Helping to Make Good Mentoring Programs Even Better: Using the Elements of Effective Practice

Presenters

Cheryl L. Howard-Neal, Illinois Mentoring PartnershipFollow

Focused Area

Youth-At-Risk in Urban Settings

Relevance to Focused Area

Most of us can point to significant adults whose guidance made a profound difference in our lives. A recent national study( The Mentoring Effect) found one in three young people have no such adult. This same study found youth with mentors were substantially more engaged in school-- they were 81% more likely to participate in extracurricular activities; 130% more likely to hold a leadership position in a club or other group; and over 37% more likely to attend and graduate from college. Simply put, mentoring changes lives.

Primary Strand

Family & Community

Relevance to Primary Strand

Why Mentoring: High quality youth mentoring is a research proven practice that can improve school performance, decrease involvement in negative behaviors, and increase the likelihood that young people will go on to higher education. And for businesses, involving employees in mentoring young people not only helps to hone vital skills for employees, but also helps create a stronger future workforce.

By mentoring youth in local communities, we cannot only ensure a better future for our youth, but for our workforce and for our collective ability to compete in today’s economic environment. It is an investment in our present and our future productivity and collective strength as a nation.

--John Mahoney, Vice Chairman and CFO of Staples, Inc.

Mentoring works for Kids

A study of Allstate Insurance’s Corporate Mentoring program found that kids in mentoring programs:

• 81% improved their grades;
• 93% improved their attitudes toward school; and
• 96% had an improved self image.

Other studies have found that kids involved in high quality mentoring are:

• Less likely to use drugs or alcohol or be involved in violent or delinquent behavior
• More likely to have positive relationships with others, including their parents
• More likely to develop long term plans and take steps to achieve them

Mentoring Works for Communities:

• Youth involved in high quality mentoring relationships are less likely to be involved in bullying, or other violent or delinquent behavior; and

• Connected young people are more likely to give back to their communities

Brief Program Description

Helping Make Good Mentoring Programs Even Better!

Using the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring Programs

Mentoring can be extremely rewarding for the youth and mentors in our programs, but it can also be hard work for the staff that manages the program. Learn about mentoring best practices and find out how you can strengthen your program using evidence based approaches.

After this session, participants will be able to:

• Understand the six key elements in creating and running a mentoring program

• Look at their programs and get ideas for ways to strengthen or change program delivery

Summary

At its most basic level, mentoring helps because it guarantees a young person that there is someone who cares about them. A child is not alone in dealing with day-to-day challenges.

Think back. Did you know how to study for a test or make plans for college? Do you remember wanting your first car or looking for a part-time job? Simple things that seem easy or straightforward to you now may appear to be a complete mystery to a young person.

Mentors provide their mentees with an experienced friend who is there to help in any number of situations.

Support for education

• Mentors help keep students in school.
• Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school and 37% less likely to skip a class (Public/Private Ventures study of Big Brothers Big Sisters).
• Mentors help with homework and can improve their mentees’ academic skills.

Support with day-to-day living

• Mentors help improve a young person's self-esteem.
• Youth who meet regularly with their mentors are 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking (Public/Private Ventures study of Big Brothers Big Sisters).
• About 40% of a teenager's waking hours are spent without companionship or supervision. Mentors provide teens with a valuable place to spend free time.
• Mentors teach young people how to relate well to all kinds of people

Support in the workplace

• Mentors help young people set career goals and start taking steps to realize them.
• Mentors can use their personal contacts to help young people meet industry professionals, find internships and locate job possibilities.
• Mentors introduce young people to professional resources and organizations they may not know.
• Mentors can help their mentees learn how to seek and keep jobs and help them strengthen communication skills.

Evidence

The 2013 study “The Role of Risk: Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth with Varying Risk Profiles,” examined mentoring program relationships, experiences and benefits for higher-risk youth, and among the findings determined:

• The strongest program benefit, and most consistent across risk groups, was a reduction in depressive symptoms — a particularly noteworthy finding given that almost one in four youth reported worrisome levels of these symptoms at baseline.
• Findings also suggested gains in social acceptance, academic attitudes and grades.
• In addition to benefits in specific domains, mentored youth also experienced gains in a greater number of outcomes than youth in the comparison group.

Overall, the study’s results suggest that mentoring programs can be beneficial for youth with a broad range of backgrounds and characteristics. Tailoring the training and support that is available to matches based on the specific risks youth face has the potential to produce even stronger benefits.

A Public/Private Ventures project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and distributed by MDRC, the study involved more than 1,300 youth, drawn from seven programs serving young people in Washington State. Oversight and support for the project were provided by Washington State Mentors.

This report builds on existing research, including a research brief published by Child Trends and titled "Mentoring: A Promising Strategy for Youth Development" found that youth who participate in mentoring relationships experience a number of positive benefits.

• In terms of educational achievement, mentored youth have better school attendance; a better chance of going on to higher education; and better attitudes toward school.
• In terms of health and safety, mentoring appears to help prevent substance abuse and reduce some negative youth behaviors.
• On the social and emotional development front, taking part in mentoring promotes positive social attitudes and relationships. Mentored youth tend to trust their parents more and communicate better with them.

Format

Individual Presentation

Biographical Sketch

Cheryl Howard - Neal, Illinois Mentoring Partnership

Cheryl comes to the Illinois Mentoring Partnership (IMP) with more than 20 years of service in the non-profit sector working with mentoring programs, volunteers and youth. As Director of Programs and Partnerships, Cheryl facilitates all trainings and workshops, helps disseminate information about program best practices, meets with organizations to review their policies and procedures and assists them in creating work plans to strengthen their programming.

Prior to IMP, Cheryl worked at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago (BBBSMC) for five years holding various positions including Director of Community Based Programs and Program Support Specialist. Prior to BBBSMC, she served as Director of Mentor and Volunteer Services for Chicago Youth Centers.

Cheryl also lived in Houston, TX for five years and worked at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeast Texas where she managed both Community and Site-Based programs. She has additionally served as a trainer and consultant to Prevention First in Illinois and Mentor TEXAS! in Houston.

Cheryl is a native of Chicago. She graduated from Hyde Park Career Academy and DePaul University. At DePaul, she obtained a BA in Political Science with a minor in Communications.

Start Date

11-6-2015 3:15 PM

End Date

11-6-2015 4:30 PM

Recommended Citation

Howard-Neal, Cheryl L., "Helping to Make Good Mentoring Programs Even Better: Using the Elements of Effective Practice" (2015). National Youth-At-Risk Conference, West (2015-2017). 6.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_vegas/2015/urban/6