have a difficult time reaching. During this highly interactive workshop, participants will learn exactly how to implement a research-based, cross-age peer mentoring program in their specific setting.

Summary

Cross-age peer mentoring (CAMP) has the unique ability to not only positively impact mentees, but develop and empower teens as peer mentors. In this workshop, participants will learn how to apply research-based best practices in the field of mentoring to a cross-age peer mentoring program, resulting in incredible results for both teen mentors and their younger mentees.

Using a variety of training strategies, this workshop will showcase an impactful and replicable model for a variety of potential CAMP settings, including school-based, group, community-based, and faith-based settings.

Whether brand new to cross-age peer mentoring, or a veteran in the field, participants will walk away with a variety of practical skills, tips and ideas to implement and/or improve a cross-age peer mentoring program in their specific setting. Topics covered include program planning/strategizing, mentor recruitment and training, mentor/mentee matching, and impactful activities mentors and mentees can do together.

Participants should expect a workshop involving practical training, engaging discussions, and interesting activities.

Evidence

Cross-age peer mentoring is a relatively young player in the overall field of mentoring. Not much research has been done in the field. This didn't limit us from diving into known research and adapting proven best practices. The CAMP model presented in this workshop is based heavily on research done by some of the biggest names in the field of mentoring (i.e. Dr. Michael Karcher, Dr. David Dubios, Dr. Jean Rhodes, etc.) and published by a variety of reputable sources (i.e. MENTOR, The Handbook of Youth Mentoring, 2nd edition, etc.). All core elements of this model come directly from cited and proven research.

Biographical Sketch

Elycia Cook is the Executive Director of FRIENDS FIRST, a Denver-based non-profit that empowers and mentors teens to make positive life choices and develop healthy relationships. Elycia has over 10 years experience in urban youth development, specifically in Detroit and Denver. She has also personally mentored over 20 urban teens. Elycia hold a B.S. in Business Administration from Wayne University.

Joe Duarte is a Lead Program Coordinator with FRIENDS FIRST and has a passion for engaging Latino students. He holds a B.A. in Ethnic Studies with a minor in Education from the University of Colorado - Boulder. He has worked with teens for over 5 years in a variety of mentoring settings.

Keyword Descriptors

mentoring, urban, high-risk, peer mentoring, leadership

Presentation Year

2016

Start Date

3-7-2016 10:30 AM

End Date

3-7-2016 11:45 AM

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Mar 7th, 10:30 AM Mar 7th, 11:45 AM

Untapped Potential: Empowering Urban Teens as Mentors

Vereist

Fact: high-risk youth are influenced by their peers more than anything else. For this reason, cross-age peer mentoring has incredible potential to positively impact youth that many other programs have a difficult time reaching. During this highly interactive workshop, participants will learn exactly how to implement a research-based, cross-age peer mentoring program in their specific setting.