Mentoring is a one-to-one relationship between a youth and an adult who provides consistent support, guidance, and help as the younger person goes through difficult or challenging life situations. The goal of mentoring is to help mentees gain skills, confidence, and responsibility, while observing and interacting with his or her mentor. Trust, guidance, support and consistency are four essential pieces in the relationship of a mentor and a mentee. Once these are developed successful mentoring will occur.

Statement of Need

    From my research and interviews, I found that mentoring youth at risk would enable them to gain knowledge, build positive relationships, and achieve their fullest potential in emotional health. At the same time, mentors will gain the opportunity to help young people develop their potentials and shape their lives.
    Successful programs have incorporated: appropriate screening, matching and training, adequate structure for communication and support for mentors (provided by program staff), opportunities for program-supported social activities for mentors and youth, and a good match between program goals and mentor expectations. The programs vary considerably in terms of goals, target populations, numbers served, locations, sponsors, funding received, degree of structure provided, and the depth and length of the mentor-youth relationships (Guetzloe, 101).
    Information on mentoring can be found on the World Wide Web and by contacting programs directly (i.e. Big Brothers/Big Sisters). Big Brothers, which is now Big Brothers Big Sisters was originally established by the men's club of the Central Presbyterian Church of New York in December of 1904 (Guetzloe, 100). It now has 483 local affiliates in 41 states, matching 70,000 young people with adult mentors. The only problem with the program is the fact they have a waiting list of 40,000 youth in need of a mentor. There are an increasingly large number of programs needed to fulfill the growing idea of mentoring relationships.

Description of the Intervention

    I decided to create a mentoring program in conjunction with my internship. The intervention would involve a collaborative effort between HERE and CAVE. The mentors would be students at Chico State who wanted to receive one unit for volunteering to be a mentor at the HERE program. CAVE already has a program in effect called the Volunteer Connection Program, which allows students to sign up directly for the HERE program. Once the mentor is interviewed, receives a background check, provides CAVE with an application, two good references, and is informed of the policies and procedures they are then referred to the HERE program.
    Once the mentor arrives at the HERE program they are trained, given an orientation about the HERE program, and informed about the confidentiality issues between the agencies and the mentor and mentee. Finally, they are put on a list, then scheduled with a time slot of their choice (to ensure consistency) and lastly paired with a mentee.
    There will be a point of contact at the HERE program, that will be responsible for keeping in continuous contact with CAVE, all the mentors/mentees, and in charge of the orientation process of the mentors.

Evaluation of the Intervention

The intervention is still in working progress. I will be continuing to work on the project with the HERE Program until it's complete. Once the project is complete it will be passed on to the next intern working at the HERE program.

Reflections on the Project

The most challenging portion of the community project was getting all of the literature and contacts together. My idea of the project became bigger and it became impossible to complete the project in the allotted time allowed. The project became overwhelming and my task and goals list was numerous. I didn't realize my time was up until the project was due. As you can see in the evaluation, the intervention is still in working progress. I regret this the most because I wanted my goals to be obtained. My advice to future community project goers is to start your planning early and really brainstorm your topic in its entirety. Above all, contact your resources early, and use your time wisely!

References

Brasile, F., & Skalko, T. (1998). Perspectives in Recreational Therapy. Washington: Idyll Arbor, Inc.

Carter, R., Betts, S.C. (1998). Evaluation research in context: A community application for youth and family programs. Family & Consumer Sciences Research Journal. 346-364.

Guetzloe, E. (1997). The power of positive relationships: Mentoring programs in the school and community. Preventing School Failure. 100-105.

Henry, N. (1999). Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. [WWW document]. Retrieved: http://www.mentors.com/p.html

Lee, J., Cramond, B. (1999). The positive effects of mentoring economically disadvantaged students. Professional School Counseling. 172-178.

Synder, B.A. (1997). Expressive art therapy techniques: Healing the soul through creativity. Journal of Humanistic Education & Development. 74-83.

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